Tree Hugger Can No Longer Be Used As A Derogatory Term!
We have all heard those dismissive words - “Oh, he (or she) is just a tree hugger.”
Tagged a tree hugger means you are lumped together with being called a hippie, a flower child, a bunny hugger and other similar phrases. And of course there is nothing wrong with that.
But now...science has come to the rescue and validated that hugging trees is good for you!
And you don’t even have to do the hugging - just being within the vicinity of a growing tree can also have a beneficial effect.
Blinded by Science
The author of Blinded by Science is Matthew Silverstone and, in his book, he sets out to prove with the help of science that trees do in fact provide many health benefits. These benefits improve:- Concentration levels.
- Reaction times.
- Depression, stress and even other types of mental illness.
Trees even have the ability to give you relief from headaches.
“Safe, green spaces may be effective in treating some forms of mental illnesses”
In addition, research has shown that children show significant psychological and physiological improvement in terms of their health and well being when they interact with plants and trees.
When children can play in green areas, they function better both cognitively and emotionally, even becoming more creative. We have written in the past in our post green exercise how access to nature can significantly contribute to our mental capital and well being.
But it is not just the green space that is all important
Matthew Silverstone has proved that it is the vibrational properties of trees and plants that give us the health benefits and not the open green spaces. Apparently, everything vibrates in a subtle manner and different vibrations affect biological behaviours. When touching a tree, its different vibrational pattern will affect various biological behaviours within your body.
A tree hugger’s quote
"Hugging trees has a calming effect on me. I'm talking about enormous trees that will be there when we are all dead and gone. I've hugged trees in every part of this little island." Gerry Adams
Definition of a tree hugger!
Being a tree hugger is more than hugging trees. It is about loving all of nature and every living being including you. "I want to live in harmony and peace with the natural world. I want to leave the earth a better place than when I arrived. I want to make a difference".
The human spirit needs places where nature hasn’t been rearranged by the hand of man. Take more walks in the woods!
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.