mindfulness – Page 2 – SUNBEAM ACRES

Mending Your Nervous System With Forest Therapy

June 3, 2025 pammunkholm

We have been the guardians and the healers of the forest. We have too long forgotten the magic powers of nature. The time has come to call on them again. Remember. All the magic of creation exists within a single, tiny seed.

-Magi Lune, Fern Gully

Today we will consider the role nature plays in regulating our nervous system. We will talk about the vagus nerve and how signals travel along it. How to use your senses to bring you back to a regulated state once you have left? Plus some ideas on how to deepen your connection with nature.

Balancing Act: Operating a Hyper, Hypo, and Regulated Emotional State

But first, 3 different accounts of two of my children and me. Each representing a spot on the window of tolerance. Hyper aroused. Regulated. Hypo aroused.

I have three children. So similar in some ways and vastly different in others. As young boys they kept me busy. I recently had the opportunity to read some stories of this other lifetime of raising my children. I share here two stories of two of these children to introduce my topic of the nervous system. See if you can follow my train of thought here.

We find our first young friend at the dinner table. He was never the type of child that could sit still for any amount of time. He isn’t capable of this as a grown young adult either. At the time of this story he was around the age of 6. We were finishing our dinner. When he proudly told me, “This is the first time I am not just eating hyperthetically.”

I knew there was a reason for the new word so I asked, “You usually eat hyperthetically?”

To which he replied, “Yeah, usually I’m all hyper and jumping around while I’m supposed to be eating, y’know, hyperthetically.”

Ah yes, just how all 6-year-olds should be. I loved my hyperthetic kid then and I love him now.

But when we live in a hyper state of arousal as an adult that looks different. Our bodies are constantly on the alert for danger. Every second of every day. When your body senses this hyper state which looks like anxious, hyper-vigilant, defensiveness and quick to anger or overwhelm. It goes into fight or flight. I might feel busy and productive in this state, but I am actually just spinning my wheels. It is not a happy for place for a nervous system to be.

Which brings us to our next story. Me.

When I am experiencing more pain than usual I go into a hypo state of arousal. In the fight or flight model, this is freeze or fawn. I feel drained. It’s harder to get to the gym. I just want to stay home and not see anyone. I have no motivation for anything. Every decision seems harder. All the stuff that was difficult before the flare is suddenly exacerbated. I remember all the things I have lost in my pain and lose track of what I have gained. I have to fight hard to find hope. I tend to withdraw from my social circles. This is also not a happy place for a nervous system to be.

Okay that wasn’t much of a story. But the next one is. And it’s the best.

Of my three boys, calm was not a common descriptor. But if you put them on a continuum of calm demeanor, this one would rank closest to calm. Not close to calm. But closest.

Different year. Different kid. Again, a sweet 6-year-old.

We find this one on the beach with cousins enjoying the sand and water. My mom looked over at one point to see him at a stand-still, ankle deep in the water. Just standing. It looked like he was pointing at something. We went back to chatting with one eye on him. It took some time for it to dawn on us that he was not moving. He was still standing there in the same spot. And still pointing.

With some concern I approached to see what was happening. It was then that I saw the dragonfly on his finger. This was not my biggest fan of bugs. So I was surprised that he was okay with this turn of events.

When I asked if he needed something, he calmly filled me in. The dragonfly got his wings wet. So he couldn’t fly away. But it was okay. He would just wait until they were dry and he could fly again. And he did. That sweet kiddo put aside everything that was important to him to calmly hold space for wings to dry. The simple yet crucial healing that was needed.

Do you live hyperthetically? Do you live in a state of underwhelm and dissociation? Or do you hold space for calm and finding the simple, effective tools that will support you?

The Vagus Nerve: Your Body’s Hidden Messenger

One of the podcasters I listen to, Neill Williams, said the other week, “You can’t out-think your nervous system.” Preach 🙌🏼!

A nervous system that is stuck in fight or flight is in frenzy mode. Taking all rhyme and reason out of our thinking and thereby our actions. Our result is a frenzied life. A nervous system stuck in overdrive is like a truck, stuck in Drive. Being in the gear that will get us where we need to go seems best. But when you need it to park or reverse, Drive is not going to be your answer.

We have all heard of the vagus nerve. It is the largest cranial nerve and it connects our brain and body. I would have thought that most of the signals run from our brain to our body.

