I don't know about you, but I really miss hugs (and concerts, sporting events and carefree living in general, if I'm being honest).  The pandemic has made it really difficult to connect with people outside of our own bubble. I miss the smiles that are now hidden under our masks. While I understand and fully endorse/appreciate the importance of these health safety measures, I can't help but notice how disconnected we all are these days. Fortunately, I have two solutions:

1. Hug a tree
Hugging trees is not just for hippies! When we give a hug, we get a boost in oxytocin and dopamine, our connection and feel-good hormones. It doesn't matter whether it's another human or a tree. Feeling shy? You can improve your health by simply immersing yourself in the forest atmosphere. All you have to do is breathe. Trees emit phytoncides, a volatile organic compound that protects them from disease and parasites. When humans breathe in these tree aerosols, it boosts our natural killer or NK cells, a type of white blood cell that helps boost immunity and fight disease. How cool is that?!

There's also a beautiful element of reciprocity regarding our relationship to trees and plants. We breathe in the oxygen the trees emit, then we exhale the carbon dioxide that the trees need. Just being in the forest and breathing creates a mutually beneficial relationship. 

2. Go on a forest bathing walk
Sometimes you have to disconnect to reconnect. I truly believe that the great outdoors are the saving grace of this pandemic. Nature helps improve mental and physical health - there's heaps of research to back this up. If you're craving community, join one of our public walks. We'll put down our phones, tune into nature, and bear witness to each other's unique experience. This group walk includes opportunities to discuss what we're noticing and culminates in a tea ceremony - socially distanced, of course. We'll sit down and share a cup of tea together and continue the conversation. Throughout this experience, we are connecting not only to the land, but to each other and ourselves.

Remotely guided or virtual walks offer the same components as an in-person experience, but provide the opportunity to connect with the global community. These walks are conducted via Zoom, but the idea is to wander in your own yard or a local park. This is a great activity for families and friends who are separated geographically to connect through a shared experience. Learn more about our virtual and in-person experiences. 

Tree hugs and kisses!
xoxo Kelly

About the Author
Kelly Bruce is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide/Trail Consultant and the founder of Natural Wanders. She leads forest bathing and nature therapy walks in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Subscribe to her e-newsletter for more inspiration from nature and to learn about upcoming walks, workshops and retreats. Each Wednesday, she’ll provide inspiration to help you wander into wellness, naturally. In the meantime, follow along on Instagram and Facebook. 
Photography by @zailaffitte. 

These days, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Many factors are beyond our control, but nature offers us an abundance of gifts that are free and can be found right outside your door. They not only provide comfort and peace of mind, they also improve overall wellness and help to boost our immunity. While there’s no magic pill or quick fix, Vitamin N(ature) is a very powerful resource with a variety of benefits.

During this time of isolation and social distancing, many are turning to technology and increasing screen time, binge-watching to pass the time, or worse, scrolling mindlessly through social media which often elevates anxiety and spreads misinformation. A recent study conducted by psychiatric unit researchers revealed that time in nature reduces feelings of isolation, promotes calm, and lifts patients’ mood. As the pandemic hits an all-time high in the U.S., grant yourself permission to be still. Take this time to turn inward and reconnect to yourself, to the earth.

Put down the phone, turn off the TV and tune into nature. 

There are two things we can do that will pay dividends in strengthening our immune systems: reduce stress and get ample sleep. An abundance of scientific research indicates that being in nature helps lower blood pressure and stress hormones, reduces nervous system hyperactivity, enhances immune system function, increases self-esteem, reduces anxiety and improves overall mood. Spending time in nature deeply enhances wellbeing, creativity, happiness; it also provides tremendous immune-boosting qualities like reducing anxiety and increasing sleep duration.

Trees and plants offer incredible healing properties. In fact, they produce volatile organic compounds called phytoncides, their natural defense against disease, bacteria and parasites. We reap the rewards when we breathe in these organic compounds, which boost our natural killer (NK) cells – a type of white blood cell that helps boost immunity. 

