Simplicity is the beauty of nature and silence is its fragrance. – Nitin Namdeo
When on a forest therapy walk we don’t teach or study the names of plants and flowers and trees. We don’t need to worry about anything so focused when experiencing nature. But it is interesting to note some of the plants and wildlife we are surrounded by every so often.
Following are a list of the fall flowers of Saskatchewan natural grasslands. Have you seen these or anything else on your forest walks? Let me know in the comments.
Owl’s Clover
Showy Sunflower
Brown eyed Susan
Prairie Sage
Canada Goldenrod
Common Broomweed
White Prairie Aster
Dotted Blazing Star
Tufted Fleabane
Join me in taking the time now to become familiar with plants and wildlife so when we are on the trail it can be a passing thought that connects us but not to the point that we need our phone out to ask Siri. Learn some this year and some next.
The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go. – Unknown
What can you learn from nature as it shows us the beauty of change and letting go?
Living with chronic illness/ pain/ fatigue requires change in us. A change in perspective and a change in plans. A change in friends and purpose. When we block that change we can create more difficulties and pain. When we yield to changes that need to be made we are like the fall tree shedding its leaves. Nothing has gone wrong. This is the next step. The thought of a tree holding its leaves in a death grip with the season is ridiculous. Is our holding on any less so?
The changes we need to make can be devastating and forever change who we are. Yet there is beauty in the change. When you looked into the weather worn skin of your mom or grandma, did you see wrinkles that needed to be smoothed? Or did you see the life they have lived in those lines? Laugh lines. Perplexed lines. Worry lines. Cry lines. All the lines of a life well lived.
I remember my grandma’s big crooked knuckles. I didn’t ever think they needed to be straight and small. They were part of her hands. They worked hard washing dishes, making pies, and keeping a clean house. They read books to me. They gave me treats for the horses. They taught me how to peel an apple. Those hands played the piano like nobody’s business. Those hands were perfect to me.
What changes are taking place in your life that may appear ugly to you but are actually just knuckles getting crooked or wrinkles being set? Is it possible that those changes appear to others like the changing of the fall leaves? Marvelous. Brilliant. Timely. Radiant.
Living a life with chronic disease requires something from a person. A bending of the will. Being taken from a healthy version of one’s self and changing to a version that may be difficult to understand. To navigate. To love.
I find when I bend to the discomfort and the disappointments and the disasters left in my wake as I just have to lay down, I am better able to see the beauty of the changes. I see what my family has learned in my “absence”. I have a better perspective of the big picture and I don’t get so focused on the details. I can be grateful for all the good.
Time spent forest bathing increases my capacity to see the good. There is so much of it out there. Enjoy your forest walks and if you need help to take it all in, let me know. Reach out to me on my contacts page.
I shall take my tea with the birds, the trees and the bumbling bees. – Amelia Dashwood
If you’d like to sign up for a guided forest walk with me, head over to my contacts page and we can connect. Alternatively, if you would like to know everything you need for your own beginner forest walk, just keep reading.
A step- by- step guide in how to take charge of damaging inflammation in your body. How to forest walk…
Decide where you will go for your forest walk. You do not need to travel to an ancient forest in Japan. Any green space will do. The closer to a forest/ treed area, the better. If you are going alone, make sure someone knows where you will be and when to expect you back. Check the weather but make sure you still go on your forest walk in the rain or the snow. Just be careful not to walk into the path of oncoming tornadoes, etc. Use your best judgement.
Unplug. If you would like to carry a device for emergency purposes you can place your phone on airplane mode for the duration of the walk. Any technical devices will interfere with the feeling you are trying to generate. Some people are sensitive to the energy emitted by such devices and it is nice for the body to have a break. This is the perfect opportunity. Unplugging will help you focus on the task at hand.
Before you start your walk take a few deep breaths and picture letting go of all your worries and discomforts.
It seems like an odd step to put in any type of instructions but next you should- wander. Just be. See what feels right. Don’t have a definite plan but prepare to be elated as you experience it fully in the moment.
Engage your senses. Your five senses are powerful and help you connect and ground yourself to the here and now. Notice what you are seeing. What different textures can you feel? Notice the sounds close by and the ones farther away. You don’t have to put a name to things. Just notice them and let them fade. What scents do you notice? Many forest bathers will prepare a tea made from foraged plants from their walk to incorporate taste and to host a ceremony with the forest as the guest of honor. Be careful to only use safe and edible plants for your tea. If you are unsure, please skip this option.
You do not need to wander far into your area. Find a comfortable sit spot. A place where you can more fully engage your five senses and search out more. Our sixth sense, able to sense something outside the scope of the five senses, was made popular with the movie of the same name. Vestibular (balance). Proprioception (sensing your body in space). Bring your mind and body into the here and now with breathing as you sit. Notice clouds, wildlife, patterns, light changes. Enjoy it all!
At the end of your walk take time for reflection and gratitude. Reflect on what you took in. Recognize the gift of nature. Show your gratitude and appreciation for what the forest was willing to share with you.
While we are discussing what to do on a forest walk, let’s also take a moment to talk about what a forest bath is not. Here are some myth busters to clear up some of the misconceptions out there.
Myth buster #1: Forest bathing is NOT having a bath in the woods!!! It is immersing yourself and all your senses in the atmosphere of the forest. No immersing in water. And we will all remain fully clothed at all times!
Nope
That’s more like it
Myth buster #2: Forest bathing is NOT going for a hike. It does not have to be far or arduous. Leave your hiking shoes at home.
