Watch blooming flowers interact with fire, ice, and ink in this gorgeous time-lapse by Thomas Blanchard. Set to a dramatic score, the vibrant beauty of the blooms is highlighted as they transition through the four “seasons” represented by each element.
Thursday, December 30, 2021
See the Stunning Beauty of Flowers Exposed to Fire, Ice, and Ink | Short Film Showcase
Watch blooming flowers interact with fire, ice, and ink in this gorgeous time-lapse by Thomas Blanchard. Set to a dramatic score, the vibrant beauty of the blooms is highlighted as they transition through the four “seasons” represented by each element.
Monday, December 27, 2021
Ten Reasons Why We Need More Contact with Nature
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| Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Photograph: Graeme Robertson |
By:Richard Louv
It improves your memory, helps you recuperate and even makes your sense of smell more acute. So turn off your computer and get outside
• The more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need
We have a human right to a meaningful connection to nature, and we have the responsibilities that come with that right. Many people today support the notion that every person, especially every young person, has a right to access the internet. How much more should every person have a right to access the natural world, because that connection is part of our humanity?
• Humans are hard-wired to love – and need – exposure to the natural world
Researchers have found that regardless of culture people gravitate to images of nature, especially the savannah. Our inborn affiliation for nature may explain why we prefer to live in houses with particular views of the natural world.
• We suffer when we withdraw from nature
Australian professor Glenn Albrecht, director of the Institute of Sustainability and Technology Policy at Murdoch University, has coined the term solastalgia. He combined the Latin word solacium (comfort — as in solace) and the Greek root – algia (pain) to form solastalgia, which he defines as “the pain experienced when there is recognition that the place where one resides and that one loves is under immediate assault.”
• Nature brings our senses alive
Scientists recently found that humans have the ability to track by scent alone. Some humans rival bats in echolocation or biosonar abilities. Military studies show that some soldiers in war zones see nuances others miss, and can spot hidden bombs; by and large, these individuals tend to be rural or inner city soldiers, who grew up more conscious of their surroundings.
• Individuals and businesses can become nature smart
Spending more time outdoors nurtures our “nature neurons” and our natural creativity. For example, at the University of Michigan, researchers demonstrated that, after just an hour interacting with nature, memory performance and attention spans improved by 20%. In workplaces designed with nature in mind, employees are more productive and take less sick time.
• Nature Heals
Pennsylvania researchers found that patients in rooms with tree views had shorter hospitalizations, less need for pain medications and fewer negative comments in the nurses’ notes, compared to patients with views of brick.
• Nature can reduce depression and improve psychological wellbeing
Researchers in Sweden have found joggers who exercise in a natural green setting feel more restored and less anxious, angry, or depressed than people who burn the same amount of calories jogging in a built urban setting.
• Nature builds community bonds
Levels of neurochemicals and hormones associated with social bonding are elevated during animal-human interactions. Researchers at the University of Rochester report that exposure to the natural environment leads people to nurture close relationships with fellow human beings, value community, and to be more generous with money.
• Nature bonds families and friends
New ways are emerging to make that bond, such as family nature clubs, through which multiple families go hiking, gardening or engage in other outdoor activities together. In the UK, families are forming “green gyms” to bring people of all ages together to do green exercise.
• The future is at stake
The natural world’s benefits to our cognition and health will be irrelevant if we continue to destroy the nature around us, but that destruction is assured without a human reconnection to nature.
Article Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/13/10-reasons-why-we-need-more-contact-with-nature
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Monday, December 20, 2021
How to Relax Your Mind | Stress Management
One of the ways to know that you are stressed is when your mind is not focused when your mind is stuck in a negative feedback loop of trying to figure out the same problem over and over again without coming to any resolution. One of the first things to do when you become unfocused like that is to stop focusing, stop what you're doing, walk away, leave your task.
Friday, December 17, 2021
Still Searching for the Perfect Gift? Spa Day Gift Certificates are Available!
The value of quiet time, reflection and tranquility is priceless. In the season of giving, offering an exceptional gift of pampering and rejuvenation in our healing environment is a very thoughtful gift.
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Holiday Recipe - Eggnog Bundt Cake
Eggnog Bundt Cake
Cake:
1 (15.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 ¼ cups light eggnog
⅓ cup rum
⅓ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons light eggnog, or more as needed
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®).
Step 2
Mix cake mix, eggnog, rum, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and nutmeg together in a bowl until blended; batter will be thick.
Step 3
Spread batter into the prepared pan.
Step 4
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Step 5
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes; loosen and invert onto a plate to continue cooling.
Step 6
Combine powdered sugar, eggnog, and nutmeg in a bowl until smooth. Drizzle icing over the top of the cooled cake.
Recipe Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/277044/eggnog-bundt-cake/
Saturday, December 11, 2021
December 2021 Birthday Specials!
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Wednesday, December 8, 2021
December Specials!
Giving the gift of serenity is an important health modality for
relaxation, pampering, rejuvenation --- Priceless!!
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Thursday, December 2, 2021
Holiday Shopping Made Easy – a Gift of Serenity!
