Psychologies

ALL-WEATHER | RAIN

RELEASE
THOUGHTS
As you walk, continue your
conscious breathing and work
on letting go of distracting
thoughts. Don’t try to ignore or
suppress them, instead, listen,
acknowledge and then deliberately
let them pass. Keep returning to
your breath and what you
are doing right there,
in the moment.

BE AN OBSERVER

Now, extend your presence

to the new, wet world around you.

Notice the smell of petrichor and

observe how it affects your mood. Really

look at your surroundings and take in the

unique qualities rain brings to everything.

Feel the droplets on your skin and listen to the

meditative sound. Try to find a place in your

mind and body where you are accepting of

everything around you, internally and REFLECT
externally, clinging to nothing. Simply When you’re ready to
go back indoors, allow
exist, let go and be with the rain.

yourself a little time to ease back

into normality. Take a hot shower,

enjoy a cup of tea or simply sit

quietly in contemplation for

a short while in a warm room.

Reflect on your new experience

of rainfall and the positive

impact it has had.

psychologies.co.uk 35

HUMANS HAVE BEEN
walking the earth for
millions of years. Until
relatively recently in the
great scheme of things,
we did so mostly with bare
feet or in very simple, modest footwear.

Harvard University has shown that when
we walk without shoes we actually move
differently – in harmony with and more
sympathetically to our environment – which
can often mean far less chance of injury and,
surprisingly, better protection for your feet
and whole body.

Think of your feet like the foundations
of a house – get that right and the whole
structure will stand strong!

‘The average human foot is wider at the toes
and narrower at the heel,’ explains natural

BneAcesRsiEties

Free your feet and find out how you can reap a plethora
of health benefits simply by going shoeless…

36 topsante.co.uk

ANATOMY | BAREFOOT

lifestylist, Tony Riddle (tonyriddle.com).

‘But many modern shoe designs are the WHAT A FEELING!
complete opposite. This means your feet

could be squashed into shoes that change ‘Psychologically, it feels incredible

their shape, or they’ve got thick soles that to experience the earth beneath

shut off receptors, so can result in a less your feet,’ says fitness expert

natural walk and cause problems further up Anna Toombs (trbalance.com).

your body, such as tight hamstrings, lazy ‘Think about the first thing many

glutes and a weak core.’ people do on a sandy beach –

But don’t worry, there’s no need to kick off they get their shoes off asap to

your heels in the middle of a restaurant or feel the sand between their toes.

ditch your slip-ons in the supermarket. What ‘The feel of different textures

you can do is embrace the barefoot ethos as and temperatures adds to any

much as possible in and around your home experience. Just as a walk in the

and garden – as long as the weather’s ok. countryside can be better than

By spending more time barefoot or even trudging around a concrete city

switching to so-called ‘barefoot shoes’, such on a grey day, it’s much more fun

as the eco-friendly Vivobarefoot Primus Lite to feel mud, grass and gravel

III. (from £110, vivobarefoot.co.uk), for some under your feet than the

of your daily activities, you can monotonous inside of a shoe!’

help free your feet and trade any

health niggles for a lean, defined

physique and a stronger,

healthier posture, just as HEALING
nature intended! FROM YOUR SOLE

Barefoot walking gives you

a direct connection with the earth,

THE BIOMECHANICAL BENEFITS and this element of grounding can
‘I go barefoot as much as sensitive and they have a healing effect on your body.
There’s an increasing amount of research being
possible,’ says Anna. are equipped with carried out in this area. Martial artists and yogis
have recognised the importance of earthing
‘I’m nearly always barefoot a complex array of connection for thousands of years.
‘By simply removing your shoes and touching
in my house or around the nerves to relay signals base with the earth you can start to
reconnect and rewire pathways in your
garden. I recognise that it’s back to your brain, but brain that have been waning since

certainly not the social shoes dull this feedback. you started wearing shoes as
a baby,’ says Tony.
norm to be barefoot in all If you begin to spend time

situations, but it’s good to in bare feet, you’ll notice

do it as much as possible,’ how your balance and

explains Anna. proprioception (sense of

‘Your feet are incredibly body position) improve.’

