One of the best opportunities to go forest bathing? When you’re looking for your Christmas tree. Christmas tree forest bathing.
Even the sign at the front of our local tree farm educated us about the purified air around us.
But that pine smell…
You know what I’m talking about.
That pine smell that clears and refreshes your lungs…
That represents stability and reassurance…
That instantly smells like Christmas…
That maintains the residue of life in a winter forest void of leaves…
And when you bring that sweet tradition into your home, how your home presents that same refreshing comfort…
Can you feel it just by reading it?
The weekend after Thanksgiving, our little family went to find our Christmas tree.
We visited a new tree farm this year because of logistics, so it gave the experience a newness.
Since we were looking for the perfect tree, we were very in tune with the sights, sounds, and smells of the place.
We took our time, allowing for exploration…
…for our three-year-old to talk to the quail wandering around the property.
…for her to notice a hawk feather.
…for her and our nine-year-old to peer into a few animals’ dens and wonder at its inhabitants.
…for us to wander down a path on the property and look around.
…for the four of us to stop on the bridge and appreciate the trickle of water that ran through the farm.
…to appreciate all the pinecones underneath one of the trees, and find the biggest one to take home.
And I realized…we were forest bathing. Christmas tree forest bathing.
And we got to bring a remnant of that experience into our home, to smell the purified air every morning when we get up, to signify a season of new birth and warm spirits.
We get to do our own form of indoor forest bathing when we sit under the tree to read Christmas stories and sip hot chocolate.
Remember, forest bathing is a simple exercise in mindfulness and sensory exploration…
All it takes is a stand of trees and a little time to wander and wonder.
Shopping for your Christmas tree is the perfect time to try forest bathing.
***Here’s a great way to preserve some of that festive charm for months after Christmas. Use the needles from your pine tree to make this DIY Pine Needle Body Oil.
Do you cut down your own tree for Christmas? Have you ever stopped to “take in” all the pine-y wonder around you? Do you plan to go Christmas tree forest bathing this year?