Nature is Your Mindfulness Guide

Modern life has taken most of us away from the natural world. We spend more of our time indoors, using devices and screens to entertain, prompt and run our lives. We’ve put together a Mindfulness Guide to get close to nature and get some extraordinary health benefits in the bargain.

When you get to the Tranquil Otter, step outside from your lodge and bathe in nature.

Forest Bathe

The Japanese first coined the phrase, “forest bath” or shinrin-yoku in Japanese. Take in, or bathe in the sound of the birds and wildlife in the forest, the clean air, the smell of the trees and the way the sunlight dances through the leaves. The impact on our senses all work together to give us a feeling of well-being. A walk-through woodland area has been found to ease stress, help us relax and focus more clearly.

Mindfulness Guide around the Lough

Take these three helpful steps when you next walk around the Lough, whether it’s for five or fifteen minutes, you’re sure to improve your well-being.

Step 1: Turn off your phone

Forget about the bustling life you left at home.

Step 2: Stand still, let your mind wander – what can you hear?

The sounds of birdsong and the brushing of leaves can boost your mood and cognitive function.

Step 3: Move slowly to bring all your senses into play

Touching trees can induce relaxation, new research shows that the sight of trees allows the parasympathetic nervous system to gain an edge, calming the entire body and making us more relaxed.

Take long and deep breaths. – can you distinguish between the scent of the trees and grasses?

Stop, sit down, or stand. Think about what you can feel and see.

Other ways to retreat in our woodlands

Why not choose a spot in the woods or by the Lough near your lodge and try some yoga?

Read about places to Forest Bathe in Cumbria here.