06 Jan SHIN-RIN YOKU might be the direct opposite of floatation therapy
Shir-rin yoku is forest bathing, very different but similar to salt water “bathing” in a float tank. Let us explain. Shir-rin yoku is the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in a natural environment and engaging the senses to fully experience one’s surroundings as further explained by psychologist Mark Travers in this past weeks Forbes article. Where as floatation therapy is immersing onself in a pool of salt water disengaging and withdrawling from the five senses to become more fully aware of your internal surroundings! More on this later.
At the Philadeplphia flower show this great little nugget of information about forest bathing was displayed along one of the natural paths. We stopped our inner city forest bathing, as the show was outside and creates a rich magical environment designed my artists and landscapers, to take a photo of the information bulletin and even made an instragram reel for the Tao page we loved it so much:
TWO HOURS a week are all that is needed to relax and de-stress through forest bathing, which privides real health benefits, according to numerous studies. With the average American spending 93% ot their time indoors (according to the Environmental Protection Agency), it is now more improtant than ever to bridge the gap between humans and the natural world
AUTHENTICTY: a NATURE and NATURAL CONNECTION
One of these studies is mentienod in the Forbes article from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology examined how spending time in nature also enhances one’s ability to live an authentic life. Did you know that AUTHENTICITY can be measured using physics? Have you seen Gary Breka talk about the law of attraction using SPANE (Scale of Positive And Negative Emotion) to measure the frequency of authenticity leaving a huimans body; authenticity is four times more powerful than love! So how does forest bathing affect our authenticity? Research found that there is a direct link with SELF ESTEEM and AUTHENTICITY: “Self-esteem or having a positive appraisal of ourselves allows us to experience self-acceptance and validation, fostering greater authenticity.” And self esteem is by nature.
Research also found is that nature enhances is autonomy, encourages mindfulness and boosts positive emotions. The conclusion of course sums it up nicely: “The positive emotional effects of being in nature create an environment that supports self-reflection, genuine self-connection and authentic living.”
Let’s bring it back to floatation therapy just for some comparison. If people were surveyed about what being in nature does for them and if they are not able to eloquently identify return of self esteen, autonomy, mindfulness and feeling more positive as the research shows, they might say that unplugging makes them feel more alive, grounded, in control, and they forgot about their worries for the time there were more connected to themselves in nature. While floating is a withdrawl from the senses, it allows for internal exploration where you are able to gain deeper connectedness to oneself; a return to a more natural version of oneself as once feeling more connected in the womb – a more relaxed natural state of being and origin. We dont know about you, but we see the connection! Basically ANYTHING that returns us to our natural state of BEing helps us live a more fulfilling and authentic life.
How and when do you feel and return to a more relaxed natural state for yourself? WE LOVE starting at TAO under the deep pressure of a massage that calms our nervous system, or one of the relaxation and calming exercises from out graphic above, or using the HEAT and WARMTH of the sauna to increase our circulation which in turn soothes our internal systems!
Book a MASSAGE, FLOAT, HEAT sauna service or SKINCARE all of which are VERY relxaing.