It’s Been a While…
It’s Been a While…
It’s been a little while since I last wrote — and in that time, I’ve landed in Congleton.
How fortunate I am to have a base I can call home. A place to rest, to be, to just exist. For me, home doesn’t have to be a fixed location with walls and a postcode. It’s more a feeling of familiarity and belonging.
Sometimes, that means a tent pitched in the hills of Wales (where I’ll be next week), or our lovely campervan. These places become my home, even if just for a while.
Gratitude for a Nomadic Home
I often reflect on how lucky I am to have multiple places where I feel rooted — even temporarily. Especially when so many around the world are displaced, forced to leave their homes due to war, persecution, or environmental disaster. That perspective keeps me grounded and deeply grateful.
Living out of a few bags and sleeping in a small space has its own quiet contentment. The simplicity, the lack of clutter, and the chance to be outdoors so often brings a peace I haven’t always found in more traditional living. While I enjoy having a base, I’ve come to realise: I can make myself at home almost anywhere.
Nature, Home, and Health
Now that I’ve settled into a more permanent base — surrounded by trees — I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship between the environment and our well-being.
Japan has been at the forefront of this research. Their concept of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” involves immersing yourself in forest environments to reduce stress. Research has shown that time spent in nature can lower cortisol levels, reduce pulse rate, and bring down blood pressure. In fact, Japan has even introduced forest therapy as a national health programme (Song et al., 2016).
Trees That Heal
Trees offer more than shade and fresh air. They emit phytoncides — natural compounds that protect them from bacteria and insects. Our bodies respond positively to these compounds. Research shows that exposure to phytoncides can boost immune function by increasing the activity of natural killer (NK) cells — the ones that help fight off illness and infection (Li et al., 2009).
And then there’s geosmin — that earthy scent we smell after it rains. It’s created by soil bacteria and may have once helped our ancestors locate water. Maybe that’s why it puts us so at ease today.
An Invitation to Step Outside
So, if you can — step outside. Whether it’s an urban park, a botanical garden, or a forest trail, nature has so much to offer. It doesn’t have to be far or dramatic to have an impact.
I’ll share more about my yoga journey next time — but I’d love to hear how yours is unfolding too. Feel free to drop me a message, I always enjoy connecting.
Until next time 🌿
References
Li, Q., Kobayashi, M., Wakayama, Y., Inagaki, H., Katsumata, M., Hirata, Y., … Miyazaki, Y. (2009). Effect of Phytoncide from Trees on Human Natural Killer Cell Function. International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 951–959.
Song, C., et al. (2016). Physiological Effects of Nature Therapy: A Review of Research in Japan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(8), 781.