Author : Article courtesy of the staff of Adler Dolomiti.
Italy, September 2017: Hugging a tree could seriously improve the quality of your life as Adler Dolomiti’s “Yoga & the Healing Power of Trees” package sets out to demonstrate. Surprised? Don’t be. Trees have amazing therapeutic qualities and many of today’s pharmaceuticals are derived from trees: aspirin comes from willow bark and Pycnogenol, which protects against deep vein thrombosis, is made from pine tree bark.
In the early 1980s, Japanese scientists discovered that simply inhaling the aromas produced by trees could immunise the body against disease. Phytonicides, which trees emit to protect themselves from harmful insects and germs, have strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal qualities when inhaled by humans. American medical research has also proved that just being among trees is good for well-being, with stress levels and blood pressure lowered within three minutes of being in a green space.
Touching, stroking, leaning on and, above all, hugging a tree is beneficial to your health, with individual tree species having different effects on people. For example, among the trees that are prevalent in the Dolomites, beech improves concentration and well-being, will help ease a sore throat and improves kidney function, while pine is good for the respiratory system, helps to treat depression and restores balance, while reducing fatigue.
To exploit the vitality provided by trees, Adler Dolomiti’s “Yoga & the Healing Power of Trees” includes two sessions of outdoor yoga amid the outstanding natural beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Italian Dolomites that will help to re-charge guests’ batteries, while helping to establish inner harmony and peace. On the walk to the outdoor spot chosen for yoga, guests will be introduced to the theory of silvotherapy (the art of healing the body by harnessing the energy of the trees).
All photos courtesy of Adler Dolomiti.