Long forgotten knowledge
“In essence, the healing effect of the forest, the health-restoring, health-strengthening effect has been known to us for thousands of years, and in cultures, especially in North America and northern Europe, including white cultures, it has been widely known and widely used. It is not for nothing that at that time there were often sacred places in the forest , to go to in special moments,” Dreimane said.
In the past, even magical properties were attributed to the forest and individual trees, each tree having its own spirit and influence on people’s life and health.
“In the life knowledge of Latvians, exactly the same thing is known – the juniper has its own role, the linden has its own, the oak has its own, the apple tree has its own.
Yesterday I read folk songs, and one of those folk songs was – I walked through a silver grove, I didn’t break a single twig, if I had broken, I would have glittered in silver. So the practice of how to do it has been known to people for a very long time,” said Dreimane.
Unfortunately, due to the rapid development of mankind, this knowledge was neglected, until in the 1980s, the Japanese government, through various studies, decided to help reduce the stress level of its citizens, which was very high in the urban environment, and came back to the conclusion that there is a need for daily put the peace of the forest against the rush and intensity.
“Given Japan’s ancient culture and traditions, it is quite logical that they were one of the first modern societies to go back to it. Then already in the 90s in Europe and America, in Australia, it slowly started again. Of course, it is important for a modern society, that everything is structured and grounded in science,
therefore, two concepts are distinguished – one is forest bathing [meža pelde/meža veldze], which means allowing yourself to be influenced by the forest environment. The term is figuratively used “immerse yourself, allow yourself to swim”, Dreimane said.
To practice forest relaxation, you don’t need a second person, it’s a deliberate going and being in nature to improve everyday well-being.
Forest therapy
The second concept is forest therapy. This is already the next level, which talks about the recovery and restoration of a person from specific difficulties, illnesses, injuries. The other person who leads this forest therapy is very important.
Dreimane compared it with other therapy methods. For example, with dance and movement therapy. Of course, we can dance and move every day, and this will only benefit us, but dance and movement therapy are separated separately, where movement is the main tool in the therapeutic process.
Similarly with art therapy – we can do art every day, but it can also be transferred to the next level and used in therapy.
“Also, modern science has come to the point that the forest can be an environment in which we feel good and improve our quality of life on a daily basis, but the forest can also be an environment and a space in which we recover,” said Dreimane.
Both of these concepts – both forest refreshment and forest therapy – talk about surrendering to nature, which has been affected by man as little as possible, where there is not only a great diversity of species, but also life cycles.
“So, when we can observe birth, growth, the emergence of something new, maturation, aging, death, decay in that environment – all these life cycles and aspects of life can be observed,” Dreimane explained.
It is important not to rush
A person is also greatly influenced by the naturalness of the forest, in a sense its somewhat wild environment, where everything is not perfectly symmetrical and flat. Well-kept, beautiful, carefully planned, symmetrical and well-kept parks in cities do not have the same effect.
“A person longs for something unaccustomed, for something different, which turns out to calm us down more. At the first moment, you have to overcome it, but as soon as you give in, greater peace comes. Its essence is to allow yourself to be influenced by the environment as it is is. With all the senses, with smell, sight, hearing, touch, taste, sense of balance and everything else. So to let the environment, as it is, influence us, not that we transform it. That is the main task and the challenge, ” said Dreimane.
The same can be applied to daily walks in the forest. Many people, when going to nature, choose to listen to broadcasts or music at the same time – at that moment, they may perceive the forest visually, but not hear its sounds, and therefore do not allow themselves to be fully captivated by it.
“Let’s say it makes a difference if I go into the woods running and orienteering, or if I go into the woods at a really slow pace to allow myself to notice what’s around me.
One of the biggest challenges for both adults and teenagers is to really allow yourself to slow down,” Dreimane said.
The pace of forest refreshment is from one to three kilometers per hour, the pace of forest therapy is 500 meters to 1.5 kilometers per hour.
“If there is no experience, so that walking slowly does not turn into self-torture, self-torture, it is necessary to understand what to do while I walk so slowly, because walking slowly has its own function and meaning. It actually happens automatically at the moment when I call for attention even on the colors or shadows that we see around us, or on the lines and patterns. That pace already slows down because it’s hard to take in everything that’s there at the same time and do it at a fast pace. On a walk like this you have to let everything around you , inclusion in that environment takes place with everything that that environment offers,” Dreimane explained.
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2024-01-20 05:32:00
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