But Williams taught me the science is showing that about 80% of signals traveling along that vagus nerve. Are going from body to brain. That means only 20% of the information is traveling brain to body! All the things I need to tell my body to do daily are only 20% of signals traveling that track. So for most of our lives we are receiving messages from our body to our brain.

This means I cannot positive-think my way out of a dysregulated nervous system. Or chronic pain for that matter, but that’s a topic for another post. A dysregulated nervous system cannot be solved by thinking. But it can be solved.

I don’t want to devalue the role of positive thinking. It has provided a means for wonderful things to happen in my life. It is one of the tools in my toolbox. Of highest priority though, are those things that will support a regulated nervous system. Because those are the things that create the greatest healing.

Heliophile- any organism that is attracted to sunlight
(ME)

I know I am in that space of a regulated nervous system when I feel present, grounded, empathic (with good boundaries), safe and authentic. I know that something is right for me and will not take me to dysregulation, when it gives me energy. I don’t feel the need to go seize everyday. I know that some will be seized by someone else. Some are not seize-able days. And some I can watch for the moment to seize without it costing so much effort.

How do I get to that space. Once I have left my window of tolerance. A wise woman asked, “Can I just spin into control for once, please?”

Unfortunately it won’t just happen. We have to make an effort. But the effort is not hard.

The spring is fresh and fearless 
and every leaf is new,
the world is brimmed with moonlight,
the lilac brimmed with dew.

Here in the moving shadows 
I catch my breath and sing--
my heart is fresh and fearless 
and over-brimmed with spring.

-Sara Teasdale

Now we will take a look at some of the benefits of forest therapy. Do you see a correlation, even if you don’t believe it is causation between forest therapy and a regulated nervous system?

Forest therapy:

lowers stress and anxiety by decreasing blood pressure, reducing cortisol rates and lowering heart rate
improves focus by restoring our concentration through meditation practices
strengthens the immune system by increasing production of NK cells thanks to phytoncides released by trees
regulates emotions by soothing and calming
improves mood through time spent in natural, green spaces which has been shown to reduce depression

A main theme in our forest therapy walks is connecting to nature through all our senses. I propose that you can use the forest to your advantage no matter what state you are in. The following chart lists our senses. And how we can use them to bring us back to regulation when we have become hypo or hyper aroused.

Sensory Perception	To go from hypo to regulated	To go from hyper to regulated
Tactile	feel the bark of a tree, walk on rocks, dig your toes in the sand	place your feet in a natural body of water, run your fingers through the grass, pick a smooth stone to hold in your hand
Vestibular	skip, run, dance, swing in any green space	float, slow and repetitive dance, gentle rocking
Proprioception	jumping, tight hugs, weights	balance exercise such as tai chi, stand on one foot
Auditory	listen to rhythmic and engaging music, playing instruments	go on a listening walk, use noise reducing headphones in public, listen to nature sounds
Visual	add light and colour, look for a variety of textures in nature	lower the lights or sunglasses, minimize clutter or go outside, focus on a single object
Olfactory	petrichor, the smell before and after a thunderstorm, pine needles, woodsy smells	rosemary, chamomile, rose, jasmine, basil
Gustatory	crunchy foods like nuts, intense flavours like pickles, carbonated drinks	mild flavours, smooth textures, comfort foods
Interoception	I find I need to eat as soon as I am hungry or I miss my window, having and insatiable need to sleep I try to use my awake time wisely	having healthy snacks healps as I tend to overeat in this state, using a regular sleep schedule helps keep me from staying up all night

Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly.

-Pablo Neruda

What are some ways we can deepen our connection to nature, see how many you can do in the coming months:

Picnics- eating in nature brings an element of adventure, suppers in the field during harvest time are some of my best memories of my family eating together
Gardening- healthy for the way it keeps us active and also for the homegrown payoff
Unstructured outside time- this isn’t just for your kids, plan some time to just be outside
Pausing to appreciate- there is beauty everywhere, take time to notice and appreciate it
Camping- I love camping, I love being tucked up in my tent after spending way too much time in the sun and water, I can’t pin down what it is but camping will connect you with the earth

Of course there is always forest therapy!

If you feel like what you are learning on the blog is beneficial, I invite you to subscribe. But if you would like to go deeper. If you would like to find support in your healing from chronic anything. Reach out to me on my How To Get in Touch page to book a forest therapy walk. Forest therapy walks are for everyone. Any age. Any ability.

I’d love to hear what you are thinking about the blog. Shoot me a message anytime.

Today, me will live in the moment, unless it is unpleasant, in which case, me will eat cookie.