Myth buster #3: Forest bathing guides are NOT witches. We are not trying to get you to join a cult or do anything nonsensical. We have optimized how to go into the forest for healing. Studies to prove its authenticity exist. My proof is in my own journey. I could not move forward. I was stuck in the same pain- filled cycle for years with no improvement. Now I can see my life changing for the better. While my condition is chronic and will never be healed, the symptoms and side effects are manageable when I use the benefits of forest bathing.
Myth buster #4: Forest bathing is NOT exclusively for the ‘outdoors’ type. All human beings will benefit from any time spent in nature. The more time, the better (an hour once a month is a good start). The more “green”, the better (any space you can get your feet on the earth counts, work towards finding secret forests in your area). Going with a guide will up- level your experience (but there are benefits to any and all attempts).
Myth buster #5: Forest bathing is NOT the same as formal therapy. I do not want to misrepresent what I am trained for in any way. Guides are not trained counsellors or therapists. I am not an expert in mental health diagnoses. We will not be working through past issues. We are staying in the present. My expertise as a guide is in dealing with normal, healthy human brains. Guides should view the forest as the therapists and themselves only as facilitators within the framework. Helping you to have your best possible life.
Here are some photos from my most recent forest walk.
The summer has been splendid, but it has lasted long enough. This morning, I viewed the falling leaves with cheerfulness. -A. A. Milne
Take care my friends. Enjoy stepping into fall on your next forest walks.
“Our bodies are remarkable self healing organisms when in a balanced state. It’s worth wondering if the forest should be our primary physician with our doctors in support roles to be called upon in the rare instances they are needed,” Amos Clifford says in his book, Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature.
This does not mean I think everyone should stop seeing their doctors and practitioners. There is a place for medicine. Especially if that is what your body requires for balance at this time. If you can get to a state of balance, maybe then your primary physician can be the forest. I love the idea.
Would you say your body is in a balanced state and able to perform its remarkable work of self healing? If so, count yourself blessed. Many people are not able to achieve this level of balance due to trauma, stress or illness.
I count myself among those who are struggling to achieve a balanced state despite great efforts. For years instead of looking for optimal health I was metaphorically rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic as it was sinking. Navigating medical systems and the incredible stress that can cause in and of itself can keep a chronic pain sufferer stuck in a never ending cycle of unsolved problems.
In modern life we have been bombarded with constant stimuli and stressors. This causes our prefrontal cortexes to get stuck in fight or flight. This is the center that controls the release of adrenaline. When in this mode we cannot enter rest and digest. Causing many of us to suffer from chronically high levels of cortisol in our bloodstream. INFLAMMATION.
Based on ideas presented in the book Earthing, written by Clint Ober, living disconnected from the earth can cause us to be vulnerable and more prone to physical dysfunction. We seem plagued by inflammation related disease and accelerated aging in this day of modern science and technology. Ober suggests our disconnection to the earth and the effects this is clearly having on our health can be compared to a lightbulb with a loose connection. It flickers. It shines weakly. Or it may not light up at all. Would you count yourself among those with flickering, weak, or absent health?
Amos Clifford also states, “When the forest has allowed its place within you it supports your body’s natural capacity for wellness and healing.”
So while our bodies have the ability to self heal, they can only do so when in a balanced state. Inflammation resists this balance. Inflammation must do its job and then subside. When chronic inflammation is present, cortisol enters the bloodstream on a regular basis exacerbating the inflammation.
My own experience with the health care industry has not been a pleasant one. Each frustrating appointment and physical setback had me arranging and rearranging those useless deck chairs as the overall health of my body was sinking.
While inflammation is the fire. There may also be present, smoke from the flames on your sinking vessel in the form of anxiety and depression. Is this another present form of inflammation for you? An emotional and mental one. More deck chairs to rearrange!
When you are overly stressed your body is making more of that beautiful hormone, cortisol. But when you are in the forest, your body releases less of this inflammation inducing hormone. This can start to help with health problems related to inflammation including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, heart disease and high blood pressure, as well as memory and concentration problems.
Not all stress is bad. And cortisol has it’s place and functions. Having the right level of cortisol can help to regulate your body’s stress response. ‘Stress’ is in the work and in the recovery process.
Did you ever stop to think how our bodies probably can’t differentiate between different stressors. It can’t see that’s relationship stress. That’s job stress. That’s gym stress. Our body just sees stress on the body. And each body has an ability to be able to function within a certain threshold. But when we cross that threshold, our body’s ability to recover is limited.
Our body needs time to recover. In every way. For each type of stress. If we are going back to the gym before we are recovered we’re actually getting weaker every time. Your body will reach its limit. If you go from stress to more stress you will become weaker with every step.
Researchers found cortisol decreased by 16% in those who went for a forest walk as compared to those who walked in a lab for the same amount of time. Do you need ways to decrease your cortisol? Join me on a forest walk. Head over to my contact page and send me a message to start the process.
The Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides & Programs has on its website this promise: Spending time in the forest can help with stress, which can cause all sorts of health problems.
Another book I have on the go right now is The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. She states that the recommended dose of nature we need as humans is at least 5 hours a month. These hours must be spent IN nature and not just passing through. Do need help getting your recommended dose?
While it is not on the DSM-5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) those who have heard of nature- deficit disorder agree there is a rising issue in our society and it maybe should be added. More on this in future posts.
The answer seems small and simple. Almost too easy to be true. Inflammation is hard on our bodies. Time spent in nature reduces inflammation. Spend more time in nature. There I’ve said it.
Lord Byron said, “There is pleasure in the pathless woods. There is rapture in the lonely shore. There is society where none intrudes. By the deep sea and music in its roar. I love not man the less, but nature more.”
