Immersing in the Forest

At the heart of the Nature Park at Ramat Hanadiv, about ten minutes’ walk from the car park, “A Silent Space” awaits you: a magical nook in the forest welcomes you for a relaxed stay. You are welcome to come and become addicted to the silence of nature, far from the distractions of daily life.

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Have you ever entered a forest or woodland in the light of day, and all you wanted was to stay there alone in the silence and to leave only after a very long time? Then you should know that this is not coincidental; your body is right. A stay in the forest has been proven to have a calming and even healing effect on the body, and of course on the soul, and this even has a name: “forest bathing”.

About a year ago one of the volunteers at Ramat Hanadiv became ill; she related that every day she came to stroll in the forest until she recovered. Spending time in nature and in the forest improved her health incredibly. Following this story, we studied the topic and decided to establish a small forest nook at Ramat Hanadiv, designed for a quiet, calm rest. We added some comfortable rocks to sit on, and we called the place “A Silent Space”.

What is here? Mostly quiet, the tweeting of birds, a view to the sea, many trees and shade – a place of your own for a quiet rest in nature, for as much time as you like.

A stay in the forest has been proven to have a calming and even healing effect on the body, and of course on the soul, and this even has a name: “forest bathing”.

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Forest bathing

The term “forest bathing” was coined in Japan in the 1980s. Since then, the Japanese have special walking trails in their forests, which are ranked by their healing level. Following studies that proved that spending time in the forest improves many bodily indices, “forest medicine” also developed.

The research findings show that spending time near trees on a regular basis, at least once a month, leads to an increase in the number of healthy cells in the body that destroy sick cells. There is also a positive effect on blood pressure indices and more.

Forest bathing is thus named because just like in a bath at home, we immerse ourselves in the forest for an extended period of time, with all our senses: touching, listening, smelling…

How can we do effective forest bathing?

We’ll come to the forest alone or with company, and neutralize all possible sources of sound, such as telephones. If we’re with children, we’ll explain to them in advance that they must remain quiet.
We’ll activate all our senses: we’ll examine the trees, the rocks, the soil. We’ll listen to the wind, to the tweeting of birds. We’ll connect to the smells. We’ll touch the trees; we may even take off our shoes to feel the soil. If there are plants that we know are not poisonous, we can taste them.
We’ll do any calm activity that doesn’t require effort: we’ll stroll, sit or lie down, or even read a book or eat.
We’ll take breaths deep into our lungs – inhaling and exhaling.
Of course, the more time we spend there, the more effects of the forest we’ll absorb. So set aside at least half an hour; the more time you rest, the more advantages you’ll gain.

How do we get to “Silent Space”?

“A Silent Space” is ten minutes’ walk from the main carpark of Ramat Hanadiv. The walk itself is a beautiful stroll along the lesser-known trails of the park.

We’ll park close to the playground and look for the vehicle barrier to the left. We’ll pass the barrier on foot and walk along the dirt trail until we see a small wooden gate to the left. We’ll open it, enter, and walk straight until we reach the “solar tree” – a tree-like structure with solar panels. Here we turn left. Next to the carob tree we’ll turn right. At the intersection, by the pole with signage for the bicycle trail, we’ll continue straight until we see the sign “A Silent Space”. To the right of us is a field of food crops for wildlife, which is cultivated using traditional methods to preserve the rare plant species growing here. To our left, a forest nook invites us to enter and immerse ourselves.

We wish you much enjoyment and health!