Our bodies also need adequate Vitamin D to produce the antimicrobial proteins that kill viruses and bacteria. We produce it naturally when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate our skin, initiating a chain reaction converting a form of cholesterol into Vitamin D. By spending time outside, we soak up the sunshine and produce more Vitamin D which could help lower our risk for respiratory illness.

Next week, I’ll provide you with a sensory meditation to do outside or near a window to help improve overall wellbeing.

About the Author
Kelly Bruce is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide/Trail Consultant and the founder of Natural Wanders. She leads forest bathing and nature therapy walks in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Subscribe to her e-newsletter for more inspiration from nature and to learn about upcoming walks, workshops and retreats. Each Wednesday, she’ll provide inspiration to help you wander into wellness, naturally. In the meantime, follow along on Instagram and Facebook.

Most people hike with a destination or fitness goal in mind. But tell me, when was the last time you wandered around in the woods without an agenda? Were you truly present in the moment? Or were you thinking about your ‘To Do List’ or getting your heart rate up?

Nature has incredible healing benefits. I think most of us inherently know that nature is good for us, but there’s an abundance of scientific research proving that spending time in nature is good for our body and mind.

For example, trees produce organic compounds called phytoncides, a natural defense against disease and parasites. We reap the rewards when we inhale these compounds which boost our natural killer (NK) cells, helping to prevent and fight illness and disease. Simply going into the woods and spending 30 minutes breathing in the forest air will help boost your immune system!

​As a certified nature and forest therapy guide, I help people make the most of their time outside. Although nature and forest therapy is inspired by Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese art of "forest bathing," my practice refers to spending time in nature in a way that invites healing for both us, our fraught ecosystems and our community.

Let me be clear: The forest is the therapist. As a forest therapy guide, I simply open the door, providing opportunities for you to wander into wellness. The practice of nature and forest therapy emphasizes the physical and mental health benefits of spending time in a forest or natural environment. And indeed, it is a practice. Much like yoga or meditation, the more often you do it, the deeper your practice will become.
It's amazing what nature reveals when we give ourselves permission to slow down, quiet our minds and awaken our senses.

About the Author
Kelly Bruce is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide/Trail Consultant and the founder of Natural Wanders. She leads forest bathing and nature therapy walks in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Subscribe to her e-newsletter for more inspiration from nature and to learn about upcoming walks, workshops and retreats. Each Wednesday, she’ll provide inspiration to help you wander into wellness, naturally. In the meantime, follow along on Instagram and Facebook. Photography by @zailaffitte.

​This article was originally featured in The Drift, the official quarterly publication of the North Carolina Council of Trout Unlimited. Read the online edition here.

These are unprecedented times. 

My first inclination was to get outside and fish. Hit the trails. Escape. Life still seems relatively normal in the woods and on the water. Then one by one, my favorite forests and parks began to close and it hit me: Perhaps this is the land, the rivers and streams pleading for a break. 

In fishing, we call it “resting a pool.” Our most popular fisheries receive heavy pressure particularly during high season. As worldly circumstances evolve, spring erupts and the fish spawn, I encourage you to continue to find solace in nature, but tread softly and do so mindfully. 

Clumsily I navigate this pandemic and feel more encouraged than ever to get outside and connect with nature. However, concern for the health of our community is forcing me to approach it differently. Instead of driving across town or a couple hours away, I’m getting my nature fix in my own backyard.

This morning when I walked outside, I instantly noticed that the air smelled heavenly. It was the sweet, pure mountain air I remembered from childhood when my family would drive from Florida to my grandmother’s house in North Carolina for summer vacation. When we exited the highway into the village of Flat Rock, we would roll down the windows and that familiar, comforting smell would ease my travel-weary mind. It signaled to me, “You’re in the mountains now.”

These days, I relish that scent in the mountain forests, but I haven’t had the pleasure of inhaling that soothing aroma at my home which sits off a busy road in Hendersonville. Without a doubt, decreased traffic is the culprit – and what an exquisite gift it is to breathe that fresh air on the steps of my porch.

