I’ve always loved the woods. As a child it was a mix of scary, freedom and wonder. Today it is much less scary to me, but I still feel a sense of freedom and wonder like nowhere else. It’s no surprise then when I came upon an interview with Diana Beresford Kroeger, botanist, scientist, extraordinaire, that I was captivated by all she had to say. The tone of her voice told me immediately that her work wasn’t limited to science, it was a passion and a labor of love and respect for all that Nature is.
Diana Beresford Kroeger
This is the text of her interview:
“ I'm going to take you into the forest to do a forest bathe. To do forest bathing. This can happen in Seattle. It can happen on the west coast. It can happen on the east coast. It can happen in China. It can happen oh most especially in Japan. It can happen in Ireland.
Now, what you do, let us use a rule of thumb. What you do when you go into the forest is you seek out, wherever you are, you seek out the Evergreen. And it would be the Evergreen needled trees. So, they would be probably of the Pine, Pinaceae family. So, you would go in and find these needled trees.
And I'm asking you to walk very slowly around these trees and find the tallest and the best that you can, and lollygag. Just take it easy on yourself. Just maybe be by yourself. Maybe have some friends with you, a husband, some of your family, it doesn't really matter.
You go in, and slow down. You straighten up your shoulders and you hold your head high. And in that form of breathing you'll get breath going into the lower regions of your lungs which is very important to do a cleansing in there. So you breathe in the chemistry from the plants that are the Evergreens around you. And what you will get from those trees you will have alpha and beta pining going into your system.
The alpha and the beta pining are fat soluble chemicals that are aerosols. They float in the air and they are released from the trees at temperatures above 70-degrees. The greater the temperature listing 70, 80, into maybe 90, the more chemistry, the more smell, the more fragrance you will get through your nose and through your mouth. And it dissolves into your body because they are in an aerosol form, a lacto form that can be connected up into the body and latched into your immune system.
And in your immune system there is an immune identifier for this particular chemistry. Another chemical that comes in with it is called limonene. Limonene is an ability to have like wings on a chemical and comes into your body too. So alpha and beta pining will boost your immune system. Will give your immune system a 30 day full boost for a 15 minute walk under these trees.”
Give It a Try?
I hope you do. Whether it’s Covid19, flu, the common cold or a lingering immune-challenging illness, it’s worth it to spend time with the majestic white pine. And if you do here on the East Coast, you might just find me in the forest behind the Wheelock School, or at Rocky Woods, or Blue Hills, or any of the beautiful forests nearby. And please share your experience with me.
Upcoming Event
Spring Cleanse begins April 18, 2020. Follow the prompts.