“My Shinrin Yoku trail has been a path of self discovery. And it still is. 

I’m traveling through life and on my backpack a new patch of a Japanese Hinoki tree is sewed. 

It’s my certification. My souvenir that invites me to discover new destinations. Still unknown, but inviting. 

My Shinrin Yoku patch helps me to see and choose more paths then before. More directions, more chances, more knowledge and more inspiration. My map and my world became bigger. My monkey mind got calmer and my inner bear got louder. 

I’ve learned that being connected to nature is being connected to yourself. We are nature. We come from nature and that’s why we all return to nature. That’s why we find health and happiness in nature. 

I mostly enjoyed the gifts that come to you when you open up your senses. When you listen to the invitations of nature. When you look with different eyes or feel with different fingers. Finding awesomeness in ultimate awareness. Like witnessing the dance of light and shadow through the leaves of a tree. I’ve learned to take myself into the present moment. 

The only place where life truly exists. Nature showed me the way. 

I gained a greater awareness of different perspectives. Reconnecting with nature rewires the brain. Just like being thankful. So I’ll celebrate this certification by having and sending thankful thoughts every coming day for 21 days. 

Thank you Milena for making this all possible. And thank you, all new friends. Thank you for your wonderful support and stories. Thank you for your part in my journey. “