Hey friend,
It’s good to see you.
And it’s good to see public life slowly resume again.
It would be easy to let our guards down now, after braving an abnormally long period of isolation, curfews, restrictions. It’s starting to feel safer and safer to go out and hang out in groups — compensate for what feels like lost time — but we should be aware that this “quarantine release effect” could set us back, needlessly. Let’s stay alert a bit longer, we’re almost there.
One thing I never stopped doing and that has always been sanitary for both body and mind is “forest bathing”.
This Japanese practice is a process of relaxation; known in Japan as shinrin yoku. The simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you whilst breathing deeply can help both adults and children de-stress and boost health and wellbeing in a natural way.
One does not have to go all fancy and intercultural though, simply get to the closest nature patch and take a long hike. Wikiloc is an excellent resource for discovering community-contributed hikes around you. While staying somewhere at the intersection of mountain and beach, recently, we followed a Wikiloc trail that includes a magnificent picnic table with an ocean view.
The trail provided a hands-on knowledge of the ecosystem around us, one we didn’t know we needed. The preview of the trail on the app includes how much you’ll need to climb as well as a difficulty rating, so you can find a trail that fits the mood for that day, from contemplative to challenging.
It’s worth getting the (great valued) yearly subscription since that will give you offline maps and other rugged, outdoor features. 1% of the price goes directly to “1% For the Planet”. The other 99% will help keep the community going. Give the trial (and then the trail) a shot and judge for yourself.
Get out there and clear your head.
See you around,
Fred