Forest Bathing, Moss Gazing, and Mucking about in the Mountains

With lockdown restrictions lifting I find myself more than eager to venture farther from my home. For the past 10 weeks I’ve been confined to working from the couch, socially distanced walks in the park, and backyard solo hangouts - which is still a blessing compared to other folk’s confinements around the world. Having a garden to plant, a healthy immune system, and just enough pennies to pay the bills are blessings I’ve humbly accepted with gratitude during these volatile times.

Although, because pandemic health risks are lowering in my community, my state officials have approved more outdoor recreation and travel into public places. The flowering of springtime and the rush of snowmelt has forest trails and gushing streams beckoning my earthy soul. My legs crave rugged terrain to navigate, my lungs are desperate for fresh mountain air, and my heart yearns for the freedom of the wild. I’m not accustomed to being restricted as much as we have been these last few months, so with these reasserted freedoms, exploration off the beaten path is my goal for the day. This too, just like so many things these days, feels like a privilege and a blessing.

Before high-tailing it to the hills at daybreak, I pack just a few essentials needed to for a spring day in the woods - my stormer boots for the muddy trails and creek crossings, a few snacks to keep me going, a monocular to take in all the sights of the reawakening forest, my latest novel, and my foraging tools - just incase.

Now, my venture is no mere hike. I’m going out on a self-guided forest bathing experience in solitude. It’s a walk in the woods focused on the experience itself rather than reaching a destination or tracking miles or elevation. In some places it’s a little strenuous, and other times it’s flat and meandering, but most of all it’s a walking meditation among the trees. A proper self-guided forest bathing experience engages all of the senses, and it simply takes time. Time to pause and listen to the sounds of leaves dancing on the breeze. Time to sit quietly and become so much part of the landscape that critters accept your presence and go on about their day in plain sight. Time to dabble in the trickling waters and let the icy snow melt cleanse the body. Time to take in the scents of damp earth and greening leaves to quiet the mind and steady the heart. Time to taste the freshness of air to supple the lips. Time to relish in the stillness of sound and hear the whisperings of the wild.

On this particular solo forest bathing experience, I seek out the undergrowth as well as the moss covered rock gardens that line the alpine stream. I wish to spend the day, not in the confines of my home on the couch, but lounging like a forest nymph on velvety beds of moss and fern while watching the birds whistle and flitter above. I wish to play in the creek bed like a river otter and tromp through the damp undergrowth in search of fiddlehead ferns, wild asparagus, and yarrow. Along my walk I come to a nook in the forest where the creeks cuts through ancient roots and granite boulders. As if invited by the tree itself to rest in the shelter of it’s canopy, I make myself comfortable on a stone out cropping. And in that dappled light I rest. I breath. I observe. I pray. I read, and I gaze at the wonder of the natural world. Unspoken words pass between me and the greenery that surrounds. It is in this place, deep within the forest, that I hear the wisdom of the earth and the wisdom of my wild soul.

As I spend the day lingering in the stillness of the forest and watch the natural world go by, I’m reminded of one very important lesson: life goes on. The spring waters persist. The roots strengthen. The sun shines. The flowers bloom. Nature always finds a way adapt. And I’m reassured that no matter how troubling the world may be, and we will find a way to adapt too. Because, after all, we are not separate from nature. I can attest that forest bathing, moss gazing, and mucking about in the mountains is one of the best ways to spend these slowed-down days.