Get More Vitamin N(ature)
Feeling overwhelmed and anxious has become the norm as this pandemic unfolds. Many factors are beyond our control, but these gifts from nature are free and they can be found at home. Not only do they provide comfort and peace of mind, they improve overall wellness and help to boost our immunity. While there’s no magic pill or quick fix, Vitamin N(ature) is a very powerful resource with a variety of benefits.

During this time of self-isolation and social distancing, many are turning to technology and increasing screen time to get their news, binge-watching to pass the time, or worse, scrolling mindlessly through social media which often elevates anxiety and spreads misinformation. Put down the phone, turn off the TV and tune into nature. 

A study on “Cultivating Recovery” published by Huibrie Pieters, et al. in the February 2019 issue of the Archives of Psychiatric Nursing revealed that time in nature reduces feelings of isolation, promotes calm, and lifts patients’ mood. As we quarantine ourselves, grant yourself permission to go outside and be still. Take this time to turn inward and reconnect to yourself, to the earth.

There are two critical things we can do to strengthen our immune systems: reduce stress and get ample sleep. An abundance of scientific research indicates that being in nature helps to: 

• lower blood pressure and stress hormones
• reduce nervous system hyperactivity
• enhance immune system function
• increase self-esteem
• reduce anxiety
• improve overall mood. 

​Spending time outdoors deeply enhances wellbeing, creativity and happiness. Nature provides tremendous immune-boosting qualities like reducing anxiety and increasing sleep duration, according to a study published in the September 2015 issue of Preventive Medicine, “Sleep Insufficiency and the Natural Environment” by Diana Grigsby-Toussaint, et al.

Need more incentive to go outside? Trees and plants offer incredible healing properties. In fact, they produce volatile organic compounds called phytoncides, their natural defense against disease, bacteria and parasites. We reap the rewards when we breathe in these organic compounds, which increases our natural killer (NK) cells – a type of white blood cell that helps boost immunity, according to a 2009 study on the “Effect of Phytoncide from Trees on Human Natural Killer Cell Function” by Dr. Qing Li, et al. published in the International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology.

Our bodies also need adequate Vitamin D to produce the antimicrobial proteins that kill viruses and bacteria. We produce it naturally when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate our skin, initiating a chain reaction converting a form of cholesterol into Vitamin D. By spending time outside, we soak up the sunshine and produce more Vitamin D which could help lower our risk for respiratory illness.

​Your Nature Prescription
Find a quiet place outside to sit and spend 30 minutes silently noticing the natural world around you. If you have some woods or a forest near your house, wonderful! However, you can reap the rewards of nature in your own backyard, on your porch or apartment balcony. Even gazing out the window at natural surroundings or the sky has healing, immune boosting qualities. As a last resort, viewing images of nature on your television, computer, or in the form of art sends pleasing messages to your brain, helping to calm the mind and reduce stress.

Begin by making yourself comfortable in a seated position. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Slowly scan your entire body from the crown of your head to the tips of your fingers and toes, noticing discomfort. Make any adjustments or stretch to bring relief. Try to relax tight muscles and unclench your jaw. Feel your feet rooted firmly on the ground and allow the earth to fully support you. Allow your lips to gently curl into a relaxed smile.

As we explore our many senses, allow yourself permission to tune into anything you find pleasurable. Just be with it. Acknowledge that any mechanical or man-made influences in juxtaposition to the natural world are also part of the experience. Smile and let them flow into one ear and out the other, focusing on the pleasing sensations from nature.

Pause for a couple minutes and notice how the sun and fresh air greets your skin. How does it feel? Clench your fists tightly for 10 seconds, then let go and release your grip. Relax your fingers and open your palms up, noticing the weight and humidity of the atmosphere, or perhaps a slight breeze. 

Take several rounds of deep, oxygen-rich breaths through your nose. Inhale for four seconds and exhale for four seconds. Tilt your head back and lift your nose to the sky, as if you’re a wolf or a bear catching a scent. What do you smell? Does it evoke an emotion or a memory?

Repeat that sequence of breaths, but this time, breathe through your mouth. What do you taste? As you continue to breathe deeply, consider the oxygen that the plants produce for you, and the carbon dioxide you return to them. 

