Hello natural beauties I hope you’re all well and happy. Spring has sprung in Australia and there’s no better way to appreciate the weather than with a bush walk, talking to the flowers, hugging the trees, listening to the cockatoos and kookaburras overhead and breathing the wild bush air.
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The Kuringai WIldflower garden in St Ives, a northern suburb of Sydney, boasts a few walking tracks, lots of protected bush, a fern garden, a playground with a tame swamp wallaby and a very beautiful lace monitor (big lizard) in its midst. It borders Kuringai National Parkand the lovely Kuringai creek. We walked the Mueller track which takes about 1.45 mins and listened to whipbirds, admired angophras and delighted in the bright wild flower colours.
Acacia (wattle) in the Kuringai Wildflower Garden
Last week i wrote about Japanese Forest bathing, well this is Australian bush bathing at its best.Here’s a little snippet of what we experienced.Being in the bush helps me relax and expand my awareness, and appreciate life in the simple and bold colours and scents of nature.
Grevillea …I loved the bright orange flashes of fungi
The visitors centre has a display of “what’s flowering now”and sells some natives in pots too.
I loved this little soft pink flower that seemed to be everywhere
Enjoying nature in the the lovely weather is a true gift.
Hello natural beauties! Following on from the last post about Sal Battaglia’s AROMATREE book, I’d like to share 2 other lovely experiences from that day in Sydney: Shinrin-yoku (Japanese forest bathing) and the very powerful yakusugi oil.
Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here:
Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, was created in Japan in the 1980’s as a way to invite people into the beautiful forests to simply experience the serenity, power and positive energy they provide. This was spearheaded by the director of the Japanese Forestry Agency to help people destress. He had himself been inspired by 17th century haiku poets, and the notion was to simply commune with nature. Not walking or running, not listening to a podcast, just being in the beauty of nature.
In this little guidebook we are invited to dip our hands and fingers in a stream, feel the trunk of an ancient tree, smell the fragrances of the forest and use all our senses to drink in the delights ofnature.
The benefits include, reduced muscle tension and stress in general, improved cognitive function and help with anxiety and other emotional disorders. I walk in the Australian bush all the time and I know it makes me happyas I get a kick from the beautiful eucalyptus oil and smells of the bush.The phytoncides (including essential oils) from trees and shrubs give us the immense connection to the divine while having our entire physical and emotional senses enlivened.
Of course I bought the little collection of Japanese oils and have bathed with them many times. Not only that, I also received a free gift …
And now to the very interesting and extremely limited edition of Yakusugi essential oil which would have already sold out by now.When I realised this oil was in short supply I did buy it and then opened it straight away. I said to the lady sitting next to me that I thought it had a moist fungal-like scent to it. Since then I also get a slight hint of Palo Santo.
Sal describes the scent:“a delicate, woody note with a sweet-resiny woody undertone”, and recommends the oil could be used as an enhancement to spirituality, and a stress reliever. The oil is high in sesquiterpenes but has had little research into its qualities. So if you get a chance to experience the oil, just enjoy!
This oil is also called Japanese cedar, and hails from the island of Yakushima. The oil is steam distilled from ancient fallen trees (deadwood) from Cryptomeria japonica, by a local producer. If you’re interested in this oil I’d sign up to the Perfect Potion email list in the exciting event that Sal is able to buy more of this precious oil.
I feel very fortunate to have this subtle yet powerful oil in my collection.
suzannerbanks 