Tree hugging

Tree Hugging

We hope that this introduction has not bored you, because today’s topic is really interesting.

We wanted to interest you in the issue of health benefits of hugging trees, explain why it actually works, answer the question of whether hugging trees gives you energy and what the concept of tree hugger means. Believe us, you don’t have to be a hippy to hug trees, medicine more and more accurately describes the benefits of this form of activity.

Oxygen is a chemical element denoted as O from the Latin oxygenium. Absolutely the most important element for our existence, the basis of the life of every aerobic organism. We consume 200 ml of oxygen on average per minute. It is produced by plants and oceans, when its level in the air drops below 10% we start to feel it, e.g. in the high mountains.

Man came up with a nice term for forests, especially the Amazon rainforest, which is called the Earth’s green lungs. However, it is every tree and flower that has its share in increasing the amount of oxygen in nature and controlling the climate.

We also use trees in a different way from the production of furniture and cosmetics to more prosaic issues such as a place to shelter from rain or heat. Before proceeding to medical appeals, let’s look at the historical relationship of man with trees and how ancestors associated their spirituality with them.

Spiritual Tree

Let’s skip the times when trees were our homes and move back many years, the rise and fall of various cultures. Currently, trees are simply plants for us, we do not attach much importance to them, and if we pay attention to them in terms of their biological properties, we do not activate spiritual mechanisms.

Not so long ago, from the point of view of world history and our development, people treated trees differently. They lived with them in a much greater harmony, they were often cult objects, lived in them the spirit of forests, gave people fertility, wisdom and power.

If you look at ancient civilization, you will quickly see a pattern. Trees are found in numerous religions, cults and myths on virtually every continent. Forests and groves are known places from Greek, Celtic and Slavic mythology. Stonehenge is a place where druids merged with nature.

The most “popular” tree in history is probably the biblical “tree of knowledge of good and evil” found in Genesis.

Reaching for the Far East culture, we will find a story in which the Buddha achieved his enlightenment meditating in the shade of the Bohdi tree.

The construction of the tree was often a topic to interpret the basics of our world. Some spiritual cultures saw roots as interpretations of the underworld, and trunk and branches as earth and sky.

In The Golden Bough you will find a description of the German penalty for depriving a bark tree.

It consisted of cutting out a wine vine and tying it to a tree trunk. This is a very extreme approach, which of course is not adequate to the fault, but illustrates what cult trees were once worshiped.

In Taoism (the traditional Chinese system of values ​​and religion), it is thought that trees are very spiritually advanced because they are in constant meditation. Hugging trees can treat various diseases and disorders, it all depends on what tree you decide to hug, for example:

• Cinnamon – removes cold from the heart and stomach

• Figs – treat diarrhea

• Birches – detoxification of the body

• Willows – regulate blood pressure

Trees are also supposed to help in opening the energy channel, they have emotions and sense of touch.

The healing power of trees

What’s up with this tree hugging? Have you noticed, at your walks or trips in the woods, at your home or your children that you are calmer?

The green energy of trees has an amazing impact on our behavior. You can quote the book Blinded by Science by Matthew Silverstone, which cites evidence of the benefits of tree energy for people with mental health problems.

Trees or the generally understood closeness of nature have a positive impact, e.g. on children with ADHD and people prone to depression. The youngest are especially susceptible to the green energy of trees, which does not mean that their vibration properties will not have an effect on improving the mood of adults.

Oxytocin called the love hormone increases when hugged. It does not necessarily have to be a tree, a similar effect will be achieved by hugging a loved one. When hugging trees, you also activate dopamine and serotonin hormones that will make you happier.

Shinrin-yoku has probably not spoken much to you so far. From today you will know that this Japanese term for forest bathing, a healthy practice of communing with nature, mainly in forests, was initiated in Japan and quickly spread throughout the world. The name comes from the similarity that occurs between immersion in water and in the middle of the forest. It is a therapy with preventive, rehabilitative and supportive features.

The forest is a place that lives and is full of many aerobiological factors (essential oils and phytoncides), has natural climatic features such as lighting and humidity, and provides people with many natural stimuli such as smell, sound and touch.

Such therapy causes a reduction in diabetic glucose levels and the reason for this is not the movement and burning calories. Other benefits include help in people with hypertension and blood pressure, which has a positive effect on coronary artery disease and reduces the risk of heart disease.

So you will read about the therapy itself in a separate article about Shinrin-yoku.

The trees will give you their green energy especially in the forests, secluded places where you can afford to be intimate with nature. You can talk to them about what you want, about your problems and fears, although it may seem a bit silly, sometimes it is good to talk out, even in loneliness.

Psychology is constantly exploring the benefits of being close to nature. At this moment, the positive impact of the natural environment on our lives is confirmed by both psychologists and doctors. Even such small things as segregation of garbage and taking part in recycling programs increases our level of happiness.

Richard Louv in the book The Last Child in the Woods described the departure of people from nature, called this process “nature deficit syndrome”. The book reads about research that indicates a better mood for people with ADHD, anxiety and depression in green areas. By the way, these diseases are the bane of the modern world, urban life and value changes.