Take several minutes to listen to the natural world that surrounds you, tuning in to the sounds you find pleasurable, like a radio. What’s the loudest sound? Spend a few minutes listening into the distance. What is the faintest sound?

Imagine your eyes are blossoms, getting ready to open for the first time. Now slowly open your eyes and observe the natural elements that surround you. See the world as if you’ve never seen it before. Spend a few moments gazing all around. What stands out?

Boost Your Immune System and Calm Your Mind, Naturally
Written by Kelly Bruce, Certified Forest Therapy Guide

As we navigate the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Many factors are beyond our control, but there are simple measures we can take that are free and can be done at home to improve overall wellness and boost immunity. While there’s no magic pill or quick fix, there’s something very powerful called Vitamin N(ature) and it offers a variety of benefits.

Reducing stress and getting ample sleep are imperative to preparing our immune systems to defend our health and fight whatever bugs are going around, from the common cold to the flu and coronavirus. An abundance of scientific research indicates that being in nature helps lower blood pressure and stress hormones, reduces nervous system hyperactivity, enhances immune system function, increases self-esteem, reduces anxiety and improves overall mood. Spending time in nature deeply enhances wellbeing, creativity, happiness; it also provides tremendous immune-boosting qualities like reducing anxiety and increasing sleep duration.

As we self-isolate to reduce our exposure and prevent the spread of viruses, many are turning to technology and increasing screen time, binge-watching to pass the time, or worse, scrolling mindlessly through social media which often elevates anxiety and spreads misinformation. A recent study conducted by psychiatric unit researchers revealed that time in nature reduces feelings of isolation, promotes calm, and lifts patients’ mood. Take this time to put down the phone, turn off the TV and tune into nature. 

Trees and plants offer incredible healing properties. In fact, they produce volatile organic compounds called phytoncides, their natural defense against disease, bacteria and parasites. We reap the rewards when we breathe in these organic compounds, which boost our natural killer (NK) cells – a type of white blood cell that helps boost immunity. 

Our bodies need adequate vitamin D to produce the antimicrobial proteins that kill viruses and bacteria. We produce it naturally when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate our skin, initiating a chain reaction converting a form of cholesterol into Vitamin D. By spending time outside, we soak up the sunshine and produce more Vitamin D which could help lower our risk for respiratory illness.

Your Nature Prescription
Ready for your daily dose of Vitamin N? Find a quiet place outside to sit and spend 30 minutes silently noticing the natural world around you. If you have some woods, a quiet park, or a forest near your house, wonderful! However, you can reap the rewards of nature in your own backyard, on your porch or apartment balcony. Gazing out the window at natural surroundings or the sky has healing, immune boosting qualities. As a last resort, viewing images of nature on your television, computer, or in the form of art sends pleasing messages to your brain, helping to calm the mind and reduce stress.

Begin by making yourself comfortable. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Slowly scan your entire body from the crown of your head to the tips of your fingers and toes, noticing any tension. Try to relax any tight muscles, unclench that jaw. Let go and release it. Feel the earth fully supporting you. As we explore our many senses, allow yourself permission to tune into anything you find pleasurable. Just be with it. Those that are in juxtaposition to the natural world are also part of the experience. Smile and let them flow into one ear and out the other, focusing on the pleasing sensations.

Notice how the sun and fresh air greet your skin. How does it feel? Take several deep, oxygen-rich breaths, inhaling for four seconds, and four seconds to exhale. Tilt your head back and inhale through your nose, as if you’re a wolf or a bear catching a scent. What do you smell and taste? 

Tune into the sounds of nature, like a radio. Take several minutes to listen for both the loudest and faintest sounds. What do you hear? 

Now slowly open your eyes and observe the natural elements that surround you. Take your time. What movement or colors stand out to you? What are you noticing? 

After you’ve completed this sensory meditation, continue to sit quietly and observe your surroundings. Journal your thoughts, or share them with a friend or loved one. Aim to spend 30 minutes outdoors each day. 

Kelly is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Subscribe to our e-newsletter for more inspiration from nature and to learn about upcoming forest bathing walks.