-Cookie Monster

The Impact of Self Compassion and Forest Therapy on Chronic Illness

April 15, 2025 pammunkholm

Blooms break forth from the startled earth. The sky laughs. The trees, abashed, dress themselves in verdant green.

-Rick Yancey

Embracing Your Inner Warrior and Cuddle Bug

Have you heard of fierce self compassion? I have been reading Dr. Kristin Neff’s books. I have learned enough that I think I can convey some of what she teaches. In her research on self compassion, Dr. Neff has become the expert in her field. She has an innate ability to speak to the individual. In a way that is both calming and empowering. I highly recommend her as an author. Her work can be found at self-compassion.org. Stick around to learn about self compassion. And to answer these questions: Why is self compassion significant in healing chronic pain? And how is forest therapy a good support for this type of practice?

Do you know anyone that would gain from a lesson in self compassion? Share this post with them. Hook them up with my social media. And then plan to attend a forest therapy walk together with them in the next week or two. We are so close 😄! Click below to see what forest therapy walks are available so you are ready to book.

forest therapy walks

Nurturing Self-Compassion Through Sensory Awareness

Self compassion comes in many forms. Tactile- running your fingers along the back on your arms, getting the right temperature, pressure from a weighted blanket. Something fuzzy or squishy. Visual- lower the lights in the evening and in a bath, candle light. playing with colors. Auditory- listen to the music or nature sounds that lift your soul. Olfactory- what EO scent helps you feel balanced. Gustatory- a multitude of options from water to ice cream to tea, find what fills this sense for you. In filling these needs for myself, I have noticed a growing sense of self compassion. And it has been a support to me in healing all things chronic.

Note: to me, healing and cure are not the same. healing gets me to a place of functioning. i do not expect a cure in this life. but i would take one if offered. healing takes time. and doing the right stuff. that’s what i’m talking about here.

Another sense that I didn’t realize existed until recently. And I really didn’t pay any attention to it at all. Is interoception. That is my ability to understand the signals my body is giving me internally. For example, hunger, thirst, feeling full, relaxing tense muscles and calming a racing heart. I ignored my interoception signals as a mom of young boys. I prided myself on being able to hold a full bladder all day. Getting to the end of a day and realizing I hadn’t eaten anything. Or had anything to drink. I had to train this sense to be felt again. I had tucked it away but it is important to the overall health and function of my body.

Bursting at the Seams: The Threat of Overcapacity

Another internal neighborhood watch, if you will, is paying attention to my capacity. Knowing it is less at this stage of my life. At home. I only need to take care of myself, I still have a capacity to take on more. I add my family and my home. I am getting up there but all is still well. I add service and church responsibilities. Almost at capacity. Once I hit capacity, I experience emotions like overwhelm. Irritability. Exhaustion. Anxiety.

To decrease the overflowing emotions I can stop taking on anything else until things normalize. I can take a close look at what I have taken on and get rid of non-essentials. I can find the people that have a capacity to support me. Hand them some of what is making me overflow. I can look at specific issues that are in the overflow and problem solve how to manage them. What is in my control and what should I do to have a positive influence on those things? Through it all I speak kindly to myself which also keeps the capacity from boiling over.

Achieving Balance: Three Wins for Success

Dr. Neff’s research has proven that to thrive and find a sense of wholeness in our lives. We need to find a balance between tender and fierce self compassion. In our tender compassion. We recognize that in accepting ourselves, we alleviate our own suffering. This type of compassion leads to inner healing. Our fierce self compassion alternatively, provides a springboard for taking action. We draw boundaries by learning when to say no. We recognize our needs and learn where to say yes. We are motivated in our growth to reach out and have an impact on our world and those around us. This type of change leads to outer healing. It all starts with that balance between tender and fierce self compassion.

Self compassion includes finding ways to meet our own individual needs. To provide for our needs we should set up our day to experience at least three wins. A physical, a mental and a spiritual win.

A physical win can look like a forest therapy walk! Drinking enough water. Eating nourishing meals and getting enough sleep. Deep breathing.

Mental wins can look like reading a book that inspires or educates you. Writing in your journal. Organize an uplifting playlist and enjoy. Or catch up on a podcast or TED talk that can get you to your next level. And here again we can list forest therapy as a mental win. Declutter a space or meditate to clear up some head space.

Spiritual wins are my favorite. Praying or setting intentions for the day. Hey, wouldn’t ya know, a forest therapy walk and spending time enjoying and appreciating nature also hits a spiritual win! Reflect at the end of your days.