Enjoy the small and simple things of life and find pleasure in nature that is hard to find anywhere in our modern lives. Step out into the world where ease and pleasure abound.
Are you comfortable with how you spend your money? Are you happy with how you spend your time? Do you spend a healthy amount of energy on others? These are the questions I will be exploring today.
Before I go on I would like to add that often the support person of a chronic pain sufferer will be more able to care for themselves and consequently their loved one if they use these tips and tools as well. To this group, I see you, I appreciate you. Your emotional and mental pain is often sharp and silent since it is not the priority. I am thinking of someone in particular that I saw recently. I hope she knows how highly I think of her.
When you think of spending your time, money and energy I want you to picture each increment as a token. It is easy to visualize with money since this is literally the way we spend our cash. Each dollar is represented by a loonie (in Canada, don’t laugh, we know it’s ridiculous) and we get to choose how we spend each dollar. For the purpose of this blog post I want you to picture each increment of time of 15 minutes represented by one token. And to take this a step further let’s also add each increment of energy we expend as one token. How to measure the value of this token is going to be different for each person. We will discuss this later in the post.
First, money. We don’t need to take a lot of time here as this one is obvious to visualize. But let’s use it for the purpose of this illustration. You make money. You budget what will go where. It is difficult to come up with more in an emergency, hopefully you have savings to back you up. You plan ahead so you don’t get to the end of the pay cheque before you get to the end of a pay period. Finish reading the post for clarification, then come back to answer this question, What other comparisons do you see between spending our money and our time/ energy as though they could be represented by a physical token? Leave a message in the comments.
Now let’s look at how we spend our time. Do you plan your day, your week, your month, etc? Many of us use a rough outline. Often the same outline we have been using for a while. Then we adjust as the day goes. Not a bad way.
Does it help you plan your day at all to know there are so many tokens that you start the day with. Say you are someone that is able to get 8 hours of sleep. That leaves you with 64 tokens of 15 minute increments. Be reasonable with your tokens. If you plan for things to take 1 token and they take 4, that is a stressful 3 tokens! 64 tokens might sound like a lot but once you factor in an 8 hr work day, that takes 32 tokens and you only have 32 left!
Time and energy often go hand in hand but I want to take a look at our energy in terms of tokens. How many energy tokens do you start the day with? Someone with chronic pain often has less tokens. That’s just how it is.
Someone with chronic fatigue definitely has less time tokens at the start of day.
Many months ago I saw a TikTok that spoke to me. I looked for it to verify the details but I couldn’t find it. Based on what I can recall, in the video, a man sat with his bowl of cheerios. In attempting to eat the bowl of cheerios with a spoon the task was easy peasy. But, he asked, what if he had to eat the cheerios with a fork? Yes maybe you could but it would take longer and you wouldn’t get the milk.
If memory serves me right, he was trying to make the point that we do not all have the same utensils when we wake up in the morning to eat our cheerios. You could even end up with only a toothpick to eat your cheerios. You can still accomplish the task at hand but with great difficulty. Someone with chronic pain, especially silent and invisible chronic pain, will eat those cheerios. At great expense. And not a soul will know the cost. And then the question from the video that really stuck with me, Is it even worth the cost?
As a chronic pain sufferer I realize that I wake up with less time tokens because I need extra sleep and I also have less energy tokens despite that extra sleep. Many of my energy tokens are eaten up with pain management.
My energy tokens are worth a greater increment. Not because I’m special, let me give a couple of examples. When I shovel snow or go bowling, my vertebrae will twist out in a subluxation. That has been proven time and again. Any twisting motion will be too much for my loose ligaments and tendons to hold me together. I will undoubtedly twist too far or too many times and the vertebrae will get stuck out of place.
So when I spend an increment of my energy on that task or activity I will need to include in that expense the time it would take to recuperate, plus the time, cost and energy to visit physio to fix the problem, plus the time and energy to make up for the lost muscle strength while I could hardly move. That’s a tall order for a lousy game of bowling.
It’s also true, hopefully for each of us, that we have carved out of our lives the time for self care. In whatever form that may take. For you it may be a trip to the massage therapist while for me it may be grounding in my backyard. For all of us we can find self care in the forest. I saw this idea online that the best rest we can get is in the forest because it is For Rest. Add one R and a space to the word and the place (FOREST) becomes the means (FOR REST).
That cute little wanderer in the pose of a Big Foot sighting is my grandson
Chronic pain sufferers such as myself may feel a stab of guilt on a moment to moment basis that we have this time to rest and stabilize. Lay that guilt aside my friends and decide the type of rest that is right for you this week.
PHYSICAL REST- napping, deep breathing, and also going for a walk or stretching all provide a physical type of rest. Is your physical body crying out for these or others?
EMOTIONAL REST- journal, any self care that is meaningful and restful for you, talking to a friend. manage time with those that are expensive emotionally for you and seek support. Do you have anyone that is emotionally expensive in your life right now?
MENTAL REST- scheduling breaks throughout busy parts of your day, meditation. When and where do you get your mental reset?
SPIRITUAL REST- prayer, reading scripture, devotionals. This looks different for everyone and that is perfect!
SOCIAL REST- assess your relationships and spend your social time wisely, balance alone time and social time according to your needs. Are you being pulled into saying yes when you should say no?
CREATIVE REST- play an instrument, write a story, sing a song. What type of creative play strikes a chord in your heart?
SENSORY REST- digitally unplug, go ground outside in the grass, turn off your phone notifications, turn off the noise and distractions. What needs to be turned off or unplugged for you to get this type of rest?
