The soothing island
Country Life UK|July 14, 2021
From forest bathing to beach moonwalks, Jersey is the perfect place to find solace in Nature, says Antonia Windsor
Antonia Windsor
The soothing island

I AM standing at the foot of a towering eucalyptus tree, watching light dart and flutter as the breeze moves through the leaves. The scent that wafts on the wind reminds me of massage rooms in luxury resorts, but I am more relaxed than I have ever been on a massage table and I am doing nothing more than paying close attention to the trees and flowers, birds and insects of the wood I find myself in. I am ‘forest bathing’.

The concept was first developed in Japan as an attempt to revive burnt-out townies. People were brought to the forest to recuperate and studies were made to assess the impact on heart rate, cortisol levels and mental health. The positive results saw the trend taking off in neighbouring Korea, then spreading across the western world and eventually reaching Jersey’s shores.

Even on this peaceful island, life can get hectic, particularly for those that work in the busy financial industries, and Amanda Bond, a trained eco-therapist who leads monthly forest-bathing walks, has no shortage of people keen to experience the restorative nature of the forest for themselves.

The arboretum that surrounds St Peter’s Val de la Mare reservoir is a fitting location to take in Nature. The trees here, including giant American redwoods, Japanese cypresses and Australian bottlebrushes, were donated by the Moores family in the 1970s and planted in memory of their son Nigel, who had died in a car accident. After several years, the trees had been allowed to grow to full size, without any human interference, and they now cohabit and interconnect in a peaceful wilderness that unites all corners of the globe.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 14, 2021 من Country Life UK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 14, 2021 من Country Life UK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من COUNTRY LIFE UK مشاهدة الكل
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
Country Life UK

Kitchen garden cook - Apples

'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'

time-read
2 mins  |
October 23, 2024
The original Mr Rochester
Country Life UK

The original Mr Rochester

Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre

time-read
5 mins  |
October 23, 2024
Get it write
Country Life UK

Get it write

Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution

time-read
6 mins  |
October 23, 2024
'Sloes hath ben my food'
Country Life UK

'Sloes hath ben my food'

A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright

time-read
3 mins  |
October 23, 2024
Souvenirs of greatness
Country Life UK

Souvenirs of greatness

FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 23, 2024
Plants for plants' sake
Country Life UK

Plants for plants' sake

The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson

time-read
7 mins  |
October 23, 2024
Capturing the castle
Country Life UK

Capturing the castle

Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker

time-read
6 mins  |
October 23, 2024
Nature's own cathedral
Country Life UK

Nature's own cathedral

Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods

time-read
5 mins  |
October 23, 2024
All that money could buy
Country Life UK

All that money could buy

A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages

time-read
8 mins  |
October 23, 2024
In with the old
Country Life UK

In with the old

Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery

time-read
5 mins  |
October 23, 2024