Trees are good for you, it’s official. Tree hugging is no longer the domain of hippies, protestors and bearded activists. It is becoming mainstream and more and more people are turning to the health-giving benefits of trees to improve their wellbeing and relieve stress.
Before the industrial and digital revolutions, trees and man were connected. Trees provided shelter, transportation, warmth, tools, weapons and food. In the modern world, this fundamental day to day entanglement with nature has been lost. There are some who believe that it is this disconnection from nature, which underpins the stress and anxiety, that has almost become an accepted component of twenty first century living.
The good news is that you don’t have to throw your arms around a tree to soak up their health giving benefits. Have you ever tramped through a deciduous forest and kicked up autumn leaves? Have you strolled through a bluebell wood and imagined drowning in the waving sea of blue? Have you escaped the heat of the sun to a shady pine forest and watched the sunlight dance in dusty shafts through the trees? Have you crunched through the hard ground of a winter forest and sensed the stillness of life all around, breathing and waiting for spring? If you have done any one of these things, you are probably already a tree hugger in waiting.
Living in or near green spaces has positive health effects
More and more studies are showing a link between green spaces and improved health and immunity. A study in urban Toronto found that that people living in neighbourhoods with a higher density of trees on their street, reported significantly higher health perceptions and significantly less cardio metabolic conditions than those who did not. Another study found that patients in hospital, who had a room with a view of greenery, recovered more rapidly than those who did not.
Even photos of trees can improve your mood and sense of wellbeing.
In the last decade researchers have become increasingly interested in the relationship between mental health and trees. In a Polish study, participants were asked to spend 15 minutes gazing at either at a wintertime forest landscape or an urban landscape. The participants filled out a before and after questionnaire and those who had gazed at the forest reported more positive emotions, more energy and an improved sense of restoration, than those who had gazed at the urban scene. The study suggests that simply incorporating trees into your home décor, either through paintings, photographs, wall hangings or murals may well give you a little boost of wellbeing every time you walk past.
If you already live near a forest or a park or in a rural area, you are one of the lucky ones who are three times less likely to be under emotional strain than those who do not. But even if you are not one of the privileged few who can who can step outside into their own forest, there are many ways in which you can turn up the magic of trees for your own health and wellbeing as well as that of your family.
Get more trees into your garden
The best trees to plant in small gardens are those whose root systems are not too invasive and those which do not grow so high that they block out the light or upset the neighbours. Check the grow-to sizes on the labels and choose trees which do not grow too high or too wide. Magnolias, Acers, flowering Cherry and Flamingo Willow are all wonderful for small gardens. Trees whose foliage changes with the season and those which bear fruit provide an ever changing vista of nature’s endeavour. Some trees will even be happy to grow in pots, such as bay trees, olive trees and Japanese Maple. And if you do not have any outside space, consider a Bonsai miniature tree. These are a delight to look after and capture all the magnificence of a full grown tree in miniature in your living room.
Take time out with the family forest bathing
Forest bathing is translated from Shinrin Yoku a Japanese practice developed in the 1980s to assist with calm and relaxation. The next time you are wondering what to do with the kids, take them ‘forest bathing’. Forest bathing is the practice of deliberately spending time amongst trees to immerse yourself in their restorative properties. Trees are very resilient. They don’t mind children shouting or screaming or running about. They don’t’ object to being climbed on or swung from or used as props in hide and seek. When you take kids into the forest, notice how their mood improves and an unseen energy takes hold of them. Without prompting, they will create their own games, build dams across the stream and as they play, you can take time for yourself to breathe in nature’s delight and relax. Why not extend the experience by foraging the forest floor and take home twigs, leaves and stones, a source of treasure for creative nature sculpture at home.
Try this me-time easy meditation for instant forest refreshment
Whether you are busy juggling family and work or you live alone, a forest is a fabulous place to restore your inner energy. Try this easy meditation to instantly feel more calm and tranquil.
Find a comfortable place to sit in the middle of a forest, leaning if possible against a tree.
Look around for a moment at the detail of the forest, the leaves, the trees, the berries, the moss, the bark, the trunk. Focus on the intense visual and detailed experience of the trees around you.
Next close your eyes and focus exclusively on the sounds of the forest. Listen for the leaves rustling and swaying, the cracking of twigs, the sound of the birds flying in and amongst the highest of the branches, the hum of insects and the calls of wildlife. Listen for the near sounds and then the faraway ones until you get a sense of a whole orchestra of sounds.
Then switch your attention to touch. Feel the texture of the bark, the leaves, place your hands on the forest floor and feel for the heartbeat of the earth and the unseen vibrations which pass from one tree to another. Try taking off you shoes and wriggle your feet or hands into the earth. Let nature speak to you through your fingers and toes.
Now focus on the smell of the forest. Has it been raining? Is there a smell of wet leaves or sodden bark? What scents are in the air and on the ground?
After focusing on each of the senses in turn, open your eyes again and look around and take in the full visual feast. The scene will be richer, sharper and more intense. You will see things that you did not see the first time and best of all, you will feel calmer, wonderfully refreshed and energised.
So if you long for a bit more balance in your life and ache to reconnect with the natural human rhythm of living in harmony with your environment why not give metaphorical tree hugging a try. Whether it’s forest bathing, bringing trees into your home or garden or meditating in the forest, you are only steps away from a calmer and healthier you.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lists/a-beginners-guide-to-forest-bathing