Forests are an important factor in today’s world as they not only provide a getaway from our mundane lives but also play an essential role in shaping our spiritual and mental being by providing an escape from the daily chores.
The term ‘spiritual’ is defined by social scientist and researcher, Herbert W. Schroeder, as the understanding of relations with another being. This relationship with the opponent transcends all our senses and provides us with a deeper understanding of life beyond our intellect.
This relationship is very subtle, and it does not take the form of any sort of religious connotation or the belief we hold for God. The purity and delicacy of this affection make it difficult to put into words.
We are not aware of our subconscious feelings, thoughts, and memories, which are a part of our conscious awareness, psyche, and our unconscious mind. Psychologists believe that it is our responsibility to explore our inner selves, comprehend our spirituality or instincts, and then release them into the wilderness.
The wildness of nature and the splendid symmetry of the forests help us reach our goal in life, which is to accomplish wholeness. The various kinds of wild patches of land, such as the rainforests and the wild greenery, help us realize our own spiritual being.
We find it challenging to comprehend the sense of admiration and spirituality in the urban environment, in contrast to the experience of immersing our inner thoughts and emotions in the untamed greenery.
Forests play an important role in understanding our deepest instincts, which we always try to subdue throughout the entire day. It allows us to create a path that brings to the fore our inner desires that we hold back because of the stressful lives we lead.
Forests provide us a peaceful mind where we are content with the present moment and the time we inhabit, where we can set aside our worrying thoughts for the future and all our distress and regrets about past activities.
It is a satisfying state of mind where we feel a very deep connection with nature and the bountiful it has to offer.
According to Richard Louv, the author of Last Child In The Woods, several diseases related to human beings that affect them both mentally and physically, such as ADHD, obesity, depression, and anxiety, are a result of this lost connection with the beauty and serenity of nature.
Recent studies have corroborated Mr. Louv’s claim, demonstrating that ‘horticulture therapy’ not only alleviates the symptoms of ADHD in children, but also positively impacts individuals suffering from depression and anxiety. A connection with the forests and exercising reduces stress hormones and cortisol.
Louv also suggests that we should engage in activities that take place in the midst of forests and greenery. We must plant trees in our local environment and witness their growth, which in turn will help reduce global warming.
The active part taken by the citizens in creating awareness about global warming and the need to plant trees will also let the government come up with measures for sustained life.
In mythology, there was a woodcutter named Erisichthon who once cut a sacred grove, which led to the death of a nymph who called the oak her home. Erisichthon was later punished by Demeter for his act.
He was cursed by Demeter with a miserable life and an unquenchable hunger for the rest of his life. To his misery, the villain sold his daughter for food, and later he took his own life in an attempt to devour his own body. With this mythological story, Schroeder puts forth the fact that we ourselves counter our own spirituality.
There are some serious effects that result when we miss any kind of relationship with the forests. We as human beings are complex, and there is always a need to satisfy our mental, physical, and spiritual health.
And this can only be done when we let ourselves free into the wild or when we picturize the natural beauty when we are exercising, as it has immense benefits both psychologically and physiologically.
So dedicate your life to forging a beneficial association with forests or any kind of green space available near you, and you can witness the transformations yourself.
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