WORDS: LARISSA CHAPMAN. PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES. EACH FOOT HOW YOUR FEET WORK
IS MADE
UP OF... Feet have 200,000 exteroceptors alter your posture to protect

26 – highly-tuned sensors in your soles against injury. All the while,
to help you tune in to surroundings. your brain makes subtle micro-
bones
‘Your feet have the ability to mould, adjustments to the shapes your
33
grip, grab and switch from softness feet make over varying terrain,
joints to tension and stiffness in a not only to minimise
millisecond,’ says Tony. the risk of injury, but also
100
‘Terrain information from the to maximise the efficiency
muscles
exteroceptors in your feet is used of your movement.’ See
to adjust your joints, core and other p16 for info on your

muscles and tendons, as well as foot type.

psychologies.co.uk 37

W O ...If you go down to the WORDS: CATHY STRUTHERS. FOR MORE ON ALAN DOLAN’S
where in BREATHING SPACE RETREATS, SEE: BREATHGURU.COM.
nature, you’re sure of a big boost PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES, SEASONS, SHUTTERSTOCK.
to your wellbeing. Find out why the
great outdoors is the best
mind-body medicine and
where to get your fix.
38 topsante.co.uk

LOCATIONS | INTO NATURE

THE SOOTHING SMELL Time among
of pine trees, the calming the trees brings
effect of an ocean view,
the beautiful sunset that feelings of
can move you to tears… calm
we’ve all felt the power
of nature. But a groundswell of research Feel the intriguing reasons for this is
is now showing that spending time forest the antibacterial phytoncides
in the great outdoors gives you more we breathe in when in a forest.
than just a good feeling – it has real, Forests have been grabbing Plants – particularly pine
measurable benefits, both mental and health headlines in the past trees – emit large amounts
physical, that add years to your life. couple of years thanks to of airborne particles that
Japanese research into encourage your immune
‘Scientists are quantifying Shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest system’s defences, and activate
nature’s effect not only on mood bathing’. Its popularity has your parasympathetic nervous
and wellbeing, but also on your spread into the UK so system, the rest and digest
ability to think – to remember, plan, much so that Center Parcs’ part of your nervous system.
create, daydream and to focus – refurbished Sherwood Forest
as well as on your social skills,’ spa has a dedicated forest TAKE A BREAK
says Florence Williams, author bathing area, where you can
of The Nature Fix (Norton). stroll in the woods and enjoy Spending time among trees
treetop saunas! gives the cognitive portion of
But, the more everyday your brain a break from the
technology tends to dominate the In studies that looked at drain of multi-tasking. When
way we navigate modern life, the walkers’ wellbeing when they your mind overloads, it can
less likely we are to tap into the returned from a woodland cause attention fatigue, which
sense of wellbeing so readily stroll, they were found to have makes it difficult to focus, but
available to us in the wild. lower blood pressure and you can help your brain refresh
fewer adrenaline-triggered by practising a little ‘forest
The average Brit now spends more time stress responses. One of the meditation’. Notice the
using technological devices than they do sounds, smells and sights of
sleeping – let alone exploring, socialising or the forest, while allowing your
taking time to ‘just be’ in the great outdoors. inner dialogue to fall silent.
‘We don’t experience natural environments
enough to realise how restored they can
make us feel,’ says Florence.

THE NATURE EFFECT

With science exploring the positive impact
the wild has on our brains, the ‘nature
effect’ is now a hot topic. And the findings
are hard to ignore– while even tiny ‘nature
snacks’ have been shown to boost wellbeing,
if you seek out longer forays into nature – for
example an extended weekend in the wild or
a short rural retreat – you’ll reap even bigger
benefits. The Japanese study mentioned
in the next article showed evidence of a
‘three-day effect’. After people spent this
amount of time in a forest, their levels of
killer white blood cells – so-called because
they attack infections – soared by 50 per
cent, and their heart rates also lowered.