The Power of Self-Compassion in the Chronic Illness World: A Gentle Uprising

Not Okay

I am not okay today. 
So, in the absence of okay, 
what can I be?
I can be gentle.
I can be unashamed.
I can turn my pain into connection.
I can be a student of stillness.
I can be awake to nature.
I can sharpen my empathy
against the stone of my discomfort.

I am not okay.
but I am many worthy things. 

-Jarod K Anderson (the CryptoNaturalist)

Some nights, the soul weeps louder than the eyes ever could.

-Edgar Allan Poe

There is a weird phenomenon in the world of the chronically ill. It is the place of the in between. A place between too sick to function and not sick enough to get support. You almost puke but you don’t. Your muscles cramp so bad you almost can’t stand. But you can. You always have pain but it’s not always awful. There is no surgery that will fix it. There is no research being done on it. Because there is a lack of belief that this exists. You forget EVERYTHING, but everyone is forgetful. Your BP is low but not low enough to treat it. Your anxiety is high but they say just manage it. You want answers but doctors don’t think there is one. Have you ever wished you were more sick so you at least have the benefit of a desire for understanding?

Self compassion here says I am just the right amount. For today. I am sick and I can rest even if others don’t understand. I won’t puke but my nausea is enough to be gentle with myself. When my muscles cramp I will take care of them. When there is pain, no matter the level, I will not be upset. I can be tender and inquisitive.

☝🏼 A close look at how symptoms can come out of nowhere and knock you off the couch. ☝🏼

I DON'T LOOK SICK

I DON'T LOOK SICK, but my legs will often feel like wet spaghetti and will go numb and give out on me without warning.

I DON'T LOOK SICK, but I live with an intense deep exhaustion that makes every movement feel like I'm trying to move at the bottom of the ocean.

I DON'T LOOK SICK, but I suffer from an extremely sensitive heat intolerance that makes me feel light headed, ill and faint even in what feels like a normal room temperature to you.

I DON'T LOOK SICK, but my nerves often give me "phantom itches" that make me scratch myself raw at an itch that doesn't actually exist.

I DON'T LOOK SICK, but inside, my bones often feel like someone is using a jackhammer on them, especially during a change in weather.

I DON'T LOOK SICK, but if anything, even something little, stresses or worries me, my body rebels and symptoms flare up just for the fun of it.

I DON'T LOOK SICK, but it's extremely difficult for me to concentrate on anything, and as a result my memory suffers drastically.

I DON'T LOOK SICK, but the simplest tasks can take me 5 times longer and takes 5 times as much energy to finish that a "normal" person.

I DON'T LOOK SICK, but you'll never know the struggle beneath the surface.

I have been dealing with chronic pain for a while now. There have been weeks where all I could do was lay down. That leaves a lot of time for thinking. I know my thoughts can create my reality. So I want to be careful with them. Since learning this painful lesson I have seen my life blossom as a result.

Over the last few years I have seen my tears turn to blossoms of understanding. Self compassion and holding a space for myself at all of the stages of healing has been critical. At times I can look back and see tender self compassion. When the tears would flow. And I would be okay with it. I would not hold back. Other times I can see evident in my behavior the fierce self compassion that Dr. Neff talks about. Where I learned to set boundaries and how to recognize my own needs. To act for my own best outcome.

In motu, veritas: blooms after the storm. When have you experienced this type of growth?

When all I can see ahead are endless days of pain, I need to take a step back. I know in those times I am getting lost in the weeds of my thoughts. I find a better look out spot and get a sense of what is important. What is true. What is helpful. And the rest is weeded out. This is most likely to happen when I have not set myself as the priority and I need to recalibrate. Self compassion is the key to start the process.

I hope you find time to be happy. Not just strong.

-Louise Kaufman

Life with chronic pain is demanding. But with a combination of fierce and tender self compassion, balance is restored and hope is renewed.

So many days can feel like a struggle. Remember to find something to laugh about and someone to laugh with.

Maybe you could give me a hug and slowly loosen your hold and then you could tell me what my blood pressure is.

I just had a discussion with a friend the other day. We both excelled in school. Yet we struggle in life. Due to chronic illness. We had such high hopes being that we read significantly higher than our grade level. Surely that’s the number one marker for success in later life. This is regrettably not the case. Well that’s a fine how do you do!

