Wildheart

“Wildheart: A person who has survived a struggle. Someone who has been through large emotional pain but their heart is still loving and strong.”  ~ Urban Dictionary

Just as the pandemic was making its way across the country to the East coast, early spring arrived in Maine. Still grieving the loss of my husband, I was seeking refuge and companionship. In a climate of global pain, I was hoping to find a way to heal. Having read of the benefits of forest bathing (or immersion), I entered the forest with child-like curiosity and hope. 

I felt it once before, there was something there, I could sense it. It was mystery, it was fragrance, it was atmosphere; something beyond the obvious. At every turn I stopped to breathe deeply and fully take in the scene, noticing textures and details, listening to the music of insects and birds. This multi-sensory encounter reached in and altered my thought patterns. The way I saw and experienced the world was changing, but how? I later discovered the science behind the forest atmosphere, especially in places that have been untouched for centuries. 

Here there is a gift. And we only have to breathe it in to benefit. I became fully a part of this. Reaching out in return, my fingers slowly examined mosses, lichens, and bark, an important exercise in a world where touch has been censored. The forest transformed and healed me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
It has become my intimate companion and my guide.