No matter how much of a nature fix you
opt for, and no matter where you do it, there
are some serious health benefits to be had.
Ready to re-wild yourself? Then it’s time to
step outside...

psychologies.co.uk 39

Pa rk Don’t under- Head for something vast that transcends your
estimate the the hills understanding of the world – leads
power of the people to think less of their own
Big, goosebump-inspiring views entitlement, and more of others’.
life park! Even make people feel more inclined to It may also boost your defence
the smallest help someone in need, according system. Like with the forest bathing
ugget of to researchers from the University of study, researchers linked the awe we
California. They found that awe – the feel when touched by the beauty of
ure can feeling of being in the presence of nature with fewer inflammatory
proteins called cytokines, which
sh serious benefits your immune system.

benefits to those who make time for ‘The fact that awe, wonder and
beauty promote lower levels of
it. Simply being in green spaces – in cytokines suggests the things we
do to experience these emotions
fact, just looking out of a window at – including a walk in nature – have a

a natural scene – can diminish stress

and boost memory and concentration.

Researchers from the University of

Michigan, in the US, found that

students performed better in memory

and attention tests after they took a

walk in a park, compared to those

who walked through the city streets.

In a Finnish study, city dwellers who

strolled for 20 minutes through an

urban park reported significantly more

relaxation than those who strolled in

a city centre. But if you live in an

urban area, there are still benefits.

Try tweaking your daily habits so you

consciously seek out nature more. You

could vary your commute so you walk

through a park, seek out routes with

trees, and enjoy the natural (or

otherwise) sounds around you.

CALM AND CONNECTED

A grassy park is a great place to kick
off your shoes. Walking barefoot
maximises sensitivity of the 200,000
nerve endings in your feet, helping
your whole body to function better
and encouraging you to feel more
calm and mindful (see p37).

Of course you have to pay more
attention if you are barefoot, so that
you don’t step on anything nasty.
This means your mind is less likely
to wander, making it easier for you to
be present in the moment.

40 topsante.co.uk

LOCATIONS | INTO NATURE

direct influence upon health and life REWILD IN A WEEKEND
expectancy,’ says study co-author,
psychologist Dacher Keltner. ● QUIRKY CRAFT IN treetops as you relax in The
THE LAKE DISTRICT: From Forager’s Cabin, a rustic
LOOK AROUND YOU raku pottery and willow secluded treehouse
sculptures to wood carving, in Powys, Wales, complete
Being in the hills also gives you the there’s a unique course for with two decks, an indoor
opportunity to look up and cloud you in the great outdoors. wood burner and outdoor
gaze. Lie on your back and watch the See: quirkyworkshops.co.uk chiminea, plus rustic hot tub.
clouds change and morph above Enjoy outdoor cooking on the
you. Pretend you’re a child again and ● YOGA BY A WATERFALL: fire bowl in the evenings or
flex your imagination, looking for Set in magnificent scenery of simply listen to the sounds
pictures in the clouds. Soft, drifting hills, lochs, rivers and forests of nature. Find secluded
clouds are also a great focus for nestles Ecoyoga, a rustic, treehouses and other unique
some outdoor meditation. Simply off-grid retreat near Argyll, retreats at canopyandstars.
watch, notice and join the clouds Scotland. There are no yoga co.uk
in their natural state of flow. classes, but you can practise
in and around the studio and ● STELLAR STARGAZING:
enjoy solar-powered hot tubs. Officially the best place
From £760 for a self-catered in England to enjoy the
cabin for two. See ecoyoga. heavens, Northumberland
org International Dark Sky Park
is Europe’s largest area of
● COASTAL WALKABOUT: protected night sky. Visit the
Explore the wild and Kielder Observatory and stay
spectacular South West in the Posh Huts at Kielder
Coastal Path near Prawle, Water with woodland or river
Devon, and learn about the views and wood burning
edible and delicious food stoves to keep you cosy at
available and the abundance night. See: poshhuts.com
of wildlife. Forage, fish, wild
camp and wild swim. See
wildwise.co.uk for more on
this and other events.

● BAREFOOT WALKING: Relax and enjoy the
woods from a luxury
Book a barefoot ramble with treehouse hideaway.
an inspirational guide,
Cumbrian shepherdess Alison
O’Neill. Cross wildflower
meadows and take a dip in
a waterfall. Alison offers
different events
and makes and
sells a range
of woollen
products. See
shepherdess.
co.uk.

● SLEEP IN A Go rambling
TREE CANOPY: with a Cumbrian
Unwind and listen
to the wind in the shepherdess.

psychologies.co.uk 41

GVeItTsAomMeIN N
The professor behind the concept of forest
bathing takes us on a deeper dive into how
nature is so good for your wellbeing.

