Have you ever taken a bath in a forest? I don’t mean skinny dipping in a cold stream, either.
It’s called shinrin-yoku, and is Japanese for “forest bathing” or, just time spent outdoors drenching yourself in the wonderfulness of the natural expanses around you.
I remember special times as a child doing this high up on my perch in a giant tree in Portland, Oregon, gazing at the world above, below, and around me. Then there were times in San Jose, California, as I lay sprawled out on the grass trying to feel the 
world turn while watching the clouds above float by.
The happiness, joy, peace, and contentment I felt was more than just being a kid without responsibilities; although that did help, I’m sure. It was a part of a deep primal need to be grounded to the earth and to be connected to nature.
The results we all know and have experienced – but yay – (wink) – they are now confirmed with science! Stress hormones drop, anxiety lessens, and blood pressures normalize when we surround ourselves with nature. Did you need a study to tell you that concrete jungles and office cubicles aren’t healthy?
Me neither.
As a 24/7 caregiver, I miss bathing in nature the most. There’s just not enough time away to do the necessary errands, get some exercise time, and bathe in nature to any great extent.
Last summer, a walk with our adult children in the majestic redwood
forests of Northern California was a holy experience. Quietly stepping into the ancient tabernacle of giant redwoods was life-changing! I return to that experience often to relive the awe and wonder of it. Presently, extended slow walks to the mailbox and some time spent on the back porch swing have to satisfy that deep need for now.
Where do you go to bathe in nature?
Here in Eastern North Carolina, many turn to the water. Time in a 
boat on the river or time sitting on one of our beautiful beaches satisfies many. Time to unplug from the rat race and reconnect to the REAL WORLD of nature.
Still others in our area enjoy year-round golfing opportunities. While designed by man, golf courses do follow the natural terrain and are certainly a place of green-ness. Pun intended. While hitting that little white ball around can often be frustrating, golfers’ experiences can be tempered by the loveliness of the course.
Keep forest bathing tucked in the back of your mind for a minute while I seem to change subjects.
I recently listened to a TED talk about the biggest predictor of longevity. Diet? Exercise? Weight control?
Nope.
All of the usual suspects were way down the list.
Friends? Social connections? Getting warmer…
The best indicator of longevity turned out to be the number of daily face-to-face connections we had. Smiling at people. Striking up brief conversations with strangers. Laughing about the human condition with someone while in line at the bank. Lamenting about the price of tomatoes with a fellow shopper. Little connections. With humans. Face-to-face.
Not all that different from connecting with Mother Nature.
Making connections. It’s vitally important to a well-balanced life. In fact, I have long called such pleasantries with strangers as “making the day.” We need to do more of that.
Having philosophized about connections with man and nature, let me share with you something wonderful that happened recently that sort of ties this all together.
As a member of our local Chamber of Commerce, I always try to schedule an outing from caregiving duties that coincides with our Chamber’s monthly Business-AfterHours event. It’s a time to make connections: renew personal friendships and a chance to start new business connections. There are always door prizes.
Yours truly won one of the main door prizes! I had never heard of a Dash Caddie before, so the young inventor and his wife had to show and demonstrate it to me.
Jeff Duncan was having a problem keeping track of his golf possessions while riding around the course in his golf cart. You know: extra balls, tees, cell phone, pencils all seemed to be at the bottom of his bag. Irritating. Not what a golfer is looking to have more of.
Necessity is the mother of invention, so he invented the Dash 
Caddie, which is a portable box that can mount into almost any golf cart or suction-cupped onto the dash of an RV or boat with ease.
After two years of the Duncan’s engineering, design changes, and making manufacturing contacts, I won one of the first Dash Caddies to come off of the assembly line! Their website at dashcaddie.com is taking pre-orders, but something tells me those orders will be filled real soon!
This is where the whole post ties together. If you are bathing in the wonders of nature on the golf course, on the waterways, or as you travel the open road, the Dash Caddie will eliminate many of those nagging problems that irritate some of the restorative joy you are seeking.
It just seemed to be a perfect moment to share with you readers:
- Our deep primal need to reconnect with nature and why it is good for us
- Our need to connect with each other even on a casual basis and how doing so can boost our health.
- An opportunity to spread the word on a good thing with no personal gain on my part.
I encourage you to “bathe in nature” more. Ramp-up those casual connections with others in public, and check out Dash Caddie.
With spring upon us, we can all dive into nature every day possible. Regardless of season, there are always ample opportunities to reach out to others during our daily life. If there is a golf cart, RV, or boat in your life or someone you know, a Dash Caddie is the perfect gift for them!
In health and “making the day”-
Deidre
signing up either here, on our site, or as the result of talking with me at a recent book signing, you will never miss a new post full of ideas on how to improve your health one bite, one breath, or one movement at a time.
