Fabulous field trip just for adults! On this special day the Vernal Equinox and a full moon overlapped for the first time in 19 years. My friends and I visited Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB) retreat center in a sacred forest in Santa Cruz to celebrate by hiking. There is a popular trail in LMB which is open to the public, called "The Eight Verses Pilgrimage Trail" - a short meditative loop designed to help hikers calm their minds and contemplate Buddhist teachings. While you walk among the big redwood trees and plants, you will find the eight verses written in script on signs posted every 15 or 20 minutes along the trail. They are the thought transformation by Langri Tangpa, and each verse is accompanied by an explanation of its meaning by Dalai Lama. It's a very peaceful meditative trail. A lot of Japanese like to visit temples, shrines or places that are believed to have some powerful vortex energy during special occasions for purification. So, it was a perfect day for us to hike, to meditate, and to have an experience of "Shinrin -Yoku" all at once. The word of "Shinrin-Yoku" means "forest bath" in English. It means soaking yourself into the forest air while you walk in the mountains. It is a therapy that was developed in Japan during the 1980s, becoming a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. The Japanese researchers suggest that we can get beneficial substances called phytoncide when we breathe forest air. Phytoncide is the natural aroma of the forest which is emitted by plants & trees to counter from harmful odorous substances such as carcasses and excrement of animals. Japanese researchers found this pytoncide has also the power to counter illnesses including cancer, strokes, gastric ulcers, depression, anxiety, and stress. It also boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure and aids sleep. Here's the more information about a research study on "Shinrin-Yoku". . https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/039463200902200410 After we enjoyed meditative walk & "Shinrin-Yoku" at LMB, I took them to a natural foods store in Santa Cruz and introduced them to a few items that I use for my macrobiotic cooking. Then, we had special vegan lunch boxes (OBENTO) that I prepared early in the morning to celebrate the full moon & Equinox. It was such a beautiful day, and I'm so grateful for all the ladies who cherished this special day together with me. 🙏
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