A Walk in the Woods

Comienza el verano, Summer begins…When the weather is nice I like biking from my house to Walden Pond, about a 15 mile ride. In late March 1845 Henry David Thoreau went to Walden Pond to build a house on land owned by his close friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. At Walden, Thoreau explored Walden Woods and recorded his observations on nature in his Journal. By the time he left the pond on September 6, 1847, he had combined lectures that he gave on life at Walden with more notes from his journal to produce the first draft of a book which he hoped to publish.

Fast forward to Japan in the 1980s where the practice of “shinrin-yoku” emerged. Essentially, “forest bathing” is immersion in the forest as a way to clear your mind, open your senses and take advantage of the healing power of nature. The science behind it: studies suggest that when you are in nature, the trees and plants emit oils called phytoncides that enhance the immune system. By gently breathing in and out, you remove toxins in your body.

If only Thoreau knew!

Learn More:
http://thoreau.library.ucsb.edu/thoreau_walden.html
http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/shinrin-yoku.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_bathing
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/17/forest-bathing-is-latest-fitness-trend-to-hit-u-s-where-yoga-was-30-years-ago/?utm_term=.c69c30587ad6