When Your Body, Mind, and Spirit are Calling for Restoration and Healing, its Time to Reconnect with Nature, with Author Julia Plevin EP: 24
The Japanese practice of \u201cshinrin-yoku\u201d literally means \u2018forest bathing.\u2019 Essentially, it\u2019s about reconnecting with nature in a deep, personal, primal, visceral way. It\u2019s about re-engaging with nature as the living entity it is, as opposed to taking it for granted and using it for our purposes.
Julia started The Forest Bathing Club in the San Francisco Bay area after returning to California following design school in NYC. Having spent so much time in a big city, she realized her soul was calling out for it; she had lost her way of \u2018being\u2019 in nature and needed a reawakening. The mental and physical effects of being so disconnected were very real for her and had to be addressed.
As a designer, innovation strategist, and futurist, Julia experienced a sense of what Environmental Philosopher, Glenn Albrecht, called Solastalgia: Existential distress caused by environmental change\u2026 often embodied in a sense of powerlessness or uncertainty. Julia said what she had learned about who she was and the work she was doing didn\u2019t feel true to her anymore.
\u201cNature is innovation,\u201d she explains to Laura. \u201cWe need to remember it\u2026 remember it\u2019s already here. The Original Instructions are hidden in plain sight\u2026 we simply have to tap into them.\u201d They include asking for permission, engaging in reciprocity rather than \u2018doing to\u2026\u2019
She encourages others to consider the Earth as a person we are in relationship with, and as with any healthy relationship, we need to spend time together, accept one another as each is, offer and receive gifts, and spend time in conversation\u2026 not just speaking, but also actively, deeply listening. We need to revisit and reclaim our individual relationships with nature.
\u201cIf you watch kids, they have a way of being in nature\u2026 they do it intuitively, inhabiting their animal body,\u201d she explains. They experience awe and are energetic and appreciative of what they discover in nature; we need to experience that and allow it to seep into our bones, our bodies, our very being. This practice can help us uncover the limiting beliefs that keep us small and remind us of our true nature, our true power.
If we allow ourselves to be fully present in our world, we will notice that whatever is in bloom will grow to its fullest potential with no fear, insecurity, worry about what other flowers, trees, bushes, etc., are doing around them. It\u2019s not a competition. There\u2019s room for all of us to be in full bloom.
Julia shares some insight about the medicine wheel, in which each point on a compass is a phase or cycle of our growth, experience, wisdom, and engaging in the world in various roles. \u201cUnfortunately,\u201d she says, \u201cwe become \u2018olders\u2019 not elders. We need the full circle \u2013 youth brings energy and elders bring wisdom.\u201d But to offer that wisdom we need to be open, connected, engaged, learning, growing, and understanding\u2026 not simply taking up space.
Laura and Julia wind down the conversation with a brief discussion of the transformation process as observed in butterflies \u2013 from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. In the chrysalis stage, the process is governed by \u201cimaginal cells\u201d which having the knowing of the new form coming into being. Perhaps the kindred spirits we meet along our journey are like imaginal cells in our lives, there for a reason to help us as we are becoming the next best version of ourselves.
If you\u2019re interested in learning more about Julia\u2019s work and the Forest Bathing Club, check out these links:
Julia\u2019s Work
The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing \u2013 Julia\u2019s Book
Psychology of Place
Julia\u2019s Bio
Julia Plevin is a nature connection guide and author. As the founder of the Forest Bathing Club, she has more than a decade of experience guiding individuals and groups of people into the forest, where the practice of shinrin-yoku helps calm the mind and create space for wellness and prosperity.
Julia taps into the power of Nature to design transformative healing experiences. Through studies with Shamanic Reiki masters, Shugendo Buddhist monks, Mayan elders, Bhakti yogis, and Renewal rabbis, she has developed a unique program that both respects and transcends tradition and brings us back into direct connection with Source. Having healed herself from a decade-long saga of chronic illness through connection to Nature, Julia believes that true healing happens when we take our healing into our own hands and is passionate about empowering people to tap into Nature as a way to heal themselves. Whether you\u2019re an urban dweller or a mountain resident, Julia\u2019s practice aims to help improve our lives through deeper connection, alignment, and attunement with Nature.
Julia\u2019s work has been covered widely in outlets such as CNN, Outside Magazine, Business Insider, The New Yorker, and Sierra Magazine, and the Forest Bathing Club has more than a thousand members from around the world. Her first book, The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing: Finding Calm, Creativity, and Connection in the Natural World, came out in 2019 (Ten Speed Press).
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