Lockdown 55

Lockdown Day 55 - 20 May 2020

According to the Oxford Dictionary the meaning of the verb bathe, is to “wash or spend time by immersing the body in water”. In this era of wellness we frequently hear we should bathe in nature. Sunbathing has been part of human life from the beginning of time. And now, being in a  worldwide lockdown, there are hundreds of videos and memes about how to use the sun to prevent the spread of this abominable virus. Dry your washing in the sun, put your mask and shoes in the sun, sit in the sun for at least 30 minutes for a dose of vitamin D which, according to new research, proves to be a Covid killer. 

After seeing the sunrise again this morning, I thought about how, pre-lockdown, the world was already more tuned in to natural ways of healing and restoration, homeopathic remedies and holistic approach to health in general. 

One self-care practise particularly interests me. It is called forest bathing. With its origin in Japan, it is a practise regularly prescribed by doctors for many patients in need of alternative treatment. It involves the patient's immersion in a green forest with trees (imagine beating Covid19 with a walk in the park!) . The benefits include mood improvement, lowers cortisol and depression, and the aromatic substances produced by plants and trees can be linked with lowering inflammation and protecting the brain. Oh wow, this is my language. I once heard that even autistic people seek this kind of therapy to ease anxiety and improve attitude. 

For me, seeing the green triggers my happy hormones; its as if I open a door for my mind to access those less visited corners that I rarely have time to explore; as if all creation utters a deep sigh of gratitude, looking to its Creator. 

So tonight I breathe in the oxygen of Truth. And lay my hopes and dreams at the feet of the God who's got this. 

I leave you with a song that says it all:

https://youtu.be/IbUAtPI8vGU