Rain Walk in the Forest

At the end of our street (3 houses down) is the Heritage Forest, a 55 acre parcel of old growth forest land around a huge ravine, a property that was saved from development by concerned townspeople a few years ago. Many different tree species are to be found within, including some very old Douglas Firs that are well over 700 years old, huge and wide. It is a magical place and one of the major reasons we moved to this house and this neighborhood. When I walk through, breathing that amazing air, I feel myself changing and I always leave with a different attitude than when I enter. Healthier.

Over time I have become very aware of what I call the "imaginary conversations" that people, including myself, indulge in. Indulge is not really the right word perhaps - it's more like falling into a downward spiral of negativity. Imaginary conversations could be things like replaying in the mind a difficult conversation you have had sometime over and over. Or, thinking of what you should have said and then going back over an entire changed conversation. Or, planning what you might say next time and imagining how that conversation would go. Pretending you know what is in another's thoughts. It's really not a good idea, upsets peace of mind and whenever I catch myself talking to somebody entirely in my own head, I try nip it in the bud, distracting myself towards something more positive. Still, sometimes when I'm particularly upset about something, like I am now, just telling myself to knock it off is not enough. It needs heavier artillery. That's when I visit the forest.

For the first 5 or 10 minutes along the pathways I distract myself from these thoughts by playing little games like how many Douglas Firs can I spot, how many yellow ferns, how many slugs on the path, how many burnt tree trunks from long ago forest fires, how many mushrooms have popped up since last time. I don't actually count anything, it is more about creating categories for seeing, to observe, pay attention and focus. To stop the internal noise and absorb, along with the amazing air, the (fill in the adjective-words fail) forest in all its changing glory. It doesn't take long to change through this walking meditation. It works like a charm. Attitude adjustment.

Some say that there is a particular chemistry in old growth forest that has physiological effects on humans as they breath the air, itself filled with the breathing of these huge giants. The Japanese have a name for it - shinrin-yoku, wood-air bathing. Chemical compounds in the forest air from soil bacteria, fungi and the trees themselves have effects on humans that are certainly acknowledged by anecdotal reports but not entirely understood yet. Some studies of shinrin-yoku have shown that forest breathing reduces stress and, not coincidentally I would think, blood pressure and blood sugar levels in diabetics. Botanist Joan Maloof has written a charming book about all this, Teaching the Trees, questioning what we may be losing as our old growth woods recede across this planet humans are ravaging so well.

Yesterday was gray and drizzly, and this weather is expected to continue for awhile. Our fantastic sunny, dry September/October weather is over. Not to worry, I love it. I pulled my raincoat hood over my head and away I went. The cloudy day in the forest was an entirely different place from those sunny days when streaks of dappled sunshine change the colors, the shades and textures of the forest. This time, in the rain, contrasts were more intense. Dark patterns of the thick bark of the huge Douglas Firs stand out against the paler smoother more vertical bark of the cedars. A pop of yellow where a deciduous bush has turned color in the autumn appears against the calm forest colors like spotlights. Many different types of mushrooms were newly appearing in only a matter of days from the previous dryness where it seemed there was nothing. The ferns are now all shades of green, yellow and brown as they shift and change with the seasons.

I found a cluster of striking deep orange-brown mushrooms growing on top of an old tree stump that stopped me in my tracks. I didn't have my camera - this never happens - but for some unknown reason I had made a conscious decision to leave it behind and just look on this walk. Silly me. I wanted the shot but had to kept walking without, until I realized I had a phone in my pocket and therefore a camera. I pulled it out and spent a good 5 minutes on the path in front of the stump trying to figure out how to take a picture on this fancy pants cell phone I hate so much. I'm not making this up. (Cue howls of laughter).

Eventually I gave up, went back to the house to collect my camera, and returned to the scene with my trusty Canon and, after hanging out this day in the forest,  a much improved mood.

Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die - Buddha
When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping walking - Me

P.S. Just heard a news item on the radio. Three guys were walking in the woods in Saanich with their dogs when all of a sudden there was a crashing sound around them. A big tree fell over, knocking one man unconscious and injuring a second. Oh.