The value of quiet time, reflection and tranquility is priceless. In the season of giving, offering an exceptional gift of pampering and rejuvenation in our healing environment is a very thoughtful gift.
December 2021 Birthday Specials!
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Monday, November 29, 2021
What Causes Panic Attacks, and Cow can You Prevent Them? - Cindy J. Aaronson
Dig into the science of what triggers panic attacks, how to recognize them, and the available treatments for panic disorder.
Countless poets and writers have tried to put words to the experience of a panic attack— a sensation so overwhelming, many people mistake it for a heart attack, stroke, or other life-threatening crisis. Studies suggest that almost a third of us will experience at least one panic attack in our lives. So what exactly is a panic attack, and can we prevent them? Cindy J. Aaronson investigates.
Lesson by Cindy J. Aaronson, directed by Aim Creative Studios.
Friday, November 26, 2021
Box Breathing Relaxation Technique: How to Calm Feelings of Stress or Anxiety
In stressful times you can use the power of your breath to help calm feelings of stress or anxiety.
Box breathing is a simple relaxation technique that can help you ‘reset your breath’ and return it to its normal rhythm.
This video demonstrates box breathing and highlights its benefits.
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
hose Who Are "Nature-Wise" Have an Edge in Today’s World
In today’s busy distracted world, those who carve out 15 min to walk in a park or forest on a regular basis will have an edge. Research shows time in a park or forest practicing Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing will decrease stress and anxiety, and it will increase the ability to focus, think critically and make better decision.
For the past 25 years Ronna has been exploring ways of connecting people to themselves through time in wild places. This interest has led her to study a variety of practices including leadership development, meditation, storytelling, indigenous traditions, and most recently Shinrin Yoku (forest bathing).
Ronna is one of the first people in Canada to guide the simple yet powerful practice of Shinrin Yoku. As faculty with Leadership Development at the Banff Centre, Ronna has been working with professionals and executives using nature as the teacher to create powerful reflections and transformation. When people feel connected to nature they become connected to themselves, others and everything else in their life becomes clear. Ronna provides effective tools so people can listen to themselves and what nature has to tell them. With our increasingly busy technological world, research shows it is the nature wise who will have the advantage.
Saturday, November 20, 2021
November 2021 Birthday Specials
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Wednesday, November 17, 2021
How Stress Affects Your Body - Sharon Horesh Bergquist
Our hard-wired stress response is designed to gives us the quick burst of heightened alertness and energy needed to perform our best. But stress isn’t all good. When activated too long or too often, stress can damage virtually every part of our body. Sharon Horesh Bergquist gives us a look at what goes on inside our body when we are chronically stressed.
Lesson by Sharon Horesh Bergquist, animation by Adriatic Animation.
Sunday, November 14, 2021
Watch a Delicate Dance Between Flowers and Insects | Short Film Showcase
Umwelt is defined as "the world as it is experienced by a particular organism." It's a word often used in relation to ethology, the study of animal—and human—behavior. This short experimental film by Yoshiyuki Katayama captures the moment insects experience flourishing flowers.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
November 2021 Birthday Specials
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Monday, November 8, 2021
The Secret Lives of Trees | Short Film Showcase
Take a trip through Spain's breathtaking and diverse scenery in The Silent Friends, which places trees front and center. This short documentary from production company Kauri Multimedia is an ode to these often undervalued but vital members of our ecosystem.
Friday, November 5, 2021
One More Reason to Get a Good Night’s Sleep | Jeff Iliff
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
The Breathtaking Beauty of Nature | HD
A video to honor the beautiful world we live in.
From the icy north to the hot south, our world's nature is simply beautiful.
Saturday, October 30, 2021
November 2021 Birthday Specials
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Wednesday, October 27, 2021
What’s in the Air You Breathe? - Amy Hrdina and Jesse Kroll
Together, nitrogen, oxygen and argon make up 99.93% of our air. So what’s the other .07%? Find out what makes up the air you breathe.
Take a deep breath. In a single intake of air, your lungs swell with roughly 25 sextillion molecules, ranging from days-old compounds, to those formed billions of years in the past. In fact, many of the molecules you’re breathing were likely exhaled by members of ancient civilizations and innumerable humans since. But what exactly are we all breathing? Amy Hrdina and Jesse Kroll investigate.
Lesson by Amy Hrdina and Jesse Kroll, directed by Sharon Colman.
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Mental Health Benefits of Getting Outside
A simple walk or hike has more than just physical benefits.
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Why We Can All Benefit from Spending More Time in Nature
Monday, October 18, 2021
October 2021 Birthday Specials
October 2021 Birthdays
Wishing you health, well being and happiness.
Take some time for some birthday pampering - relax - unwind and rejuvenate. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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*Valid the whole month of your birthday in 2021.
(Special prices above not good with any other offers)
Friday, October 15, 2021
Fall Specials and Offerings
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Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Do Massages Even Work?
After a long workout or a stressful day nothing is better than a massage. How does a massage help your muscles and is there any science backing these claims?
Saturday, October 9, 2021
5 Reasons to Go Outside
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Book One of Our Spa Packages
Come relax and enjoy nature at our "hidden jewel" in the countryside of Vacaville.
