The honest self-care

Walden is a German expression derived from the word Wald = forest.

Walden or Waldbaaden describes the mindful stay in the forest, where the focus is on absorbing the forests atmosphere and having a close contact with nature.

Unfortunately, if you live in the big city, you often lose touch with nature.

It’s only when you return home or make a conscious decision to take a vacation in the country that you realize how much you miss it.

But what exactly makes the forest so special and why do we need it, for our well-being?

1. Silence

You don’t realize how loud it is around you until the noise is gone. Cars, machines, people- all are constantly causing noise. You probably don’t even hear it anymore, because your brain blocks out all constant sounds.

However, this also leads to our body being in a constant state of permanent stress. But you don’t notice that because you’ve gotten used to it. In the forest, you hear virtually nothing. Except rustling leaves and once in a while a bird. Your mind can finally come to rest again.

2. Fresh Air

The same as with noise also applies to air quality. You don’t even notice how bad the air around you is because you’re already so used to it.

In the city, you are constantly breathing exhaust fumes from cars and industry. As many people live there, the oxygen content is much lower than it is in nature.

In the forest, the air comes directly from the plant, unspent. No cars that pollute the air. A smells of water, of earth, of moss, of spruces, pines and fir trees. I don’t know any fragrance in this world that is more beautiful.

What smells like a coniferous tree are actually molecules in the air that positively stimulate our psyche. There are even studies that confirm this!

3. Walking bare-foot is healthy

Although people need shoes to walk upright, in the long run you lose your sense of natural balance and the mobility of your foot as well as ankle gets worse. Of course you would never walk barefoot in the city. Walking barefoot in the city is dangerous. Broken glass, hard flat surfaces, and dirt may cause injuries. Not to mention the disgusting flooring.

In the forest, the ground is soft and perfect for walking barefoot. Small bumps like stones and roots train your sense of balance. And should you still get a small injury, for example from a pointed pebble, you don’t have to worry about it being contaminated.