Oct 18, 2022, Tues — I’m so happy! It is Aspen Trail painting day two, and I can already tell this painting is putting me back in the groove. I was in the studio a full 5-hours today and I’ve got the relationship of colors established and can feel the mood already even with just one upper corner completed.
It’s such a spiritual feeling, being in a copse of trees. Total awe is the feeling, and for once, this is the right word. Being among them, in their world, under their influence, literally under their umbrella, you get pulled into their rhythms. They are such kind gentle beings. So welcoming. The connection I have to them feels hard-wired directly to my root chakra, my heart and my pituitary gland.
Forest Medicine
Dr. Qing Li of Japan, calls the healing properties of trees “forest medicine”. He’s shown that spending time in a forest lowers blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of harmful hormones like cortisol which your body produces when it’s stressed. You will sleep better too, and it’s not just from the exercise you got walking. Dr. Qing Li’s book is called Forest Bathing. Here’s a great article on his work.
Li’s research doesn’t surprise me. I’ve felt the connection with trees starting in childhood, especially when they are part of a natural forest environment. (Some native “house” trees are very powerful, too.) They ground me, open my heart, and activate my brain in ways we don’t usually experience in our sensory overload world. Being quiet in the woods, I become more introspective and whole-system thinking. If you are problem solving, or feeling stuck, go to the trees and sit with them. They are such big thinkers. They are the wise ones.
In conclusion, we are concluding Aspen Trail painting day two. I hope you sleep well just from reading about forest medicine. And speaking of trees, I invite you to sign up for the art giveaway, Aspen Sky!
Bad news! There are not enough transition words. Consequently, I’m going to write some. Because I want the little man happy. As a result, we will all get to go to bed, finally. Above all, don’t you wonder how many more I need? Undoubtedly, you do! Yay, that’s a wrap! Consequently speaking… haha