The Wonder of Forest Therapy: A New Edge on Chronic Illness Relief

I love the idea of collecting sunsets. In a jar! What can you collect in your forest therapy this season? Campfire collection. Rainbow collection. Starlight collection. Wildlife collection. You can take a mental picture. Sketch it in a journal. Take an actual photograph or video. It does not need to be posted on social media to make it valid. This is your collection. Find what works for you.

When we go for a forest walk together I can offer invitations such as the following.

Forest bathe at sunrise or sunset. Find a good perch and invite the sun into the day. Or tuck it into bed at night.
Bring your journal and sketch any signs of spring that you see.
Dedicate a part of your walk to gratitude, what do you see on your walk that gives you a sense of gratitude

SUSURROUS (adj)- full of whispering sounds

Can you find a susurrous space that enhances your forest experience?

Personal Benefits of Forest Therapy and Self Compassion

I can not put into words the how or the why of forest therapy for pain relief and chronic illness. I can direct you to the work of Kristin Neff for the how and why of self compassion. And I can speak by experience that I am getting my life back as I practice both. As I learn and practice forest therapy. Is it worth the effort for you to try it? Perhaps you will get your life back too.

As we practice compassion for ourselves remember to be kind to one another. We never know what the other is going through. As women, our bodies and our brains go through a lot. Chronic illness, pain and fatigue are a lot. And we all have that one chin hair that we are locked in a lifelong skirmish with. Give each other grace. Enjoy the tale of this Grace 👇🏼 and her way to self compassion. And remember to laugh! Have a great week my chronic comrades!

How to Regulate Your Emotions: 10 Effective Strategies

January 7, 2025 pammunkholm

Though winter is a brittle beast she snows pure soul in flakes so deep.

-Angie Weiland- Crosby

Despite my greatest efforts there are times I react emotionally. People are difficult and life can be challenging. But this reaction takes a toll on the body, mind and spirit. Especially my chronic comrades.

Minimizing Emotional Reactivity

All of us can attempt to minimize the effect emotional reactivity has on us. I do this by engaging in one or more of the following ten activities. In this post I share with you my top ten ways to minimize emotional reactivity.

These can be done in any order and in your own way and timing.

Breathe. Sit with your feelings and just let them hunker down for the moment. Then breathe some more to allow the feelings to pass. The effort of holding back emotions we don’t want to experience is worse than actually sitting with the feeling itself.
Be curious about what you are feeling. Question it. Where is the feeling in my body? What does it feel like? Burning. Stabbing. Twinging. You can even question, why am I feeling this way? See what answers come up.
This is a hard one. Try to look at things with an outside perspective. Stay open minded and be humbly objective. Perhaps there is something you would do differently given that new perspective. Mentally talking this through with yourself can be quite constructive.
Count to 30 before responding. It gives a chance for the nervous system to calm. This way, there is not a sudden action that you will most definitely regret later. It is healthier to act than to react.
I like this one. Practice self compassion and remember that we are all human. Sometimes we get it right and other times we get it wrong. That is part of growth and development. I choose to be in the arena where my life is advancing. And part of being in that arena is winning and losing. We can’t always win.
If you have the opportunity (not always an option in the moment) journal your thoughts, feelings and intentions. This will assist you in weeding out the opinions of others. Bring it down to you and what is happening in your brain.
“Maybe things are going perfectly”. I have shared this favourite mantra of mine before. It is powerful if you are open enough to believe it. These words and the space they create help me see a positive in even the most dire of circumstances. Maybe this disaster needs to happen for something really important to work out.
Do not judge your feelings. Feelings are human. We all have them. It is what we do with them that determines who we are. Be honest with yourself to see more deeply into your emotions. Stand back and notice. Name the feeling or emotion if you can.
Trust the process. (I saw a meme that said: Does the process know we are trusting it? Hehe) This goes along with #6, maybe things are going perfectly. But in this one there is an added belief that your higher power/ life has got you. That this life is for you and eternal success is your inherent right.
Stay in your own energy. As I write this list and this post I am currently in a squabble with my landlord. I am getting a chance to practice this very list. Here is something I am learning to be truly important. When I act true to myself, I can stay out of emotional reactivity. That can be difficult to do around certain personality types. Some people have such a strong energy. It is vital to take time to look inward and find our own energy and act true to that. Bending to the energy of others takes us away from our truth. And into emotional reactivity.

What else would you add to this list? What helps you come down from emotionally charged situations? Add your answer in the comments.

Having emotions is human. They are a fuse box for our individual experience. When tripped they alert us to danger and help us see where we need better boundaries. It is important to notice your emotions.