Be careful how you spend your time and energy the way you are cognizant of spending your money. You have a limited amount of time and energy to spend every morning, the way you have limited finances to spend. Plan ahead. Budget wisely. It is (at least in my mind) impossible to come up with more energy in an emergency. When you hit a wall and then you get a flat tire and there is no cell service, what are your options? My lesson learned is to not run myself to the bottom of the tank, this way in an emergency I can rise to the challenge without trying to change a tire with only a toothpick for tools.
While there may not be an instant way to fill those reserve tanks there is a way to make more energy to fill up our reserve tanks. For even the most ill among us. How, you may ask? Time spent in forest therapy. It is healing and therapeutic in a way that nothing else could do for my pain. If you’d like to join me in the forest and see what it can do for you, head over to my contacts page to book a session.
It can be easy to put yourself in a category of less- than as a chronic pain sufferer. But this poem I read spoke to some of the feelings I have as I keep reaching and trying to get through another day. (Today was a hard one)
The poem is called Stretching, by Nancy Sorenson. No one promised this would be easy. Change is never easy but then, neither is reaching for a star. But, too much change at once makes the stretch marks gaping holes, through which the world can see my tears and even the hurt, sometimes. When I am done with this change, I wonder if I will be taller from all this stretching.
Now read it again and substitute the word ‘change’ with ‘chronic pain’.
Be gentle with yourself my fellow chronic pain sufferers. Be mindful with your time and energy tokens. They are precious. We cannot be expected to treat them the way non sufferers do. The forest is for rest. Especially for us. Use it often. Find the type of rest that speaks to you this week and include it in your schedule. Do not run your tank dry in case of emergency and spend time in the forest to boost those reserves.
I attended a family reunion this weekend. What a wonderful and terribly stressful event those are! It was lovely.
I looked around at my mom, her siblings and cousins and all their spouses. They are in or around their 70s. Many of them are starting to have symptoms of old age or chronic conditions. Their grandparents before them lived to ripe old ages of 98 and 94. Their parents lived to reasonably old ages. And they are dealing with chronic health issues in their 70s. And even more concerning is that their children are also starting to deal with different but serious health conditions in their 40s.
What is happening? I would like to see your thoughts. Feel free to comment.
Here is my theory. Our world has changed drastically in the last few generations. The food we put in our bodies is further from the earth and more processed. The information we receive is constant and confusing. The effort it takes to be physically active can be too demanding after an already full day and exercise is less of a priority. I have already mentioned the distance we have put between ourselves and the earth, the lack of grounding we experience. And stress. I feel we have been hoodwinked into thinking this modern life is so much better than days gone by.
My number one caution to those who have not yet started experiencing those effects of this world is to lower your stress level!!!
I suggest this to my family and friends in their 20s and 30s and they scoff. If only we could! No seriously, do everything you can to lower your stress levels. Every person can find something that works for them. It is not about pretending things are ok or getting rid of our children who are the cause of the stress. The answer is to find coping strategies that work for you.
Maybe that’s hiding in the bathroom and doing breathing exercises for 30 seconds every few hours. Maybe you have a monthly date with a massage therapist. Maybe you have a time of the week that is just yours and you can go for a walk in nature! The options are endless.
Don’t scoff and picture your life getting calmer when your children are older. I noticed something at this family reunion of 60-some people. Most of them from one set of (my generation’s) grandparents.
I had children when I was young. I was so busy with my three boys for what seemed an eternity, And then they grew up and I relaxed as I watched my siblings and cousins struggle with their babies and toddlers. And I laughed and laughed and laughed.
Now I see them sitting and relaxing with their young teens and young adults and I am running around after a grandchild. And I see my older cousins that are also at this stage who have had time to relax and watch and laugh and now they are running around helping with their grand littles too. It all goes around.
I see the changing of the guard. My generation is starting to care for the older generation in small and simple ways, It all goes around. There are times of hard and times of growth. I see the importance of it all.
How do we find a way to bring that stress level down in all stages of life? Maybe you can’t get it to base level when you are raising your babies. But you can likely bring it down from wherever it now resides.
I don’t have the answers but I do want to start the conversation. Is our generation the one to say, things need to change? How do they need to change? Do we adopt a Mediterranean lifestyle? It seems to work for them!
What can we adjust in our individual lives and as a community that will stop the progression of dis-ease that is happening to us and those we love? Dis-ease if you divide the word like so, is the hard truth. Many of us experience chronic physical, mental, emotional dis ease. We are never at ease. But constantly and drainingly the opposite. This can’t be the only way!
It might take something unheard of. Something that seems too hard. IMHO there are so many broken systems. Which ones need fixing so that our kids and grandkids don’t have it worse? Which ones are in your sphere of action? Will generations after be able to look back and see this moment when the tides shifted in their favour because of what we were willing to do. But what is it? What will shift us from dis- ease to a life- not one that is easy but one where you can be at ease while you deal with the vicissitudes of life.
In the book, The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing, author, Julia Plevin says, “As a society, Americans have reached the impacts of being disconnected from nature and are suffering as a result. Chronic illness including cancer, depression, anxiety, exhaustion, and ADD are widespread and on the rise, These issues affect adults and children alike.”
So what should we do about it? I am open to suggestion. One thing that resonates with me is to get back in touch with the earth and what she has to offer. In any way and every day that you can.
Dr Qing Lee, the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine, wrote in his book The Japanese Art and Science of Shinrin- Yoku: Forest Bathing, “Forest medicine is a new medical science that could let you know how to be more active. More relaxed. And healthier with reduced stress and reduced risk of life style related disease and cancer by visiting forests”.
