Bush Therapy in the Rain - A Personal New Year’s Experience
Forest bathing, or bush therapy as we call it, is magical in the rain. When the weather does not turn it on for you with sunshine and breeze, but instead rain and clouds, do not be perturbed. One of the best bush therapy experiences either of us have had was in the rain this New Year’s Day.
The sensory experience alone was therapeutic. While the birds grow silent the trees do not. I don’t just mean the literal sound of trees, they also speak volumes with the depth of colour they offer, so many shades of green, brown, red, yellow. The sound of the rain as it falls on trees, hits the ground, hearing the creeks grow stronger and beat down off of the rocks splashing into the pools below. The smell, so tantalising and indescribable, think wet rainforest but better. Many of the plants releasing more interesting and unique scents than what I ever recall experiencing. The child-like sensation of not caring how wet you get and enjoying the sensation of the rain dripping onto your skin, feeling light and not at all heavy and sodden. Everything about this experience kept me in the present and able to engage in the process of letting go with ease.
It is no wonder that people fall asleep to sounds of nature such as rain falling and rivers running. The relaxation and positive mindset from the combination of all of these natural experiences is a welcomed experience for anyone. Emerging from the trail feeling washed anew, I could not imagine a better way to start the new year.
As we prepare to start setting up bush therapy opportunities to share with you, I felt it important to share with you the power of the rain as part of one of these experiences. The uncontrollable force of nature, weather, something we cannot change will likely not always be sunshine when we commence our offerings. But rest assured that does not mean we wouldn’t still go ahead to offer you this same powerful experience we both enjoyed ourselves.
Notes:
The smell of rain - petichor - give it a google for more descriptors.
There are many scientifically identified beneficial outcomes physiologically and psychologically of the sensory experience of nature. Including decreased pain, lower stress, improved mood, and enhanced cognitive performance. While this makes sense just generally, you don’t have to take my word for it, some of you may need further convincing, and a quick google scholar search of meta-analysis/systematic reviews will highlight all the evidence you need.
Not sure what bush therapy is? Don’t worry, more information coming soon and we will answer all of your questions. Forest bathing (bush therapy - our version) traditionally known as Shinrin-Yoku also has many psychological benefits (scientific studies also supporting this) and we can’t wait to share this with you.
