Where do you like to relax? Most people imagine a comfortable, indoors environment – lying on their couch with a book, lazing in bed with Netflix or having a glass of wine before cooking dinner. But what about relaxing in the outdoors environment – in nature?
When you think about it, our indoors life is a relatively recent phenomenon – a thousand years ago our homes were much less comfortable than our modern Western standards. Tens of thousands of years before that, we lived in nature as other animals do. Could there be something inherently relaxing about hanging out with trees and other plant life? Here are three relaxation tips to try.
1. Forest bathing
The Japanese practice of ‘Shinrinyoku’ or ‘forest bathing’ involves taking time out of your hectic city life to visit a forest, walk around, touch and smell leaves, and be present in nature. The concept originated in Japan in the 1980s and is now recognised nationally in Japan, China and Korea as a relaxation and stress management activity. Many Australians would agree that bushwalking is very relaxing – getting away from the noise and pollution of the city is relaxing in itself, but did you ever stop to think about the chemical effect that trees may have on your health?
Recent scientific studies of forest bathing show that it increases vigour, decreases anxiety, depression and anger and can even boost your immune system to fight cancer. Dr Qing Li, senior assistant professor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, attributes this to breathing in phytoncides (wood essential oils such as α-Pinene and limonene), very active substances that plants give off to prevent them from rotting or being eaten by insects. Phytoncides are widely used in holistic medicine in China and Japan as well as in Russia and the Ukraine.
A key part of the practice of forest bathing is to take it slowly: to get the health benefits of being in a forest or bushland area, it’s important to have time to pause and appreciate your surroundings, rather than using nature as an outdoor gym. Dr Li’s advice for a relaxing forest bathing experience is to “enjoy the forest through the five senses: the murmuring of a stream, birds singing, green colour, fragrance of the forest, eat some foods from the forest and just touch the trees.” If tree-hugging seems too hippie for you, consider this: we descended from tree-dwellers who spent their whole lives hugging trees! Our love and need for trees is ancient and undeniable. Shinrin-yoku.org says, “What if the land actually loves humans? What if it needs us?” Try planning a relaxing trip to your local forest and breathe in the goodness.
2. Grow your own
“Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes.” This is the motivational poster on my office wall. A lot of people have told me about the relaxing nature of gardening, but I always brushed off the idea. It seemed like a lot of work to me, and I wasn’t convinced that I’d have the green thumb required to make my garden grow. But one afternoon I sat down with a packet of vegetable seeds, some seed-raising soil and half a dozen egg cartons and decided to see what would happen. From the first trowel-full of dirt I was hooked. “Gardening is so relaxing!” I started telling everyone, as if I had made an incredible scientific discovery. But does science have anything to say about getting down and dirty in the garden bed?
There are many proven benefits to gardening, including:
- Stress relief
- Exercise
- Brain health
- Nutrition
- Healing
- Immunity
Recent scientific research by University of Colorado neuroscientist Christopher Lowry has shown that certain strains of harmless soil-borne mycobacterium vaccae have a strongly positive effect on the human immune system. Exposure to soil bacteria can even boost the production of serotonin, a mood-regulating brain chemical. On a chemical level, the antidepressant properties of contact with soil through gardening may actually boost your mood and help you relax.
Gardening also encourages you to see the effects of growth over a period of time. If you’ve ever found it difficult to commit to a relaxation practice that requires consistent effort for good results, such as mediation, gardening may provide the inspiration you need: plants require daily care and attention to flourish, just like our minds. You could eve combine your relaxing gardening with a mediation session among your plants: create a sacred space in your garden, bring out your favourite cushion and relax with the plant life.
3. Drink up
Being in nature may seem impossible some days. Many people spend a huge amount of time indoors: we wake up in our homes, commute in cars or buses to our office building, we take our lunch breaks in the staff room or at a cafe, and then after work we exercise in gyms or yoga studios. On days when you can’t get into nature, try getting a little nature into you!
I’m talking herbal tea. If you’re more of a coffee or black tea person, don’t worry – there’s plenty of time for this before 12pm each day. But if you want to feel truly relaxed and ready for a good night’s sleep later on, consider swapping to herbal in the afternoon. Herbal teas come in a wide variety of flavours and combinations and their health benefits are astounding.
Here are some of the best herbals teas for relaxation and ideas for new flavour combinations.
Chamomile: This mellow yellow tea is not to be underestimated! Chamomile tea helps to reduce anxiety, promotes better sleep, fights colds and toothaches, soothes an upset stomach and acid reflux, eases menstrual cramps, lowers blood sugar, thins blood, contains cancer-fighting antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory. For something new, try blending chamomile with calendula or lavender (also good for relaxation), or drinking it with almond milk and honey as a ‘chamomile latte.’
Lemon Balm: This delicate lemon-like tea is known for inducing feelings of wellbeing and contentment. What could be more relaxing? It helps with anxiety, sleep disorders, indigestion and wounds. You can even apply lemon balm tea to cold sores, and some researchers say lemon balm could improve cognitive function and help to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Try using lemon balm to make delicious, low-sugar iced tea ‘lemonade’ with lavender, raw honey or maple syrup, and lemon slices.
Passionflower: This pale green, mild-tasting tea makes a great bedtime relaxation brew because of its sedative properties. Excellent for those late-night insomniacs and anxiety-prone folk who can’t get their brains to stop buzzing, passionflower can also assist with lowering blood pressure, treating physical aches and pains and relieving nausea. It may even be an aphrodisiac! Drink a cup half an hour before bedtime to help you relax and sleep deeply. To boost the flavour of passionflower tea, try adding lemon, or brew with rose petals, spearmint, peppermint or hibiscus, all of which have additional relaxation or other health benefits.
Even the act of making tea can be relaxing, so expand your tea cupboard with a trip to your local organic food cooperative or health food store and get your hands on some loose leaf tea. Or better still, you can grow your own flowers and herbs so you have a regular supply of nature’s medicine in your backyard.
Just a word of warning for herbal teas – always check whether this particular herb is safe for you to take, as we cannot provide medical advice!
We hope you enjoyed our Monday wellness tip! This is the first in a series of tips we will be sharing with you on a weekly basis, each Monday morning.
Be sure to register for The Wellness Show which will be held 1 – 3 April 2016 at the Hordern Pavilion & Royal Hall of Industries in Sydney. It’s free!
The post Monday Wellness Tip #1 RELAX appeared first on Happy + Well.