Who doesn’t love to escape to the bush whenever they have the chance. Whether it’s hitting the tracks, bush walking or camping out for the night, we all love to be out and about. Do you know why we love this and why it feels so good? Did you know there are actually health benefits by spending time in the bush?
By taking a walk through the bush or forest you can reduce the level of cortisol in your body … this is the stress hormone which pumps through your bloodstream in times of stress and can have negative effects such as raising your blood pressure and heart rate, so if we can find a natural way to lower these levels, that’s pretty good hey!
Not only can you reduce stress and anxiety, trees can also improve your mood and attention span, so it’s a great help for mental health issues. Trees are very calming and grounding …. If you’ve ever walked through a forest full of huge trees (think Valley of the Giants on Fraser Island for example) you’ll probably remember looking up at how huge they were compared to you, how tall and straight they are, how they can be so big and grow straight up through sand and not fall over ….. well subconsciously this was working on your mindset by bringing you back to nature, by helping to immerse yourself into your surroundings, by calming and grounding you.
So what else happens? …. Trees omit a compound called phytoncides, which helps protect them from germs and insects. It’s basically the essential oils from the tree (the things that we smell and go ‘ahhh, I love the bush’!). By breathing in the phytoncides, they can actually be useful for us by helping to boost our immune system.
If you haven’t heard, there is a practice called Shinrin-Yoku, This is a Japanese term which translates to ‘Forest Bathing’ (also known as ‘Forest Therapy’).
The idea is that you immerse yourself into nature to enhance your overall well-being. It’s a holistic approach to your health, taking in the mind, body and spirit.
Unfortunately we can’t always be in the bush, but we can still help to keep us chilled and grounded by diffusing or smelling essential oils. By diffusing Black Spruce for example, it tricks our mind into thinking we are in the bush and we can realise some of those benefits …. our mind is definitely a very powerful tool.
So next time you are in the bush, stop and think, take in your surroundings and remember that they are having more positive mental and overall health effects on you than you think.
If you would like to learn more about essential oils and how they can benefit you and your lifestyle, contact us or head to our Facebook group – Track to Nature – Essential Oils.
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