When in the forest we breathe in volatile substances, called phytoncides (wood essential oils), which are antimicrobial volatile organic compounds derived from trees; listen to the wind in the branches, birds and streams if nearby. All things which are calming… We move with gentle purpose, soaking up the living energy. It is a form of meditation in which we unknowingly participate. In Japan there are now 44 accredited Shinrin Yoku forests. I love this idea.
I thought the earth remembered me, she
took me back so tenderly, arranging
her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds. I slept
as never before, a stone
on the riverbed, nothing
between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated
light as moths among the branches
of the perfect trees. All night
I heard the small kingdoms breathing
around me, the insects, and the birds
who do their work in the darkness. All night
I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling
with a luminous doom. By morning
I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better.
-Mary Oliver
