Sustainable by conviction
Barefoot into spring!
There is one particular moment in the year when everything changes, year after year. The air suddenly feels softer, the sun grows stronger, while the forest is filled with that special scent of earth, moss and fresh greenery.
Spring has returned – and with it usually comes the quite natural desire to get outdoors once more. Out in nature, in the mountains, in the forest, where our thoughts become calmer and every step feels a little lighter.
And, whenever the weather allows, one of the simplest yet best decisions you can make for yourself is to kick off your shoes and pull off your socks.
Cool, soft, light, sometimes a little ticklish, perhaps even a little prickly: walking barefoot along a forest trail or across a meadow lets us directly feel the ground once more. Many people describe this sensation as a kind of “returning”, of going back to nature; and, to some extent, back to themselves. It lets us feel what is so often lost in everyday life – that direct contact with the Earth, like a little reset for body and mind.
Spring has returned – and with it usually comes the quite natural desire to get outdoors once more. Out in nature, in the mountains, in the forest, where our thoughts become calmer and every step feels a little lighter.
And, whenever the weather allows, one of the simplest yet best decisions you can make for yourself is to kick off your shoes and pull off your socks.
Cool, soft, light, sometimes a little ticklish, perhaps even a little prickly: walking barefoot along a forest trail or across a meadow lets us directly feel the ground once more. Many people describe this sensation as a kind of “returning”, of going back to nature; and, to some extent, back to themselves. It lets us feel what is so often lost in everyday life – that direct contact with the Earth, like a little reset for body and mind.
Forest bathing: a quiet date with nature
This sense of nature is even more intensified when we go forest bathing. This is less about physical activity or distance, and more about consciously immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the forest.
Walking slowly; breathing deeply; listening to the sounds around you; and absorbing it all. The Japanese call this experience Shinrin Yoku – a bath in the forest air. Studies show that even a short time in the forest can significantly reduce stress, improve concentration and provide us with new energy.
This conscious experience of nature also plays an important role at the Vitalpina Hotels of South Tyrol. As part of our selfness programme, body, mind and soul are reconnected with nature, through gentle exercise, practised mindfulness and moments of profound tranquillity.
One of the selfness programmes focuses specifically on forest bathing and also forms part of the Vitalpina@ Escapist offers. Experienced guides accompany you into the forest, where small exercises and rituals help you to perceive nature intensively, reconnect with the Earth and recharge your batteries, for an experience that will linger long afterwards. So, if you have the chance to take part, be sure to seize it!
Walking slowly; breathing deeply; listening to the sounds around you; and absorbing it all. The Japanese call this experience Shinrin Yoku – a bath in the forest air. Studies show that even a short time in the forest can significantly reduce stress, improve concentration and provide us with new energy.
This conscious experience of nature also plays an important role at the Vitalpina Hotels of South Tyrol. As part of our selfness programme, body, mind and soul are reconnected with nature, through gentle exercise, practised mindfulness and moments of profound tranquillity.
One of the selfness programmes focuses specifically on forest bathing and also forms part of the Vitalpina@ Escapist offers. Experienced guides accompany you into the forest, where small exercises and rituals help you to perceive nature intensively, reconnect with the Earth and recharge your batteries, for an experience that will linger long afterwards. So, if you have the chance to take part, be sure to seize it!
Three times spring:
And, even if you don’t, we’ve put together three simple ways for you to really “feel” the spring – little timeouts that have a great effect.
1. Barefoot through woods and meadows
A soft forest floor, a sun-warmed meadow or a nature trail all make ideal surfaces for taking your first steps barefoot. Different types of ground stimulate the foot muscles and give you a surprisingly intense feeling of being connected with nature.
🌿 Life hack: walking barefoot is particularly pleasant in the early morning or late afternoon – when the ground is still nice and cool or already pleasantly warm.
2. Experience the forest with each and every sense
It is not the destination that matters when forest bathing, but the moment itself, the conscious act of perception: the light filtering through the trees; the scents of wood, resin and moss; the soft crackling of twigs; the chirping of birds; or the feeling of the different textures of the ground.
🌲 Life hack: simply stop for a moment, sit down or even lie on the floor, close your eyes and take three deep breaths – this is often all it takes to clear your head.
3. Discover selfness in the great outdoors
The Vitalpina Hotels of South Tyrol combine the experience of nature with mindful moments for body and spirit. Guided forest bathing experiences, nature walks and short mindfulness exercises all help you quickly regain your balance.
🌄 Life hack: nature has a particularly powerful effect when you simply put your smartphone and watch away. Just make yourself unreachable for a little while!
1. Barefoot through woods and meadows
A soft forest floor, a sun-warmed meadow or a nature trail all make ideal surfaces for taking your first steps barefoot. Different types of ground stimulate the foot muscles and give you a surprisingly intense feeling of being connected with nature.
🌿 Life hack: walking barefoot is particularly pleasant in the early morning or late afternoon – when the ground is still nice and cool or already pleasantly warm.
2. Experience the forest with each and every sense
It is not the destination that matters when forest bathing, but the moment itself, the conscious act of perception: the light filtering through the trees; the scents of wood, resin and moss; the soft crackling of twigs; the chirping of birds; or the feeling of the different textures of the ground.
🌲 Life hack: simply stop for a moment, sit down or even lie on the floor, close your eyes and take three deep breaths – this is often all it takes to clear your head.
3. Discover selfness in the great outdoors
The Vitalpina Hotels of South Tyrol combine the experience of nature with mindful moments for body and spirit. Guided forest bathing experiences, nature walks and short mindfulness exercises all help you quickly regain your balance.
🌄 Life hack: nature has a particularly powerful effect when you simply put your smartphone and watch away. Just make yourself unreachable for a little while!
I’m in the forest, so I might be a bit late…
Spring brings with it a sense of movement – into the natural world, into everyday life and, if you just let it, into your own thoughts too. Because every new feeling of lightness begins simply, with a small step.
Barefoot, relaxed and light, right into the heart of spring.
And what are your own springtime rituals, whether large or small?
Why not send them to us? We look forward to reading them!
info@vitalpina.info
Barefoot, relaxed and light, right into the heart of spring.
And what are your own springtime rituals, whether large or small?
Why not send them to us? We look forward to reading them!
info@vitalpina.info