I don’t think forests hold all the answers for how to live in this world. But I know that being in the forest clears out the cobwebs and I can focus again on the needs of my day. If you’d like to experience what forest bathing has to offer, head over to my contact page and let me know how I can help.
Take care of each other out there my sweet friends.
Does anyone else feel like summer goes way too fast? I am loving walking everywhere with my grandson. We go to parks, and spray pads and pools. I love time with family from far away.
But it always ends. The days get shorter and the nights get cooler. Did I do everything I was supposed to do on summer days? Did I take full advantage? What if I missed something?
I hear a general consensus among my friends that there is a certain expectation with summer. You have to do all the summer bucket list things. And take pictures and post them (or it didn’t actually happen). You have to get a super nice tan. You have to spend time at the beach.
Camps. Boating. Family time. The list is infinite. But the weekends are finite. And they seem to disappear to things like weddings and reunions. Then a couple inevitably host bad weather. And that’s it. It’s over.
This year I am embracing all of it. Last year I made sure I had things to look forward to in the fall. But this year instead of a checklist I want to have more of a relationship with the changes of the seasons.
I want to use this summer to accomplish whatever is right and good for that day. I don’t want to mourn the loss of each Saturday. I don’t want to complain over what didn’t work out. I want to enjoy. To the fullest means possible. Because, why not?
We are connected to our earth and when we are in right relationship with her we can solve mysteries that perplex our fellowmen. The peace we can access. Our centered, balanced state. I see the change of the seasons as an example of how to be in right relationship.
Sunny summer days are magnificent. Cozy fall evenings are restful. Snowy winter days are dazzling. And hopeful spring mornings are reassuring that the brilliant process will continue on. Right relationship leads me to enjoy and appreciate it all.
I have a story about wanting things to be a certain way. Maybe even a way others would agree is ‘right’. But timing and how we approach our day are greater indicators of hopefulness than continually striving to make it work the way we want.
I have three sons. They all played soccer. We spent so many hours cheering at the sidelines of a soccer field. So. Many. Hours.
Photo by u041cu0430u0440u0438u043du0430 u0428u0438u0448u043au0438u043du0430 on Pexels.com (not my boys)
One evening we sat in our camping chairs, half asleep and less than half paying attention to the game as we chatted with other parents. Our relaxation was suddenly obliterated when with looks of wonder and alarming amazement we saw our son. Our not super athletic son being put in goal.
Mind you this was still small potatoes and it didn’t really matter whether they won or lost but my mama heart wanted to go save him. He looked so small with his great big goalie gloves and that massive net behind.
I prayed for our forwards and our defense. And against their team. Just keep him from being embarrassed. My prayers were working. For minutes now he hadn’t had to do anything. Dang this mama can make miracles happen.
Actually it had been so long since he’d had to do anything that he noticed the goalie shirt he’d had thrown on him in his rush to get on the field, was backwards.
Not a big deal. Except. No. He wouldn’t. Noooo. He would. He did.
He left on his massive goalie gloves and started to turn his shirt around. Luckily play was still at the other end of the field. As the rest of the parents’ eyes were aimed at the other team’s net and they laughingly and happily cheered for their kids, my eyes were fixed with incredulity and twitching with great anticipation as my son, currently in goal, was changing his shirt.
As only a good story could go, the play changed direction and was fast approaching my son who now had the shirt the correct direction but regrettably, no better off due to the fact that it was inside out and currently stuck over his head.
At this point my sweet boy noticeably jumped. For although the shirt was over his whole face he must have been able to sense some of what was about to happen.
The rest of the crowd joined me in looking towards the goal that my son was covering. Some quietly snickered. Some tried to shout helpful suggestions, “Just take the shirt off!” “Not that way, it’s twisted!” “Why are you doing that?” someone pleadingly shrieked (that last one was me). All this happened within seconds as the play was coming upon my dear boy.
And then a breakaway. To my awe and amazement, my not-so-sporty son proceeded to make a save. With a shirt completely covering his face. And then another save. And another. Inevitably he was scored upon.
In all my hours of sitting on the sidelines that was my absolute favourite moment of all time.
But not HIS favourite memory, although he can now see the humour in it.
If he had chosen to keep the shirt as it was, it wouldn’t have been perfect but it would have kept him from getting a shirt stuck over his face while he was in goal. With the possibility of the game changing in his direction.
Is there something in your life that currently seems wrong, that you are being tempted to fixate on, when that is not the goal for this season of your life? Are you hanging on to the way it ‘should have been’? Let go.
Allow the goalie shirt to stay backwards for a time.
You can go ahead and pull it off and hope for a quick change that goes smoothly and is accomplished in good time. But what if you are supposed to be watching the play? What if you are the one to save something? Or someone? What if you need to pay attention to what is in front of you and not what you are wearing?
My hope is that these questions will strike each of you in a spectrum of rays depending on your season and your energy level. Your energy level does not define you, but you do need to pay attention to it.
Enjoy summer days. Doing all the things or none of them. Enjoying all the people or sticking to yourself. Let the expectations stay with whomever created them. Just BE in summer and allow the effects of nature to be stored in you like wells of water that you can draw from in the winter months.
Join me in a forest walk to enhance the treasures you can find in nature. Head over to my contact page to reach out and to book. Take care sweet friends.
When my boys were young and rambunctious we attended my cousin’s wedding. This was the stage when they expressed their emotions in karate kicks. I stole that quote from Amy Poehler. It is too accurate in the case of my boys. My three littles were hard to wrangle on a normal day let alone in the midst of calm and collected wedding folk.
