In an off-the-grid adventure, Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes, along with their daughters Esmeralda and Amanda, discovered the serene beauty of Australia. See details.
A gossamer rain is falling as I walk through a temperate rainforest, its gentle percussion on my jacket accompanying the crack of whip birds and the tamborine rustle of leaves. I have been invited to stroll mindfully on this trail, observing the details of the forest; the mosaic of green in the dappled light, the coarse bark of a coachwood tree where cicada exoskeletons cling; a tangle of vines, looped like dropped stitches in Mother Nature s giant scarf.
This awakening of the senses is part of a guided Nature Therapy Walk at the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mount Tomah, exploring what the Japanese call shinrin-yuko, or forest bathing. Popularised during the 1980s when corporate stress was at its most destructive, this preventative health practice is designed to connect participants with the environment, unlocking the power of nature to refresh, de-stress, rejuvenate and heal body and mind.