The next step, that so many people skip, is crucial. Use your logical brain to decide which parts of the emotion fit the facts of the situation. Don’t allow the emotion to take control of the situation. Use that higher part of your brain to determine how you will respond. Emotions do not give us the right to treat others or ourselves poorly.

My Top Ten Ways to Regulate My Nervous System Once I’ve Been Triggered

If, like me, there are still times in your life where you are unsuccessful, don’t worry. Even if all these steps have failed, there is a way back. Here is my top ten list of how to regulate your nervous system once it has been overloaded.

Exercise. If it is an option for you, get moving. To have the greatest effect you will need to get your heart rate up and your sweat on. This is great for any type of detox that your body needs. Including stress.
Listen to music. Up- level by having a playlist on your music app that is for moments like this. Choose soothing songs that speak to you.
Cry! I used to avoid crying. I thought it was weak and embarrassing. But now I understand it is just another way that our body is supporting itself. Crying releases stress.
Cuddle a pet. Animals are so great at accepting us wherever we are. If you don’t have your own pet, go cuddle a friend’s. Animals are generally emotionally regulated (unless that is challenged by their human’s behaviour). So if you allow your energy to shift to theirs you will find yourself coming back to yourself.
Progressive muscle relaxation. If you haven’t heard of this you can google it. Many meditations that I follow use this as a tool. Essentially you tense a muscle group. Starting in your lower extremities and then moving to the top of your head. So starting with your feet. Tense. Hold for a few seconds and then release. Move up to your lower legs. Tense. Hold. Release. And so on. Connect to your body.
Speaking of meditations. This can look different for all of us. It can be sitting quietly and breathing. Praying to connect to your higher power. Or listening to a meditation app. I highly recommend Insight Timer if you are looking for one to try.
Spend time with friends who get it. Maybe that’s family or maybe you need to schedule a day with your besties. I hope you have someone in your life that can let you talk it out. And help you get to the bottom of your emotions. A paid professional is always an option too. I, personally, think that we all need a therapist.
Hug your person. There is something about holding one another heart to heart that provides a space for compassion and healing. Okay so this one isn’t my favourite. But it’s one I’m working on. I see the value of it.
Get enough sleep. This seems silly when there are so many things vying for our time. And likely, you are a grown adult that can go to bed whenever you want. But getting at least 8 hours of sleep at night will greatly improve your chances of recapturing emotional regulation. And a higher probability of keeping it in the future.
I have it here as #10 but it is actually my #1. Can you guess? Forest therapy! Even in the cold of Saskatchewan, there are days and ways to get some nature time in. Bundle up. Pick your spot. And enjoy what nature gives freely. Given enough time, you will regulate your nervous system with forest therapy. If you’d like to learn more, subscribe to the blog and watch for all I have coming in the spring. You can also contact me with any questions about forest therapy. Ask me about how to use it for all types of healing.

These have all worked for me in the past. Sometimes I need to try one or two. Take time to consider what works for you. Perhaps you will need to try a few before your emotions start to fizzle as well.

I mentioned that I would get to how sensory overload is different for my chronic comrades. When our emotions are running high we tend to go into sensory overload. Does this sound familiar to you when you’ve been emotionally triggered?

Unfortunate equation: chronic pain + too much stimuli = more pain. Have you ever been so overwhelmed by seemingly minimal inputs but you can’t explain it to anyone? Like: The lights are on. People are talking. The music is playing on the tv downstairs. My bra is on. I suddenly have too much hair. And my teeth feel weird. What is wrong with you people? Isn’t everyone else suffering from all of this stimuli?

Never fear. All is well. We have a list of ways to avoid being emotionally reactive. We also have a backup list of what to do if those don’t work.

It’s okay to be sensitive. That’s what happens when you have magic in your heart.

-dannys_moments_poetry

That’s it for this week my friends. Take care of yourselves.

Mindfulness and Intentions: A New Year’s Guide

December 31, 2024 pammunkholm

A great hope fell. You heard no noise. The ruin was within.

-Emily Dickinson

The purpose of this post is to encourage you. Do not enter the new year with those words of Emily Dickinson as your guide. It can be easy to over shoot in our plans for the celebration of this night. Followed shortly thereafter by overwhelm at the thought of executing our way through the year itself.

I posted the following on Instagram this week. As taught by Jack Cornfield. If you aren’t connected to me there, look me up @sunbeamacres. The pictures are from one of my more recent forest therapy walks.