Two of said rambunctious boys. One going up a waterslide and one coming down. A planned collision course with these glorious results. Kody’s goose egg was visibly growing in the hotel elevator as we went back up to our room. This picture is not from the trip I discuss in this post but an illustration on the subtle art of surviving young boys and all of their accompanying tomfoolery.
By the start of the first dance I was exhausted. I noticed wedding organizers handing out a small bottle of bubbles for everyone to blow towards the new bride and groom. Aw me. Such a charming tradition. Nothing could possibly go wrong.
That captivating moment with its twinkle lights all aglow and soft, romantic music was disastrously interrupted when my boys all ran to within an inch of the bride’s dress and spit bubble solution all over it. Not bubbles. Bubble solution. The type of spitting where no bubbles actually form and it just drips down in a gooey, sloppy stream. Plus their spit.
The next thrilling development on scene, a bottle was dropped and the sudden need for a bubble solution dam arose. One was promptly improvised by a few family members that took pity on me or more likely didn’t want to see the happy couple turn this scene into a slip ‘n slide type situation. I didn’t stick around to ask due to the fact while all this was happening I was in pursuit of another one of my brilliant spawn while he tried to drink from his bottle of bubble solution. The fact that he was giggling uncontrollably endeared him to the rest of the jostled guests he left in his wake. I on the other hand was less than endeared. I caught him. Tears ensued. Predominantly mine.
In a profusion of apologies I gathered my darling brood with offers similar to that heard during a hostage situation. I spent the next hour using up every drop of my bubble solution. I found the act of blowing bubbles very soothing. Maybe this is a good time to point out that I don’t drink. Of all the times I considered starting this was definitely in the top 3. The bubble blowing slowed my breathing. I could watch the bubbles float away. And bonus, my boys chased the bubbles instead of each other for that time. Much of the pain we suffer in this life though, cannot be gently blown away like those bubbles.
One book I recently read is titled, Forest Therapy, written by author, Sarah Ivens. She says, “Some things are too sad, too difficult or too painful to be blown away on the breeze. But things can be improved. Dull moments can be brightened. Sad moments can become lightened when we value ourselves and surround ourselves with things that we know are good for our mental and physical well being.”
I am learning that I need access to nature for my mental and physical well being. Forest therapy provides that access on a regular basis. It is where things start to improve. My pain level decreases. My mood lightens. My brain spinning slows. Why do you think it is then that I, like many others, view nature as a luxury and not a necessity? We all know children need that break in their day. They need to feel the breeze or sun or rain or cold often in their day to function at their best.
Do you recognize your own need to get outside through your day as much as you see it in your children? Would that perception change if you knew that cutting yourself off from nature is not beneficial to your overall wellness? Studies are showing it is detrimental to our mental and physical well being. But is it the first thing to go when your to-do list gets too long? We need to get outside for our daily dose of vitamin D (and so much more) as much as or more than our kids! So we can handle our kids. Ha! Make your own physical activity outside as much of a priority as you would your kids’! It doesn’t take much to make a big difference. Ten minutes of grounding (shoes off, feet on the grass/sand/gravel) will make a world of difference. Let me know in the comments if you notice a difference in your overall mood or pain level after trying this practice for a week.
I have a tree in my backyard. When it’s too muddy or cold or if I don’t have time to get on the ground, I will place my hands on the tree. I don’t hug it but I don’t fault anyone for wanting to hug a tree. To each her own. I read that Beethoven would literally hug a linden tree in his yard. He said the woods, the trees, and rocks give man the resonance he needs. That’s what I get from putting a hand on my tree. I connect with the earth and all its healing properties. And I very much view my time there as one of my needs. Where the chaos of my life can become sweet harmony.
Those boys of mine are getting all grown up. One of them is married himself now. They still get a little rambunctious at times. Though thankfully their karate kicks are not often directed at each other or to express emotion. I don’t need a bottle of bubbles (or booze) to survive a formal event with them. I just breathe deeply and know that I can go down in the woods “tomorrow”.
My home runs at a low hum of constant, somewhat- organized chaos. My dad says it is slightly louder and busier than a train station. There is literally someone awake at all times of the day and night. You can find someone doing laundry at 2 am or making a meal at 4 am. This morning it was popcorn at 7 am for some hungry soul. To put this in perspective I’d like to point out that I live with young adults not toddlers.
It is so hard to find quiet these days. And almost impossible to find silence. Even on some of my forest walks there are trains around or traffic driving by. I’m finding out that silence is aided by a quiet environment but not required and not really what silence is about.
When I’m silent on a forest walk it is a body, mind and spirit kind of quiet. There may be noise around. I can initially recognize and be ok with its effect. I tend not to notice it much after that. The silence goes much deeper.
I can offer suggestions here, but to get the most out of silence or forest walks, head over to my contact page to book a walk with me. We take small groups out for any age or ability level.
To quiet your body may be to continue to walk but to focus on slowing your breathing and relaxing your body. It may be stopping to sit on a bench or the ground. It may be leaning on a tree for a bit. Find what works for you.
To quiet your mind is to breathe deeply. Count your breaths. Focus on what you see and not on thinking of the past or the future. When we stay in the moment we can relax. When we think of the past, we ruminate on things we can’t change. When we think of the future we worry about upcoming events. Focusing on what is beautiful and currently happening around you is calming. If you start to notice your thoughts drifting, don’t despair, that’s actually what brains are programmed to do. Just bring your thoughts back. Don’t be frustrated with your train of thoughts that keep derailing, just pick up the pieces and carry on down the track.
