As our climate changes and visitor numbers climb, Devil's Lake State Park's bluff trails see…
Recently around the house, we’ve been talking about forest bathing. Growing scientific evidence is showing that there are many benefits both physically and psychologically to immersing yourself in nature. (See the articles listed below.) To get the benefits of forest bathing you want to be in the moment, immersing your senses in the sights and sounds of nature. But that had me wondering, does it have to be summer to forest bathe? Do you even need to be in a forest?
You Can Forest Bathe in Winter
It doesn’t need to be summer and you don’t need to be in a forest. (You do want to get away from the traffic noise!) The point of the forest bathing is relaxation through immersion with the natural world around you while allowing your mind to focus on the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. You may think of it as simply meditation in a natural environment. And with a growing list of benefits including increased happiness, reduced stress, improved immunity, lower blood pressure and more, it would be silly to limit your forest bathing to summer. In fact, if you’re like me, in the winter you could use even more of that increased happiness during these long dark months!
To get you started you might want to join the Devil’s Lake State Park naturalist on Saturday, November 23rd and give it a try from 10 am to 12 pm. She will meet everyone on Devil’s Lake’s north shore at the East Bluff Trailhead and head out from there.
Snow Smells Like Less
Oh yes and about the scent of snow…
(Sorry, it was the whole forest bathing, smells of nature, the scent of snow stream of consciousness thing…)
A lot of folks believe that they can smell snow, me included. I can always tell when it’s about to snow by the scent in the air. Well, I thought I could. Apparently what the science says is that snow really doesn’t have a smell. Maybe there are some chemicals in there that have a scent, but not much. It seems that when we’re ‘smelling’ snow, were actually smelling less of everything else. Cold weather slows down molecules in the air, and with less molecular activity, most smells aren’t as strong as they would be otherwise. So when we’re smelling snow, we’re just smelling less of everything else. Now there’s something to meditate on…
Ref
Why Forest Bathing Is Good for Your Health – UC Berkeley
Forest Bathing, Nature Time Are Hot Health Advice – WEBMD,
‘Forest Bathing’ Really May Be Good For Health, Study Finds – Forbes
The Benefits of Forest Bathing – Forest Holidays
‘Forest Bathing’ Is Great for Your Health. Here’s How to Do It – Time
Podcast: Physics and the Smell of Snow – Physics Central
Why does cold air smell different? – Indianapolis Children’s Museum
What’s Really Happening When You “Smell” Snow – Mentalfloss
For nearly 2 decades the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.
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