10.2.20
A few weeks ago, a friend surprised me with the book, Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li. I didn’t know what to make of the book when I opened the package and stared at the cover. My friend, a fellow independent school administrator and a self-anointed city girl, wrote in the accompanying note that the book was transformative for her. She never imagined that she would find herself barefoot, and touching tree trunks. “Alas, it is what keeps me sane.”
In Japan, there is a practice called shinrin-yoku, which translates to forest and bath. With forest bathing, health and happiness are promoted by trees. Forest bathing involves taking in the forest through our five senses, and simply requires being present in nature.
It has been a long time since I allowed myself to be outside and aware of the sounds, sights, smells, textures, and tastes around me. The author's reflections of his childhood brought back memories of my own and my experiences in the woods that surrounded my neighborhood. My friends and I stayed there for hours. Crunching leaves under our feet. Sticking our tongues out to catch drops of rain. Futile efforts to climb trees. Using sticks to poke at the caterpillars or decaying animals.
At a time when there is so much noise filling our heads, stress wearing on our bodies, and sadness in our hearts, we need to be rejuvenated and reacquainted with the Divine. With the changing of the seasons, the cooler weather, and the falling leaves, our senses invite us to do what heals us.
In Peace and Partnership,
Angela
Located in College Park, MD, Friends Community School is a progressive Quaker K-8 day school, founded on the belief that every child is a valued member of our community. We offer a challenging curriculum imbued with strong values of equality, integrity, community, environmental stewardship, simplicity and peaceful conflict resolution, rooted in our Quaker heritage.
Friends Community School
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100