To quiet your spirit is a deeper level of peace. It is knowing who you are. It is having a connection to something bigger than yourself and being able to trust in that relationship. It is being your genuine, authentic self, and loving it. It is recognizing that some things are out of my control and that’s ok.
Chronic pain leaves a person feeling so out of control. I expect we each go on similar paths through the stages of grief. Can you can see yourself or your loved ones in these stages?
I was in denial for years. I knew I was in pain. I knew it was constant. I knew it had been ongoing for years. I knew it wasn’t going away anytime soon. But at a physiotherapy appointment, when my therapist looked at me and told me that’s chronic pain, I was shocked. No! Let’s not be silly. I’m not someone who should be labelled as a chronic pain sufferer, At times it wasn’t that bad. Some nights it didn’t even keep me up. For some reason I thought no matter how bad it was getting, someone else was worse off so my experience wasn’t valid.
For so long I felt angry about pain. I felt like it was in the way of trying to raise my boys. In the way of playing the piano. Of working. Of being me. Of using and sharing and developing my skills. It was maddening to think of how young I was and that no matter what I did, I could not strengthen my muscles.
I bargained. If I am so careful the rest of the year, I should be able to knee board a couple of times a year. If I don’t bend my back at all, scar tissue will form and hold me together until my muscles work again. If I don’t care about anybody or anything, I won’t be upset when it also is inevitably taken from me. Do you hear the depression building?
When I finally came to terms with the fact that this may be the best I can ever feel, I hit another rock bottom. Depression. To recognize this was what my body would always be meant letting go of dreams and goals. For the rest of my mortal existence. That is a hard pill to swallow. I was not able to rise up following this crushing realization. I could see that’s what I needed to do but I was stuck. I kept telling myself to get out of the pity party. To carry on even though things were hard. Just like I always had. But. I. Could. Not.
Acceptance is when I realized this may be the best I will ever feel but… here’s my but list (you know what I mean). I may not ever be pain free but- I can still move. I am finding therapies that work for my body. I see my boys learning things they would not have learned had I been pain free all these years. I would never have found forest therapy otherwise. You see what I mean. I may need to let go of some dreams but I can make new ones or adjust the old to fit this me. I can see things I am grateful for in this mess. I now know that my pain does not make other people’s pain invalid. The same way their pain does not play any role in how valid mine is. I can hold space for someone to feel pain. It may not be constant like mine. Or frustrating like mine. But pain is pain. A person in pain needs someone to hold space for them to go through these stages, I suspect it may be the only way to acceptance.
And that’s where we all want to be for any up or down in our life. Acceptance. That’s it my sweet friends. Work towards acceptance in all areas of life. And when you’re stuck, come see me in the forest. I’ll be here.
I’m reading a book by Dr. Libby Weaver. She describes what she calls Rushing Women’s Syndrome, also the name of the book. She says, “Rushing Women’s Syndrome (RWS) describes the biochemical effects of always being in a hurry and the health consequences that urgency elicits.” Ironically, I’m listening to it on double speed because I have to get it done!
I see so much of myself in this description of a rushing woman and I wonder if you do as well. Dr Weaver says, “Imagine if you will RWS in action. It doesn’t seem to matter whether she has 2 things to do or 200. She’s often in a pressing rush to do it all. Wound up like a spring, she runs herself ragged in a daily battle to keep up. There is always so much to do. And she very rarely feels like she wins, is in control or gets on top of things.” (Can I get an amen? 🙌) “In fact her deep desire to control even the smaller details of life can leave her feeling out of control even of herself. Overwhelmed at times she feels like she can’t cope whether she admits it out loud or keeps it all inside adding to her wound up knotted stomach… Most women with RWS suffer terribly with their periods or don’t bleed regularly. Women who go into menopause in this state usually find it debilitating.” Next on the page should be a picture of me. Mid hot flash.
Does any of this feel familiar to you? I see myself in every detail. But that was past me. Now I recognize what it did to me and I would do anything to help even one soul from experiencing what I have. To turn someone back at the gate of being rushed to death.
Dr Weaver continues, “The majority of rushing women are wired and typically get very weary in the late afternoon to early evening but if they stay up after 10 pm they often get a second wind and it is then very hard to go to sleep until 1 or 2 am.” Holy smokes, yes. This is me, spot on. Does she have a live stream of my life? For real, where are the cameras? I had no idea this wasn’t just me.
If you are interested, she has a checklist to see if you are a rushing woman. I was not surprised when, based on who I was, I scored off the charts. If I were to add it up based on me today it would not be zero but it would be significantly better. From what I have read so far I would recommend this book to anyone feeling rushed.
Being a woman that was in a rush for everything, I know when Dr Weaver says it affects our nervous system, our endocrine system and the digestive system, she has seen first hand what I have experienced. I can hold my hand to the sky to bear my witness that not only does it affect these systems, it will squeeze the life out of those systems first. Watch for an overloaded nervous, endocrine or digestive system as these are hard to recover once they are pushed past a certain point.
I look forward to learning the tools and answers that will be presented in the book by Dr Weaver. I am always looking for what is next or what to add to my healing practices. I’m only on chapter 4 so if you’re also interested in her answers, you will need to purchase the book yourself.
But I feel blessed to have my own tools. I know Forest Therapy is a key part of healing for me.