AS WE EXPLORED revolution, that particular history is of woodland in his home country of WORDS: KATHERINE WATT. PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGES.
in the previous only 200 to 300 years old, meaning Japan. His studies showed just how
article, every time humans have spent 99.99 per cent of beneficial the stress-lowering effects
you head out for a their history living in nature. Your of being among the trees were for
walk you’re treating brain, body and even genes are people’s health. ‘As well as lowering
your body and brain adapted to nature, but we now live blood pressure for five days after
to a spot of ecotherapy. Whilst that in an artificial environment.’ the walk, the improvements in
sounds like some pricey new spa immune function continued for
experience, ecotherapy – the term for This can lead you into a state of a week afterwards,’ he says.
the healing benefits of spending time overstimulation and pressure that
in the great outdoors – is easily causes your body underlying stress A BREAK FOR YOUR BRAIN
accessible and absolutely free! without you even realising it.
When you walk through nature and
‘Human beings have existed for ‘In recent years, stress-related purely focus on what you can see,
around seven million years,’ explains diseases have become a social hear and feel there, it relieves your
Professor Yoshifumi Miyazaki, author problem on a global scale,’ says brain from the daily multitasking
of Shinrin-yoku: The Japanese Way of Professor Miyazaki. that it’s used to. This is how
Forest Bathing for Health and Relaxation ecotherapy calms and renews your
(Aster). ‘Considering urbanisation THERAPY OF NATURE focus in the same way that a session
coincided with the industrial of meditation would. Man-made
So, the professor devised ‘Forest
Bathing’ – inspired by the abundance

42 topsante.co.uk

LOCATIONS | INTO NATURE

landscapes on the other hand MAXIMISE YOUR MEANDER Did you
will stimulate your brain, but not know?
replenish exhausted mental resources, In the Japanese studies, forest walkers
according to research undertaken by focused on taking in all the colours of ● Even a short time spent
the University of Exeter. the cherry blossom or leaf foliage, in nature can give your
sitting solo while mindfully sipping mood a boost, so head
In nature, without interference from tea, or feeling the warmth and texture
various emotional or physical stress of the trees themselves. Wherever you outside daily – even if it’s
responses – no matter how subtle – walk, just tune in to what personally just for five minutes. See
you’ll not only have clearer thoughts helps you feel good at the time. This
and better physical health; you’ll feel could mean a walk with no particular p8 for more on how
happier and sleep more soundly, too. destination in mind, a lazy cloud- walking clears your mind.
gazing stroll as you focus on your
‘When you come into contact breathing, or simply enjoying time ● Walks near moving
with any kind of nature, your body away from your phone. water increase levels of
automatically unwinds pent-up the feel-good hormone
tension without you even noticing,’ Before you know it, you’ll be serotonin. Water produces
says Professor Miyazaki. ‘This simple combining the physical advantages of
act helps to regulate your nervous walking with the meditative, mindful negative ions, which
system, promoting a healthier balance benefits. Learn more on how to tune positively react with the
between activation and relaxation.’ into senses as you stroll on p46.
oxygen you breathe.
See p26 for more on the
benefits of blue space.

● If you’re in an urban
area, apps such as

Walkit and Hikideas can
guide you to the
‘greenest’ route.
● Phytoncides are

essential oils emitted by
wood and plants, which

boost your immunity.

psychologies.co.uk 43

WWAAYLTKOYOBLUISRS

With a little focus, you can boost the mental benefits of your walk
even further by incorporating moving meditations.

NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE focus on physical health, some use visualisation to
lost, said JRR Tolkien, and he was harmonise body and mind, others are more free-form.’
right. A gentle stroll helps you feel
calm, collected and present. And Walking meditatively is as relevant and effective
when you walk with meditative today as it ever was. In a recent report from
purpose – reflecting on the beauty UK mental health charity MIND, it was revealed
of nature and taking time just for you – you’ll return that 94 per cent of people found an improvement
feeling more grounded and, ultimately, happier. in their mood after spending time reflecting in
the great outdoors.
Walking meditations have been used for centuries
and are rooted in Buddhist, yogic and Taoist teachings. It doesn’t even need to be a long walk for you to feel
‘Different traditions have different ways of doing the benefits. Wherever you are across the country, no
the practice,’ says Live and Dare meditation teacher matter how much time you have, you can always find
Giovanni Dienstmann (liveanddare.com). ‘Some walks a few minutes, or maybe longer, to put one foot
in front of the other and feel uplifted.