Conclusions from the research of scientists can be reduced to the thesis saying that children with ADHD experience a reduction of symptoms of the disease in close proximity to nature, patients recover faster when they are placed in rooms with a view of nature and the impact of wood cover on better delivery.

We departed a little from the main topic, i.e. the healing power of trees, in favor of the general advantages resulting from changing the urban environment to forestry, so let’s return to the theme.

Hugging a tree gives you energy, mental energy, and as you know, even the healthiest organism with a broken psyche will not do much. Hugging trees affects our senses, and this affects our health, especially in some diseases.

We will not cure cancer this way, but we can reduce the effects of some diseases or prevent them by using this as a preventive measure. In this aspect, the topic of medicines made from willow bark (Aspirin) should be discussed, yew is an element of taxol, tea tree oil helps against skin infections and cinnamon tree quinine is the basis of many anti-malarial drugs.

As a curiosity, we give trees that have energy, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have shown that trees can store up to 200 millivolts of electricity. They managed to build a converter that captured energy and was able to enlarge it to 1.1 volts.

This “physical energy” of trees is definitely less practical than the power obtained by solar panels but can be used when mounting devices on trees that are to detect forest fires.

How to use tree energy in cities?

Tree energy transfer may be difficult in cities. I don’t know about you, but I live in a place with a view of a 4-lane road and dense buildings. In my area there is one small park, which is frequented by a lot of people.

Despite this, I like to go for walks with his dog, he feels relaxed and I think calmly about my plans.

However, the moment of privacy is not a dream, so I do not hug the trees. I do not do it all the more to the trees that are near the sidewalks, the comfort of such an activity would be rather small. Which doesn’t mean that trees in cities don’t matter. Apart from purely practical / biological aspects such as oxygen production, CO2 absorption and shade on hot days, they fulfill social roles.

If you have the option of forcing the authorities of your district to plant a few pieces, do it, not only that the streets look friendlier right away, there are many other positive values ​​flowing from this action.

If you are in a similar situation, it is worth checking if you have any plants at home and at work. If not, go to the store and buy a few flowers, they will enliven your everyday spaces. When going to work, shopping or to a friend, try to go to more forested areas. Having children is an ideal excuse to have fun together in the park or outside of the city, if you do not have them, I think you know what to do 😊.

Where did the term tree hugger come from?

Unfortunately, the image of an ecologist suffers a lot from pranks of people sticking to trees on any occasion. Their administrative and educational work, and just normal forest protection would have far more effect than shouting “this is my tree, you will not cut it out, you mean capitalist.”

The concept of tree hugger is rather pejorative, precisely because of such actions.

If you want to offend an ecologist, you use the words “tree hugger”, often accompanied by other insults, but this is one of the basic. In China, this adjective is replaced by another “panda hugger”.

People struggling for environmental protection are often treated as fools taken out of society, which they exaggerate. Despite many positive actions, the concept of “tree hugger” appeared in the recent election campaign in the United States.

Are real environmentalists worried about this? Not really, especially since more and more people are realizing how their daily activities affect the climate we have today and what may happen in the future.

Treehugger definition – if you search the internet for this phrase, you will be disappointed because there is no specific definition in a few sentences. Everything is based on knowing the genesis, the word. If you would not like to continue reading, just let this definition of tree hugger – Slang, sometimes offensive, term for environmentalists. If you want to find out where to look for the beginning of tree huggers and what hippies have to do with it, take a look at the following paragraphs.

People and trees have a story that was discussed at the beginning of the article. It is not difficult to understand why trees have always played an important role in our cultures. It was no different with Bishnois, living in Khejadli, in India. People living there in 1730 is the first documented forfeiture of tree hugerrs. It was a people who considered trees growing in the area to be sacred.

Developing India needed wood to erect new buildings. This time, however, it was an unjustified prank of the authorities.

On this black Tuesday, the army of Maharaja of Jodhpur came to the village of Khejarli, he ordered the cutting of green trees of Khejri. Amrita Devi and her daughters Asu, Ratni and Bhagu tried to block tree felling that he ordered.

She protested against the king’s people saying that it was against bishnoi religion, but they didn’t care. In exchange for saving trees, they demanded a bribe, Amrita refused. She would then say: If a tree is saved even at the cost of one’s head, it’s worth it.

She hugged the tree, and the ax deprived her of her head. Her daughters also followed her path. News spread quickly around the area. People in Bishna have acknowledged that each tree to be felled will be accompanied by one volunteer who will sacrifice his life.

They were usually elderly people who died clutching sacred trees. This did not impress Hakim, the leader of the royal party. However, the people who executed were shocked, the news reached Maharaja who as soon as he learned about it banned further logging. The actions ended in the death of 363 people.

Tree hugging hippie

It is believed that this sad and at the same time beautiful story of sacrifice inspired the Chipko movement in the 70s of the last century. It was a forest protection movement in India which involved attaching women to trees in the Himalayas.

Protests have worked, and they have been made loud, since then it has been seen all over the world.

Paradoxically, the hippies had no direct impact on the terminology. This is the nickname added to further harm ecologists.