Its life Gym, but not as we know it

[oldclaypaws]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26871970

Excuse the Startrek pun. Sure all woodland owners could have told them the conclusions of the above research, that being in a green outdoor environment has huge health benefits and greatly reduces stress. Since I got the wood I've lost a stone in weight, I no longer get sad / seasonal adjustment disorder / miserable sod in the winter, and I find if troubled by something, I forget it all in the wood.

I've had a bit of a rough week, about the worst anyone could have- I lost my Mum last week- but I've found being in the wood so soothing, I'm considering whether I should try to explore the 'forest bathing' sessions I have myself as bookable sessions a couple of times a week for other people, once my little cabin is built and the parking is sorted. It would be good on a small scale to use the wood as a 'healing' place, certainly works for me.

[TerryH]

Very sorry to hear about your Mum claypaws
(Lost my father about a year ago and while going to the funeral, we got the news from our solicitor that the purchase of our wood had just completed - how's that for a day of conflicting emotions! )
Yes, I have to agree with everything you said about health benefits of the woods.
I never was interested in joining a gym .. pay money to do some exercise... WTF!?
But now I have my own woodland gym: walking, shifting Iogs around, using bow saw rather chainsaw if possible etc.. I take 2 litres of water with me and tend to only think about going home when I see that the bottle's about to run out.

[oldclaypaws]

So true. So you have the used empty 2 Lt fizzy drink bottle too? I usually put in a dash of lime juice after I've filled it from the tap. I find even on a cold day in January / Feb I sweat buckets and usually end up chainsawing in a T- shirt, as the snow quietly goes 'dumphh', landing on your shoulders. Noisy stuff, snow.

I've now progressed to permanently carrying a 30 litre former wine-dispensing barrel in the back of the log-mobile for the dogs. After chasing each other round trees for half an hour, they drink about 3 or 4 litres each, so after a very active afternoon I often steal some water from their barrel.

Since getting the wood I've dropped from my record weight to my optimum weight and rediscovered old pairs of trousers. No longer need the 30 litre wine container other than for water, instead of quaffing a litre of Merlot every summer night, I'm down the wood hauling logs.

I mentioned to Smojo that the cost of my wood, divided into a daily cost over the next 30 years, is the equivalent of 2 pints of beer per day. There are people whose recreation is 5 pints a night every night down the local, which is both very expensive and unhealthy. The woodland Gym seems a far better choice.

[oldclaypaws]

I'm having one of those Eureka moments, when certain accrued experiences, ideas and opportunities start to gel into a firm, attractive and marketable idea which sits well with my other plans for the wood.

Throughout my life I've leaned heavily towards quiet contemplation, natural places, and gentle artistic pursuits. I'm a bit of a noble-peasant-philosopher-craftsman, as you do.

I trained to a high degree in the Japanese art of Chanoyu, or Tea Ceremony and performed many public demonstrations of it, it gave me many hours of timeless lovely moments. I also offered sessions of Raku Pottery firing, where people sat round in a circle, decorated a piece of pottery, then saw it fired in a portable kiln, and cooled to examine in the hand within an hour. I also get great satisfaction from just sitting in a corner of the wood occasionally, looking at the moss, rain on the leaves, ferns gently shivering in the breeze. Powerful stuff.

I guess it all revolves round using simple primal elements in an agreeable fulfilling way; fire, earth, water, tea, creativity.

Chuck in a wonderful small private ancient wood, a bit of parking, there are lots of ways of sharing and building on that as using the wood as a chillaxing arty- contemplative venue. Not just viable, but a nice way to share the wood agreeably in a low impact way, and bring pleasure and tranquillity to people.

[Meadowcopse]

Sorry to hear of your loss and hope the woodland goes some way towards positive contemplation of things.
Chai Tea, rather than Tai Chi...

I discretely stuck a picnic bench in my plot, in the furthest corner from the gateway and track. A ten metre circle of young birch trees surrounds it and I probably spend as much time there than in the house. A couple of trustable locals also drop by now and then (I think their missus thinks the dog has two hour walk)!
I'm often there into the evening as the owls start calling and often put a meal together out there, than dash back home...

I'm aware of a couple of people putting together projects on various levels for relaxed woodland access for positive management of depression or other mental health aspects.
I certainly get a few volunteers for odd jobs and projects, from friends that don't readily have access to relaxed / safe outdoor spaces.

[Tarrel]

Sorry for your loss. I also lost my dad about a year ago, and agree that time in the wood is therapeutic.

As the saying goes; "Live on your land, sleep in your house."

We live about six miles from our woodland, so I do need to make a conscious decision to go there. Since putting the chickens in there I need to go down every morning to let them out. I'm finding this beneficial. You do get a different perspective when you're there every day, even if it's only for a short while.

[dredger99]

Sorry to hear about your loss claypaws.


The one thing i love about reading posts and sometimes posting on this forum is people here get it.
I was always trying to explain to people why i bought woodlands, explaining how soothing it is just being in the woods and its like prozac for the soul, but alas some people really don't understand.

I've shown people around the woods and i know that all some of them see is trees, they walk and look and don't actually see if you know what i mean.
That is why I thought your walkaround video was great claypaws, i loved the way you know your woods so well and just watching the video gave me that tranquil feeling i get when i'm in my own woods.
Ha ha i'm sounding like an old hippy.

Anyway i'm inspired byoldclaypaws / Dextersshed amongst others and the effort you guys put in via facebook and the forum and i am hoping to get more involved with videos / posts etc.

Landpikey.

Hopefully in a few weeks time i will be taking a beautifully painted camouflage caravan into the woods so if you see me going about pop in for a brew.
(I will post pre and post pictures on the forum)


Dredger

[Dexter's Shed]

it's crazy that living and dying are all part of life, yet were never really ready for it, it's always shoved to the back of the mind and forgotten about, at least two other plot holders in our woods, have like us, only been in a financial position to buy their woods, due to the passing of a loved one and the inheritance that was left behind, and like us have buried ashes at the woods so they can be remembered on every visit, both myself and the wife sit on the bench and have a conversation with mum & dad, and hopefully in the very distant future, I'll be there too.




we have amassed a few helpers over the last year, our most trusted friend lewis "head ranger" and his family see it as a stress free chill out area, although always happy to help out with jobs, they also, like us, love just sitting an enjoying nature

and the camo caravan's, I think I've started something there, meeting up with an adjoining plot holder a few weeks back at our boundary for a chat, his words were, "I thought you would have a caravan here by now", my reply, I HAVE, it's been here a few weeks, do you want to come see, well, within a week he had one too, and we gave him some nato green paint to get rid of the whiter than white look, chatting with two other plot holders on our facebook group, yup they are on the look out too

[dredger99]

Hey Dexter's shed.

You definitely put me on the camouflage caravan path, i was in two minds whether to paint it or not, well there was my mind and there was the wife's mind
I will post some before and after pics once i'm finished and hopefully some in the woods pics.

I was given a go pro for Christmas so its about time i put it to use.

Dredger

[TerryH]

... living and dying are all part of life...

...we took my 84 year old mum down to the woods on Mothers day and she put a little note on the cherry tree ( we planted it last year with Dad's ashes ) saying how much we all missed him etc. The tree was only just coming into leaf at the time.
Went back again with my missus on Sunday and found it bursting flowers. I know it's springtime and it was going to happen anyway but , you know, it makes you think.