If I find myself upset about something or needing answers to tough questions, I don’t go running up the mountain looking for some wise man’s council. I just go run up the mountain.
Apparently, according to scientific research, not even that's necessary to get in the present moment, decompress, or gain clarity. All we have to do is find a little nature and step into it.
This is not exercise, or hiking, or jogging. It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. [Forest Bathing or as the Japanese call it,] Shinrin-yoku, is like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world.
"A two-hour forest bath will help you to unplug from technology and slow down. It will bring you into the present moment and de-stress and relax you. Numerous studies I’ve conducted have shown that shinrin-yoku has real health benefits." ~ From FOREST BATHING: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li
Personally, I like elevation and exercise in the great outdoors. Running on a treadmill in a gym may be enough for some people, but it just doesn't provide the incentive and overall experience running up Tram Face provides (photo above). Of course not everyone has a Tram Face in their backyard - something for which I'm most grateful - but nature is all around us. And it's a fact a lot of us spend a majority of our time indoors.
Two words: GET OUT!
:)
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