Have you ever stood in front of rushing waters? I love to watch waterfalls or streams. If you have access to something of the sort I invite you to try this practice. Even laying in bed and picturing it will give you some of the benefits. Face the water as it runs towards you. Hear it. Sense the power, even if it’s gently moving. Picture the rush and the busy and the tension of your life letting go, let the water take it away. Allow the water to wash clean all the areas that have not been working and are taking their toll on you and your family. Let it go. Steady now, don’t burst into song on me.
Next shift your focus. Look at the source of the running water. As far as you can see the source. Picture it bringing you all the energy, peace, and guidance you need. My source is Jesus. Yours may be the earth. Family. But there is a source for all of us that is available to heal the physical, emotional and mental damage that’s been done. There is a way to better health starting at any age and any ability level. It will guide you to a better life. The one you pictured as a young child. Was it bright and beautiful? Mine was. And now I found it again. The forest has many healing measures. You just need a guide to help you find them. Head over to my contact page if you want to know more about booking a forest walk with me.
My sweet, tired, rushed friends, join me in the forest.
While I have spent a lot of time in the forest and learning about forest therapy and the healing available there, I had not as of yet experienced my own personal, forest walk. I chose a day and made it happen. I have to tell you, I experienced a peace and tranquility that I do not find in many places in my life these days. There’s really something to this! Walking in nature is great. Join me to experience a forest therapy walk that takes it to the 10x level. Head over to my contact page to book a walk with me.
Walking in a forest has many benefits. I don’t suspect it’s any coincidence that while I am spending more time outdoors and learning of the benefits, my health is finally improving. I’ve been able to tackle this beast of a bump in the road of my life. I have been trying since May of 2011 to find out what was wrong, then to fix it, then to manage it. In reality, I was in pain long before that date. I see nature is starting to do it’s work.
For years I have not been able to build and maintain muscle. It would start to build and then I would have a setback. A fall. A jolt. Getting overconfident and trying to go for a walk in boots instead of shoes (the difference in weight would drag my foot bones out). Minor incidents would set me back months. And every time the frustration around the whole situation would build.
I did not stop to take care of myself. This is my piece of advice for this week. When you are sick or hurting, it is your body telling you to stop or rest. Listen to your body. Regardless of what others are telling you. I cannot stress enough how important it is to take time to reassess what really matters. I suspect if you looked at it, you’d agree your health should be closer to the top of your list of priorities.
This cannot be proven in a court of law but this is my truth for what has happened to me. My body had a condition that made functioning in life extremely painful on a daily and hourly basis. Hyper mobile joints joined by endometriosis. I lived a seemingly normal life while managing the pain. Managing by ignoring until bedtime and then taking a daily prescribed dose of pain medication to knock myself out. I didn’t think I could stop and take care of me. I had kids to raise! Supper to make! Laundry to ignore!
I kept going until there was a period in my life that was very high stress. Constantly. This set off a jack in the box effect of nerve problems. Now I twitch. I spasm. I shake. My body is subpar at best when it comes to keeping a reasonable temperature for more than a few minutes at a time. Absurd and erratic symptoms. And it is not something I have figured out how to stuff back in that so- called box. And I keep seeing this in others. An underlying condition that is difficult to manage while living life. And yet they do. Stressful situation that triggers an emotional reaction. And nerve pain and silly symptoms ensue. Worst jack in the box ever!
So what do we do about it? There are not many answers. Meditation. Medication. Sleep enough. Eat well. There is value in adjusting your life to meet the needs of your condition. These are great for overall health for everyone. But what about when the need is immediate and great? What about when your friend with stage 4 metastasized cancer is in so much pain that nothing is helping, no medication can mend that. Or when your body feels like it’s falling apart but the doctors say you are fine, there’s only so much meditation can do. What about when you feel you have no support and you are running on empty?
Forest therapy. Join me in remembering my first walk.
I took along my trusty sidekick. This is Odin. No the perspective of this picture is not off, he really is that big. He is not impressed that we are stopping in the middle of a perfectly good walk to take pictures.
I found the sun. It’s been hiding. I look forward to sharing the changes of the seasons through pictures and words. On this particular day it was so still. It was just Odin and I on this beautiful trail. I could hear a few birds chirping. There was one spot on the trail where the creaking of a tree that was on its way down and braced by other trees was really loud but I never would have noticed that before. The air had a chill but it was perfect as we warmed up on our walk. I enjoyed breathing in deeply. Drawing in what winter has been keeping safe until its time. The cold air felt good on my lungs. I could hear Odin breathing. He is the heaviest breather of all time. I didn’t mind. It fit the surroundings. Better here than in my kitchen.
I followed this butt all the way around the trail. I looked at the different tracks in the snow and pictured the wildlife that was close by and peering at me from their hiding places. I tried to identify the different types of trees and shrubs.
Behold the beauty of my elephant skin hands. I’ve come to embrace it. They look like my Grandma’s hands. I came upon a bench just off the trail. I sat down for some time to feel and just be. This tree was by the bench. It seemed like a good tree. While I can’t yet put my toes directly on the ground at this time of year, holding a tree can provide the same benefits of grounding.
Such a happy guy. Hard to get a picture with all his messy kisses. He’s a nincompoop but we love him. Petting a dog while they are grounded also gives you the benefits of grounding. Holy moly. Does anyone have a breath mint for this guy? Did something die in there?!?! Cheese and crackers!
This is just a glimpse into what I experienced on my maiden forest walk. Even looking back at the pictures brings the uplifting feeling back. I strongly encourage you, if you are able, to get outside and watch the changes of nature as we progress into spring! And if you have a hard time making it happen on your own or you want some company, head over to my contact page to book a forest therapy walk today.
The price is right for the first two weeks. Free! Spots are limited so book today.
SUNBEAM ACRES 