All of us, at some point in our lives, have experienced the wonderful feeling of hugging a tree. It is a primordial instinct that we feel very strong especially from children, even if with age, the need to let ourselves go to this spontaneous union with nature is waning more and more. In modern society hugging trees is considered a typical action of children or environmentalists, and not something natural and perfectly acceptable.
If you also think that the act of embracing trees is childish, perhaps you do not know that this practice, can actually improve our health. To be honest, you do not even have to embrace a tree to see the many benefits that come from it, you just need to be surrounded by trees and plants in general.
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Hugging the trees, a natural medicine
In a book published by the author Matthew Silverstone entitled “Blinded By Science”, numerous tests are cited that confirm the benefits to our health from trees and that include, among others, their positive influence in the treatment of depression, in improving levels. of concentration and in the ability to relieve migraines.
This practice has been going on since ancient times, so it is not at all a new discovery, but rather a scientific confirmation of what we had already experienced in the first person.
The book cites a wide variety of studies showing that children experience enormous psychological and physiological positive changes, in terms of mental health and well-being, when they interact regularly with plants and trees.
A public health study investigating the association between green life and mental health concluded that “access to nature can contribute significantly to our mental and physical well-being”.
A further study showed the effectiveness of nature in relieving symptoms of depression, and also in improving attention and working memory. On the other hand, we have already talked about how to meditate in nature further amplifies the benefits of meditation by accentuating its effectiveness. Perhaps because returning to our origins and reconnecting with what surrounds us is precisely what we need in this world.
Silverstone, however, argues that these health benefits have nothing to do with nature in general, but would scientifically demonstrate how the vibrational properties of trees and plants have direct effects on our health.
How do the vibrations of plants influence us?
Everything in the world vibrates, everything around us is literally vibration. Various vibrations affect biological behavior, and it is precisely the reason why we recite a mantra to improve our concentration. Consequently, when one touches a tree or is in its vicinity, its different vibrational pattern will affect the biological mechanisms within our body.
Imagine if doctors could prescribe an hour a day in a forest instead of a lot of drugs with different side effects!
This method may seem too good to be true, but basically, what do you have to lose? It is worth trying, perhaps beginning to integrate the practice of hugging trees with other more common treatments.
In Japan, people regularly practice silviculture through the “forest bath”, a practice that simply involves spending time in the woods absorbing the wisdom of ancient forests, taking long walks through the trees to stimulate the immune system.
In Taoism, students are encouraged to meditate among the trees because it is believed that these absorb negative energies, replacing them with healthy ones. Trees are considered a source of emotional and physical healing, absorbing and conserving all the energy of the cosmos.
What can we start to do
- Bring some seedlings to your office or to the place where you spend most of your day.
- When you go out for walks, choose the paths in the green, even better if they cross a forest or a large park.
- Bring your friends and family more often to green and tree-filled areas.
- Start taking care of a small vegetable garden in the garden or on the balcony of your home, devoting some of your time to it every day.
- Plant a tree in your backyard, or in the forest closest to your home.
- Take the habit of hugging a tree from time to time. Do not be afraid, treat it like a friend!
