Ocean Bathing

So I was reading on Mark Sisson’s blog about the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, meaning “taking of the forest,” “forest bathing,” or essentially just spending time in nature. There are even studies that show this experience improves different health parameters (1).

Since I live near the beach and not the forest, I’ve adapted this ritual to “ocean bathing,” which sounds kind of funny and reminds me of the post I wrote about hiking to the naked beach. Seriously, though, making sure I have some interaction with nature, ideally the ocean, on a daily basis, is one of the habits that helps me manage stress and put life’s experiences into perspective:

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared some of the pictures from California’s beautiful Central Coast, and what better time than Earth Day to share?

You may also like this post about finding my happy place.

I am filled with gratitude to live minutes away from such overwhelming beauty, but I’m convinced that it exists all around us. It is our job to take the time to appreciate nature and its precious gifts:

Happy Earth Day 2015!

Reference:

1. Park, Bum Jin et al. “The Physiological Effects of Shinrin-Yoku (taking in the Forest Atmosphere or Forest Bathing): Evidence from Field Experiments in 24 Forests across Japan.” Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine 15.1 (2010): 18–26. PMC. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793346/ 4/21/15.

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