We are always growing and changing. A good “stretch” in our comfort zones never fails to strengthen our souls.
than death – is public speaking?
One author used breathing techniques to help himself. He blew through his lips after each page he read, as if he were saying, “Whew, that’s over!” It was beautiful watching him grow and stretch! After a while, he looked up more at the crowd as he described the passion behind his story.
body. We expect our bodies to always be on duty for us, doing what we expect of them, expecting perfection.
may have some sense of a lack of fulfillment – or downright panic -with no added sugars. Dessert seems to be a thing of the past.
In the recipe section of Toolkit for Wellness, I included a few ideas to dress up these seeds into what I call a jam. If you add berries and cook them in on the stove, you can get a bowl of chia goodness (that will be prettier).
add creates the flavor. A small handful of dried fruit works well, too.
Sometimes my mind would drift to calm – worthy – flow … or other concepts that reflected my needs at the moment. We never shared our intentions … It was just something that helped us enrich our yoga experience, and something to carry with us as we walked out the door of the studio and back into the world.
Then, after ten days of being home bound due to snow and ice and a lack of caregivers for my husband, I was gratefully out and about once again, sitting at a favorite breakfast spot, sipping coffee. 
Yawning yet? 
expected to last 
life is NOT to kill you. Think about it. You are the host – their home – and they don’t want to burn down their home. What they want to do is MULTIPLY – pure and simple. Keep their species viable; alive and well. As long as you are alive, they are pretty happy feeding off of you.
These micro-organisms do all kinds of crazy things to stay alive. When conditions become unfavorable for their survival, for instance, some form spores. Spores are like time capsules full of DNA instructions and materials that – some day or century – when conditions once again become favorable to grow, multiply, and flourish, they will spring back to life. Presto!
Just count the 
You may have been extra careful washing your hands after hanging over the commode, puking your guts out, but now? How about after a round of diarrhea? Of course 
we get well! If the “stomach flu” is racing through your family or through your child’s classroom, it’s because of germ-filled poopy hands touching things. Those things get touched by those who, n
Well, how are we supposed to wash our hands you ask? I was waiting for that question. Let me cut and paste a segment from my up-coming book about tips for home caregivers of loved ones:
Scouring the house with Clorox wipes is helpful, but proper hand washing and not touching our faces will go a long ways in avoiding not becoming the next victim and in not spreading the bad news around to others.
Forget the New Year’s party hats. Where’s the chicken soup?
In a saucepan, assemble:
Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, and lemon slices in butter and olive oil until onions are translucent.
There is nothing like Mama’s TLC and chicken soup, to be sure, but this comes in at a close second- especially if you are the source of your own TLC!
stomach that just ingested a bit of the divine … that is … a spoonful of Coconut Ganache.
For my one post this Holiday Season, let me share this little bit of Heaven. It will challenge you to dish out this goodness with all you meet. Spread the love and possibly heal a past hurt by sharing the healing “salve” of Coconut Ganache!
those muscles and joints feeling? Headaches again? Unhappy belly? More bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea?
g that is going to cause a bad reaction.
how I had ramped up oatmeal’s “goodness” factor by adding chia seeds and coconut oil. I created another oatmeal recipe by adding collagen hydrolysate and coconut oil. Ramped-up protein and brain healthy fat! What could be better?
husband’s room (he is confined to a hospital bed at home). On top of that, I am currently writing another book, “Caregiver’s Handbook for Caring for the Bedridden,” which requires more sitting at the computer. Efforts to go to the gym once or twice a week are being met, along with home stretches to break up sitting sessions, and almost daily planks.
Everything from my waist down hurt. Heels first. Then hips. Then legs. Is it possible to get that old so fast? Is this my life forever?
l.
different things. As my beloved continues to slumber more than 15 hours a day now, it would be easy for me to just ‘spin in place’ as I watch his winding down. The three rounds of planks that energized me on Tuesday, are just not motivating me today. My yoga mat is not calling to me.
oncept instead.
The first step is to smash-up some watermelon.
Having made this three times this week, my salad contents have varied with the addition of leftover sautéed okra, avocado, mango, blueberries, steamed broccoli, and of course that chicken.
gulping in fresh air before taking another dive? That’s me, too! Taking vacations can definitely help, but we need to “breathe” more often than that.
ly! Yikes!
In my case as a 24/7 caregiver, just getting away several times a week has helped – but only so much. Solo trips to the gym or walks around the waterfront answered only a part of my needs.
t has its place. Usually in group conversation, however, the talk bounces around; others throw thoughts into the mix, and more diverse news is shared.
week-check
appreciate its full brilliance.