Author Kristin Neff said,

We hold ourselves to unrealistic standards of perfection and then we judge ourselves when we don’t live up to them. The thing is, we aren’t supposed to be perfect. But we are supposed to transform.

Are New Year’s Resolutions For You?

Goals are great. But they don’t have to start at the beginning of the year. And when January 3rd comes around and you missed a day, it is not the end. You can actually try again. And here’s the kicker, you don’t even have to feel bad about it!

It can be overwhelming at this time of year to hear everyone talking about their resolutions. Especially if that isn’t your thing. (It does not have to be your thing, shh it’s a secret! Don’t upset the status quo.)

IF you are a goal setter. And IF you find renewed strength to try again at the beginning of the year, I applaud you. The rest of us will be over here attempting not to be intimidated and feel bad about ourselves around you.

We will just keep doing our best.

But where to start?

Suzuki Roshi said,

The most important thing is remembering the most important thing.

How do you know what your most important thing is? It will be different for you than for others. And it will change at various seasons of your life.

Intention

The word intention has become muddled in recent years. But if you think of it as where the compass of your heart is pointing. What is your intention for this year?

We get to decide. We get to set where the compass points. But what will be most transforming for us is to follow those glimpses and glimmers our heart is giving us. I suggest this is what lines us up to our true north. Set your compass to your true north for exponential transformation.

Mindful like a… Sniper?

If you were to sit mindfully to consider your upcoming year. What thoughts and ideas would you be open to find? Which brings up another muddle-y word of late. Mindful.

To be mindful is to be present, to see things clearly. But if that alone was the criteria then snipers would be the world’s most mindful people. If you were to picture a mindful retreat, are snipers the central figures? It confused AI. This picture would not generate without all the guns being pointed at one another.

Oooooohm. Does the process know we are trusting it?

To be mindful then, we are attempting to see clearly. AND we need to know why we are being mindful. There needs to be purpose. Your purpose at this time might be setting your intentions for the year. AND finally, we need to be aware of how we are paying attention. Is it with attitude? Or judgment? Pause to consider how that difference would affect your ability to be mindful. And in tune to the intention of your heart.

To put this all together. To define mindfulness. It is intentionally paying attention in a kind and open way.

Join me in intentionally paying attention. In a kind and open way. As we decide where the compass of our individual heart is pointing. To combat any New Year overwhelm.

A New Pattern to Transformation

I also suggest a new pattern, Instead of goal, success, success, fail, success, fail, give up. How about, Rhythm. Rest. Renewal, Restoration.

Your rhythm is your own. Are you familiar with your rhythm? It is your tempo. Your beat. Your movement. One must sit still, alone, long enough to sense their own rhythm. Where are you going too fast? Where do you need a more consistent pace? Find your rhythm. Sense it. Protect it.

Rest is healing. Rest is right. Rest is not lazy. Rest is not wasteful. Rest is often the most profitable thing you can do for your body and your soul. Rest is when growth happens. When you go to the gym and push your muscles. The fibers of those muscles sustain damage or injury. AFTER the workout, the body repairs those fibers by fusing them which increases the mass and size of the muscles. When we seek higher learning. We push our minds to take in and retain information. It feels like the information is going to start leaking out of our ears. There is hardly time to sleep. But in getting less sleep the ability to take in information is more challenging. In resting comes growth and renewal.

Renewal is to replenish. To make effective for an additional period. What if we take time to rest and are made more effective for an additional period? Instead of pushing ourselves to the brink and then resting. I am still learning how to do this myself. I have to keep going back to my rhythm. Not feeling pushed to match the rhythm of others around me. At this time of renewal of glad tidings. Of goals. Of generosity. Take time for renewal of yourself.

Restoration. To bring back into existence. To bring back to a former state of health, soundness or vigor. There are days I need to be brought back into existence. This can happen at the end of a long day or sadly, the very beginning. While my desire to have my former state of health is considerable. I will take any amount or form of restoration that comes from this pattern.

In a Nutshell

Set your goals within reach. Do not strive for perfection. Seek instead for transformation. Find YOUR most important thing. Sit mindfully to set the compass of your heart to know where and how the transformation can take place. Have your new pattern for this year be rhythm, rest, renewal, restoration. Find and protect your rhythm. Enjoy and seek rest. Recognize the renewal that opens to restoration. Rinse and repeat.

Chronic Comrades

My sweet broken- feeling chronic comrades. Chronic mental and physical illness, chronic pain, chronic fatigue. The following verse makes my heart both melt into it because somebody is speaking to my soul. While at the same time it cringes for what we have suffered.