44 topsante.co.uk

WELLBEING | MENTAL HEALTH

If you have 5 minutes… If you have 30 minutes…
CREATE POSITIVITY WALK MINDFULLY

It might not seem like much, but just five minutes of Even if you only have half an hour for lunch, it’s plenty
being out in the great outdoors can have impressively of time to take a mental pause and connect fully to the
positive effects on your mind. More than 1,000 people great outdoors. ‘Taking a more mindful walk helps to
studied by the University of Essex said that their mood reduce your cortisol levels and boost your mood,’ says
and self-esteem was significantly higher as a result of psychologist Emma Kenny (ekenny.co.uk). ‘A lot of us are
this short space of time spent outside. so busy – and distracted by electrical devices – that we
rarely have enough time to recalibrate. But a mindful
What’s more, this is all the time it takes to fit in a short walk helps you be happy in the here and now.’
walking meditation to further elevate these good feelings.
The Taoist ‘ball of energy’ meditation focuses on the flow HOW TO WALK MINDFULLY:
of energy within your body known as chi. It helps draw
out positive feelings within you, putting a spring in your • Mentally scan your body and acknowledge what you
step and lightening your mood for the rest of the day. feel and where. Perhaps there are aches or niggles – turn
your focus away from them and let them go.
TRY THE BALL OF ENERGY MEDITATION: • Next, move on to your mind. Notice feelings that come
and go. Don’t be tempted to divide them into ‘good’ or
• Start walking to the rhythm of your breathing – for ‘bad’ – accept that they’re passing through your mind
example, breathe in for three footsteps, then out for three. instead of dwelling on or challenging them.
You could breathe in for up to six or even 10 seconds – • Start to walk slowly and keep noticing things around
whatever you’re most comfortable with. you. Can you see anything you’ve overlooked before? Be
• As you walk, look around you and absorb the energy like a tourist, even if you’ve walked the route hundreds of
and promise of nature. times. Marvel at the landscape or the buildings – even the
• Start to feel the energy being pulled into your stomach, most mundane office block has beauty if you look for it.
specifically the space two inches below your navel. Focus • Keep accepting, and feeling grateful for, everything
on the happy, warm feelings that this brings. you see and feel as you walk in a leisurely way.
• As you breathe out, visualise this energy expanding to • After your walk, note down something you felt
a ball around your body. You can take this ball of positive particularly thankful for and put it in a jar. At the end
energy into the rest of the day with you by closing your of the year, if you’ve walked like this regularly, you’ll
eyes and revisiting your walk. be able to track what a positive difference it’s made
to your long-term happiness.

psychologies.co.uk 45

If you have 1 hour…
ENGAGE YOUR SENSES

Make the most of your surroundings by tuning in to all
of your senses as you stroll. ‘Start acknowledging what
emerges from your walks,’ says Clare Barry, founder of
Urban Curiosity – a wellness and creativity company
(urbancuriosity.co.uk). ‘Notice a smell or sight, and then
let it fall away with each breath and footstep.’

ENJOY SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND SCENTS:

• Set off at a steady pace. You want to elevate your heart
rate, but stroll rather than power walk. Now, start to focus
on each sense in turn.
• Follow the motion of your footsteps as your heels hit the
ground then roll through to your toes. Pay attention to
the feeling of the ground beneath you.
• Notice the air on your skin and the warmth of sunshine
on your cheeks. Stretch out your hands to engage your
fingers too, feeling the air between them.
• As you walk past flower-filled hedgerows or people’s
gardens, breathe in through your nose and out through
your mouth. Notice the light floral fragrances mingling
with each other. Does the scent change as you pass
different displays?
• Admire the numerous species of blooms. How many
different shades of red, pink or purple can you see? How
many different types of petal shape or form? How do
they make you feel?
• Listen to how the rustle of plants ties in to other noises,
such as birdsong, garden machinery or laughter from
people nearby. What joyful emotions do the different
sounds evoke?
• As long as it’s not private land, you could even take
a keepsake of petals, or a nice stone or leaf, to keep a
reminder of your sensory walk and the positive feelings
you experienced.

46 topsante.co.uk

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