Hospital last year, now I’m hugging trees! The title of this blog post, might sound a little hippy, airy fairy, what is she banging on about sort of thing….But hear me out!
When I was younger I spent quite a bit of time climbing trees, it was one of my favourite things to do. I loved the texture of the bark, the smell of the leaves and I loved that each tree had a special route I’d take to get to the top. I would say that it was one of my happiest memories, especially when I’d beat the snotty annoying boys in my road to the top.
Fast forward 25 years and I’m now on a holistic healing journey, to be the best version of myself I can be. I think I have been on this journey part time for the last 15 years but now I would say I’m in full swing and here is why I have fully invested in my holistic healing and why I truly believe that our mind and our body are fully connected.
This time last year I was in a very different place. I had just returned home from a 5 week stint in hospital after having a very unexpected brain procedure. My hair had fallen out, I couldn’t see properly, my vision was completely blurry, I couldn’t do any exercise, I couldn’t even bend down. I had lost a stone in weight and I was almost a gonna on the operating table, after having two quite severe allergic reactions to the medications. I was trying to keep all my shit together, but I actually wanted to scream.
Coupled with that, my boyfriend was going through the worst times of his life , so I was trying to support him whilst keep my own sanity and our house looked like this…
Our renovation was meant to be complete. So it was taking way longer than planned and our builder was a nightmare, it was costing us in stress more than anything. We both felt completely wrecked.
Before all this, we were just two young people sipping cocktails on a beach, how the fuck had we got here!
Before I let all of my thoughts and stress completely consume me, I went into survival mode, I stared working with a functioning medical practitioner, an ayurveda doctor, acupuncturist, I meditated, read all sorts of books about empowerment, the anatomy and mind-fullness. I started to write letters to the universe and study all areas of healing that I wanted to thoroughly understand. I new I needed to release and I needed assistance. Admittedly though working with Holistic Practitioners costs money and while I think it’s important for us to all invest in our health as much as we can, understandably that isn’t always realistic.
I wanted to share this story as a year has passed and I still have lots of recovering to do. I still work with a group of holistic practitioners, who have massively helped me along the way, some of the work we do together I pay for and some of the work I do is at home and is completely free and available to all of us.
Now we are in our lovely house and I feel more grateful for our lovely home than ever.
During this journey I have also learnt to appreciate the beauty of nature more than ever before and one of the the things I have been encouraged to do is hug the trees. This might sound a little odd, and at first I thought I’d feel a bit silly doing this in public, but then once you get over that and think who gives a damn, tree hugging is great for the mind and soul.
“Hugging A Tree Increases Levels Of Hormone Oxytocin. This Hormone Is Responsible For Feeling Calm And Emotional Bonding. When Hugging A Tree, The Hormones Serotonin And Dopamine Make You Feel Happier.”
Part of my healing journey is learning to be even more playful and to think back about some of the most joyous times as a child. For me it definitely involved being outside and playing in the trees. Living freely is about connecting with everything around us seeing its true beauty and showing gratitude.
In a book that was published by author Matthew Silverstone entitled, “Blinded By Science” the evidence confirming the healthful benefits of trees includes the effects they have on various issues like depression, concentration levels and even the ability to alleviate headaches. This practice has been going on since ancient times so it’s not just a new discovery. (The benefits of tree hugging, by Tom roche)
Go on hug a tree next time you’re on a walk and think of a positive affirmation. It’s free and does wonders for your mind and soul.
