We take the metro from Stockholm Central to Akalla and walk to the entrance of the nature reserve at Hägerstalund (the metro and the walk takes 40 minutes).
It's 10 am when we start our walk.
We take the metro from Stockholm Central to Akalla and walk to the entrance of the nature reserve at Hägerstalund (the metro and the walk takes 40 minutes).
It's 10 am when we start our walk.
Before we start. Prioritize this moment in nature, make sure you have some extra time afterwards. This slow walk will take 1.5 - 2 hours. Also, turn off your mobile phone and detach completely from everyday life for a while. (Also give yourself some time for this virtual walk, it takes 5-10 minutes).
Add sound to the experience. If you have decent speakers on your computer/pad or headphones, you can turn on the sounds of nature. Click below, to hear the sounds from this walk. But don’t forget to turn up the volume, the sounds of nature are subtle.
We start our walk on a flat gravel road that provides the opportunity to find a peaceful pace. You can increase the experience if you hold back and walk a little slower.
"Smell the roses" and "Life is a journey not a destination" On this walk we can translate these words of wisdom into action.
This is a walk focused on being in nature.
We leave the gravel road and walk onto a small trail. We also leave everyday life and the city behind us.
It takes a while for the "mind chatter" (about everything we should have done or should do later) to subside.
In the city, with noise all around us, our hearing is jaded, but when we walk into a piece of nature that offers silence, we activate our ears.
Surronded by silence the chirping of the birds becomes salient.
Stop, take a deep breath, look up.
We are completely surrounded by nature and no part of the city is visible.
Let's ignore the name of the trees and the name of the birds that are singing during this walk. We all need moments without analyzing, trying to understand or explain.
Moments of being deeply present and alive.
Listen. Can you hear the sound of your steps on the trail?
When we walk slowly our attention and presence increases.
Stop and look around.
The wealth of nature is all around us.
Feel the wind on your face.
Can you hear the sound of the wind in the trees?
Sit for a while and take a few deep breaths.
Is the external peacefulness reflected in inner stillness?
Look up where you sit.
The gnarled mossy tree is full of life.
The bird life is intense and the sounds of the city are fading and only heard as a low background noise.
Smell. Close to the ground the aromas of the forest are vibrant.
We continue along the path.
The slow pace feels more natural after a while
This walk on a warm spring day is absolutely incomparable.
We now go from leaf to pine forest.
Listen a little bit extra, as the sounds of the forest changes.
The pine forest becomes denser and we are embraced by large trees.
Smells, sounds and lights. Everything changes.
A small sheltered glade in the forest, we sit down for a while.
It is even quieter, you can hear a faint sound when the wind moves in the treetops.
We keep walking and the roots on the trail compels us to be alert and walk slowly.
Listen to your steps on the trail again. The dry crunchy needles adds a special sound.
We stop again at the interface between the pine forest and wetland.
Here bird life is particularly intense, the chirping of birds echoes in the silence.
We walk on boardwalks over the wetlands.
Smell the scent of the moist soil.
Up a winding path, this is a good opportunity to engage the sense of touch.
Feel the bark of trees, pines and moss. When we engage our touch sensors presence increases.
The path through the pine forest becomes wider.
We are now going back and can imagine the end of our walk. But do not rush off, stay with the slow peaceful pace.
The trail turns into a gravel road and we stop and sit down under a big oak tree. The open landscape has it's own sound, smell and light.
The gravel road then leads us across the fields ...
... and back to the starting point. This amazing walk is directly adjacent to one of Stockholm's major suburbs. It's twelve o'clock and our 2 hour walk is over. Have inner peace and tranquility increased?
Perhaps a walk like this can give us the resources to better manage our day? Perhaps this encounter with nature can help us be more present and see the wonder and magic of our so-called normal everyday life?
I hope you have enjoyed this low-tech virtual forest bath and if you happen to be in Stockholm contact me and I will give you a guided tour in the real fantastic nature of Stockholm (but remember it’s going to be a guided tour in silence and you will not learn anything about trees, geology and history, but maybe something about silence, stillness and....).
Sound facts: On this varm spring day in May the underlying noise level was between 30 and 38 dBA. The sounds of nature was completely dominant.
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