Purchase one of our packages
or services using our
Gift Certificate Program.
Sunday, October 3, 2021
October 2021 Birthday Specials
October 2021 Birthdays
Wishing you health, well being and happiness.
Take some time for some birthday pampering - relax - unwind and rejuvenate. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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*Valid the whole month of your birthday in 2021.
(Special prices above not good with any other offers)
Thursday, September 30, 2021
The Secret Language of Trees - Camille Defrenne and Suzanne Simard
Learn how trees are able to communicate with each other through a vast root system and symbiotic fungi, called mycorrhizae.
Most of the forest lives in the shadow of the giants that make up the highest canopy. These are the oldest trees, with hundreds of children and grandchildren. They check in with their neighbors, share food, supplies and wisdom gained over their lives, all while rooted in place. How do they do this? Camille Defrenne and Suzanne Simard explore the vast root system and intricate communication of trees.
Lesson by Camille Defrenne and Suzanne Simard, directed by Avi Ofer.
Monday, September 27, 2021
Stanford Researchers Find Mental Health Prescription: Nature
A Stanford-led study finds quantifiable evidence that walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression.
Friday, September 24, 2021
The Benefits of Sunshine
We all love the sunshine so Dr Chris Steele MBE explains what benefits can be felt by a bit of warm sunlight on our skin.
As the seasons change, the prospect of a few days of sunshine and increasingly warm temperatures are lifting our mood and encouraging more of us to spend time outdoors. But we are constantly being told that it can be dangerous to expose our bodies to the threat of skin cancer.
However, scientists are now discovering a positive side to sun-worshipping. Research has found that sunshine can actually help us lose weight and live longer. A study by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm looked at over 29,000 Swedish women aged between 25 and 64 years old. Their sunbathing habits were recorded over a period of 20 years. Even taking the skin cancer risk fully into account, the researchers found that getting a good dose of sunshine led to healthier, happier and longer lives.
The research indicates that sunlight may protect us from a wide range of conditions such as obesity, heart attacks, stroke, multiple sclerosis and asthma. Sunshine also boosts our mood and libido.
The benefits of vitamin D from sunlight have been well documented and you can read some of our articles on the subject by typing the words into our Search Box on the home page. But the scientists found that these additional benefits were not simply about vitamin D. They now believe that exposure to the sun prompts our bodies to produce nitric oxide which helps protect our cardiovascular system and serotonin which helps boost our mood.
The research was published in the Journal of Internal Medicine in March and concluded that, not only were women with "active sun exposure habits" at a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, but that avoiding the sun can be as bad as smoking.
The study said: "Non-smokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking."
In another study published last year, Dr Richard Weller from Edinburgh University warned that older people in particular need to get out into the sun more. His team established that exposure to sunlight may lower people's blood pressure and thus cut their risk of heart attack and stroke. This benefit has nothing to do with vitamin D.
Dr Weller went on to say: "There is a correlation between more sun and less disease in a variety of conditions such as multiple sclerosis and atherosclerosis."
How can sunlight help with obesity?
Scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and Southampton found that sunlight may suppress the development of obesity and the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Mice, which were on high fat diets, were exposed to ultra violet light. The results showed that the ultraviolet radiation boosted the production of nitric oxide. The suggestion is that without enough nitric acid in the bloodstream, insulin may not work properly, allowing diabetes to set in.
What other benefits have been found?
Other research indicates that being exposed to sunlight may reduce our risk of stroke. In an analysis of more than 16,000 people in the US, researchers at the University of Alabama found that the more sunshine someone experienced, the lower their risk of stroke.
Research from Uppsala University in Sweden showed that sunlight stimulates sensors in the retina which regulate our body clock. This in turn regulates the amount of melatonin that our bodies release. A disruption in the level of this sleep hormone is linked to depression, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Sunlight also helps lift men's libido by raising the level of the male sex hormone, testosterone.
Finally it would seem that a balanced approach to sun exposure is needed. Experts advise that no more than 20 to 30 minutes of exposure to full sun in the middle of the day is safe.
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Mayo Clinic Minute: Living Near Nature Linked to Better Health
A new study says living near green space can help women live longer and improve their mental health.
"This was a large survey of nurses who were asked about where they live and how much green space nearby," explains Dr. Vandana Bhide, a Mayo Clinic internal medicine specialist, who was not part of the research. "Results suggest people who live in the greenest areas actually had a lower death rate."
Study authors believe the findings would be similar in men.
In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Bhide highlights more of the study's results and explains how they can inspire a healthier life. Jeff Olsen reports.
Saturday, September 18, 2021
A Year in the Life of an Oak Tree
English oak (Quercus robur) is arguably the best known and loved of British native trees. It is the most common tree species in the UK, especially in southern and central British deciduous woods.
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
Soothing Sounds of Nature Help Boost Mental Health, Study Finds
Sunday, September 12, 2021
September 2021 Birthday Specials!
September 2021 Birthdays
Wishing you health, well being and happiness.
Take some time for some birthday pampering - relax - unwind and rejuvenate. We look forward to seeing you soon!
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*Valid the whole month of your birthday in 2021.
(Special prices above not good with any other offers)
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