shinrin yoku forest bathing

April is Aries & Taurus Season

April is Aries & Taurus Season

April: From Fire to Earth

Aries is a Fire sign, and Fire is interested in movement and visibility.  The head and the brain are its domain in the body, which is why the weeks of Aries season often bring a particular kind of alertness, a feeling of the mind running slightly ahead of everything else. Over the winter months, attention settled inward and downward, toward the feet and the slower rhythms that Pisces governs. March pulled it back upward again, toward the face and eyes and the part of the head where decisions live.

Taurus rules the neck, the jaw, and the throat, which is the corridor connecting all of that head-forward Aries energy back down into the rest of the body. When the sun moves into Taurus, something in the physical body responds to that shift, often first in the jaw, which many people hold without realizing it. The masseter muscle, running along the side of the jaw, is one of the strongest muscles in the body relative to its size, and it tends to absorb  whatever has not yet found its way into words.

Relaxation Techniques Rooted in Nature: Forest Bathing with Alder Trees on Bowen Island

Relaxation Techniques Rooted in Nature: Forest Bathing with Alder Trees on Bowen Island

Spending Time with Trees Reduces Cortisol Levels

Welcome to Nectar Yoga Retreat’s wellness blog, where we explore holistic and yoga practices that deepen your connection to nature, self and other relations. If you’ve been on this journey with us, this year on our wellness blog, we’ve been focusing on the mind-body-spirit benefits of plants and certain fungi. This month, we’re spotlighting the alder trees residing on the forest where Nectar is located, and the therapeutic practice of forest bathing with these majestic trees.

The Healing Power of Forest Bathing

Forest bathing, or "Shinrin-yoku" from its Japanese origins, is more than just a walk in the woods. It’s a mindful practice of immersing oneself in the forest atmosphere, engaging all the senses, and finding solace in one’s relationality with all of nature. Studies have shown that being among alder trees and other trees in the form of forest bathing significantly lowers cortisol levels—the body’s primary stress hormone. This reduction in cortisol is linked to decreased blood pressure, improved mood, and enhanced immune function, making forest bathing one of the most effective relaxation techniques available.