The press kits for ski journalists have started arriving from the Alps and a common theme in the first arrivals from France are the beneficial effects of trees.
We are not talking tree skiing so much as appreciating the natural power of trees – or a kind of arboreal sophrology*.
“Trees help humans by transmitting their beneficial energies” explains a spokesperson for La Plagne, where ski instructor and sophrologist Karine will this winter take people to meet trees around the resort, adding, “She takes her guests from the slopes to the forest to connect with nature and receive all its benefits, such as confidence, concentration and wellbeing. She hopes this will help people to learn to ski serenely, positively and with energy.”
Karine’s 90 minute private sessions in the trees (pictured below) cost 75 Euros per person and are based in Montchavin-Les Coches.
And it’s not just La Plagne. In the 3 Valleys, Sabrina, a forest therapist, has turned her passion for plants into her career, offering many different activities to harness their beneficial effects, including a wild plant session, natural cosmetics workshops and discovery walks such – all known as sylvotherapy.
“Now becoming more well known, sylvotherapy uses the positive energy emitted by trees and invites you to embrace the elements and reconnect with your instincts, using an essential part of our environment – trees, a symbol of strength, balance and longevity,” a spokesperson for St Martin de Belleville explained, adding, “Getting the balance right in this mountain environment , where nature invites us to reconnect, finding and maintaining your inner balance couldn’t be easier. …This re-energising experience is becoming increasingly popular, with its scientifically proven beneficial effects sure to win over even the most skeptical.”
Sabrina’s sylvotherapy sessions (pictured top) will run in March and April 2021 in Saint Martin de Belleville, for two hours at a time, and are free of charge.
( *For those not in the know, Wikipedia tells us: “Sophrology is a popular self-help method in continental Europe, uniquely combining Western science and Eastern wisdom to help manage stress, sleep better and discover mindful living.”)
