The Benefits of Nature Walks

Do you ever scroll past something on Facebook without reading it fully and yet feel like you’ve internalized the concept?

That’s how I feel about the Japanese concept of forests being therapeutic. I don’t think I’ve read a full article about it because the idea feels so easy to comprehend. That’s exactly how I feel about spending time in forests! It feels rejuvenating and grounding and calming all at once.

When I lived in Houston (pre-children), I had the most amazing weekend routine: every Saturday and Sunday, I would run three miles around the Memorial Park trail, and then I would head to the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center for an hour-long walk through the forest. It is totally free!

During the aughts (is that how I write that?), the Arboretum was never crowded. I could walk for an entire hour and only see 2-3 other groups of people. No biking or running are aloud, so it is an incredibly relaxing place. And yet it also feels like a safe place to walk as a solo female. I loved my time in that forest dearly.

Now that I live in Austin (which is a way more natural and nature-centered city than Houston!), I still haven’t been able to find the right kind of nature trail for me. There are lots of amazing ones (way better than Houston), but they are overrun with other walkers, runners, and bikers. It’s not relaxing at all.

The closest thing I’ve been able to find is the Zilker Botanical Garden. The downsides are that it costs $2 for Austin residents, is way too short, and has cheesy things sprinkled throughout (like dinosaur statues). But there are no runners, bikes, or dogs off leashes, and it has lots of pretty spots.

I’ll keep searching for the best possible trail for regular forest therapy!