Maybe one intention for the year would be to make peace with our “monsters”.

every night she
sings lullabies
to her burdens
and fears because
that's what has 
to be done. 
the monsters
have to fall
asleep before 
she can.
-JmStorm

Know you are seen and understood comrades. Then work to diagnose and soothe your “monsters”-physical and mental, seen and unseen. In any way that works for you. Forest therapy is among the tools in your toolbox.

Crushing it…

My greatest intentions for the year will be in this forest therapy business. Stay tuned to see my rates, days & times, 6 wk starter packs, subscription boxes, etc. I am excited to finish developing and start sharing with all of you for the spring.

Take care my friends. I sincerely hope it is a Happy New Year.

Step-by-Step: Healing Through Forest Walking

September 24, 2024 pammunkholm

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!

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.

What is Forest Therapy

April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 pammunkholm

In the 1980s, through the national health program in Japan, was introduced the art of Shinrin- Yoku or forest bathing as it is known in English, to help workers reduce stress. The negative effects of stress were starting to rear their ugly head. Heart conditions, high blood pressure, a rise in auto immune disease. Doctors pointed sufferers to the forest for help. The forest has many healing qualities and Japan was learning how to harness them and how to offer it to others. These sufferers were willing to try anything. Are you there? Do you feel like you’ve tried everything? With a forest therapy guide to get the most benefits, forest bathing is still proving most effective today. 2/3 of Japan is forest. Some of the most beautiful in the world. Doctors even started prescribing it to those with stress related disease. Doctors in Japan recognized how many people had become disconnected from the earth. While our ancestors slept on the ground and ate food grown from it and walked around on it with nothing to stop the negative electrons flowing into their bodies, those in modern day Japan were far from this description. The effects of this disconnection are not isolated to the eastern hemisphere. Our world is highly toxic and the earth offers a way to heal from the negative effects. In an effort to connect the people around me back to the earth, I prescribe it to you today.

Forest Therapy or Forest Bathing, the literal translation of the Japanese term, Shinrin Yoku is what I want to tell you about. The art of going into the forest for healing. There are various understandings of the term. But in all the research I have done it has nothing to do with bathing as you might be picturing the use of the word. No rubber ducks. No shower caps. And everyone is to be fully clothed!!! At all times!!! The relation to bathing is only in the way that when you have a bath you are fully immersed in the water; forest bathing helps you fully immerse yourself in the forest or absorb the forest atmosphere. That is where healing begins.

Forest bathing can be defined as making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest. With all the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of forest bathing, you also gain access to other tools here that can be used to generate and accelerate healing. These are the tools I have learned and developed into my own routine. I’ve tried so many suggestions, through decades of pain. This is the first non-medicated thing that has consistently helped me.

Studies have shown that there are a myriad of health benefits to being in the forest. Some of these benefits include lowered concentration of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity when compared to being surrounded by city environments. Being in the forest is great. Bathing yourself in the forest is even better. I can show you how in future posts!

The forest therapy I offer is a combination of forest bathing, silence, (doesn’t everyone know how to do that? what if someone else is disrupting your silence? what if the silence feels awful?) grounding, and more. I will explain all of these in further detail in later posts but for now I just want to get the overall idea out there.

As with all programs this one has its side effects. Unfortunately, with these tools in place you can reduce the symptoms for anxiety, depression, anger, increase your concentration and memory, boost your immune system, (an increase to NK cells) improved quality of sleep, reducing fatigue and confusion and an overall improvement to your mood. Increased positive and decreased negative feelings. No weight gain or facial paralysis hiding at the end of the list over here.

I want to be clear. I would never tell anyone to stop taking any medication without talking to their doctor. Some are necessary and life saving. And I myself have not reached the point with my condition to stop all medications. We all start from where we are and carefully move forward. When it comes to medical areas, talk to your doctor. If you have a mental crisis, talk to a mental health care professional. If you feel you are in spiritual crisis, talk to a religious leader or friend. What we are talking about here, my target audience, is those who are living their lives and functioning- adjacent and I can help take them to an even better life with the tools I offer. Ideally a life with less pain.

Now. What if you live in the city? This is the beauty of forest therapy. You can create an atmosphere of forest bathing within any natural environment. The more natural, the more you can accomplish. Yet every grounded plant, spot of grass or tree can offer benefits to the most diseased among us.

Join me by booking your walk over on my contact page.

That’s it my sweet friends. Allow me to show you the way.