Finland has been named as the happiest country in the world for the last 2 years in a row. Its citizens are relaxed and cheerful and lead generally stress free lives. They live in society with progressive thinking, technological advancement as well as cultural richness.
Over 70% of Finland is covered in forests, and the connection with nature is very important for the Finns. How does this affect their happiness quotient? And what are the different ways Finns use to engage with nature? Let us explore some interesting ideas and initiatives from Finland – the land of a thousand lakes, and see what we can learn to inspire change in our own lives.
The forest school movement is quite popular in Finland. Most of these are pre-schools that cater for 5-6-year-olds. In a forest school you can see the children spending up to 95% of the school day outdoors in the wilderness exploring, playing, and learning about the world around them.
Forest schools have less of an emphasis on tests and scores, yet still see much better results. They have been proven to improve skills in mathematics, reading, listening, critical thinking, and writing. It is an essential starting point that helps the students when they advance to the next stage of education.
There are may benefits that both parents and teachers see from forest schools. The children are more engaged in their learning. Children’s health and immunity gets a boost. And along with the overall performance, their social skills also improve.
Did you know that there is a campaign called ‘Rent a Finn’? The project invites people from all over the world to be hosted by a ordinary Finnish citizens so that they can get a taste of an authentic Finnish nature experience.
One of the most important birthplaces of the Finnish identity are the deep green forests, the rolling hills and the glittering lakes that cover most of Finland. There are a total of 188000 lakes in Finland and many families own summer cottages right next to a lake. Spending time out in nature is an integral part of their lifestyle. While active engagement can involve hiking, cycling, horse riding, orienteering and other sports there is also an equally strong movement around slowing down and spending time with oneself in the silence of the woods.
Finnish people have multiple ways to find their calm in nature. From visiting a national park to spending a weekend fishing at their summer cottage, berry picking in the wilderness, to enjoying a proper Finnish sauna. With such rich abundance of nature everywhere, there is no shortage of options. Many Finns attribute their easygoing stress free demeanour to their connection with nature and their instinct to go outside whenever anxiety rears its ugly head:
“When others go to therapy, Finns put on a pair of rubber boots and head to the woods.”
While you are in the forest, you will find a plethora of edible treats and not surprisingly they are often completely free of charge. Everyman’s right in the country’s forests guarantees that you are allowed to pick almost anything your heart and mouth desires. The combination of everyman’s rights and naturally grown, nutritious food transforms activities such as hiking into delicious voyages of discovery.
White summer nights ripen vegetables, fruits and berries making them uniquely tasty. Even though Finnish berries and fruits are smaller than average, they are packed with sweet flavours, healthy vitamins and flavonoids. Finns scour the vast forests for these delicious treasures, as well as the tasty mushrooms and fresh wild herbs.
SAUNA AND WHISKING
Sauna is a small room used as a hot-air or steam bath for cleaning and refreshing the body. The traditional saunas feature a fireplace where stones are heated to a high temperature. Water is thrown on the hot stones to produce steam and to give a sensation of increased heat. Majority of homes in Finland have a sauna, but the best experiences are to be had in country saunas which are next to lakes. When the temperature gets too hot to handle inside the sauna, one can move outside into the cool lake for a quick swim.
Maaria Alén is a natural wellness instructor and chairperson of Finnish folk healer’s society. She specialises in traditional sauna healing, especially whisking. The therapy uses branches and leaves of specific trees to whisk the entire body while you are enjoying a sauna. The whisking creates an overall conscious and therapeutical touch, which enables the healing from within to begin. It improves circulation, opens the energy flow as well as physically cleans and massages the body. The healing power of different tree species and the steam called löyly, gently relaxes and balances the mind, the body and the soul. Some of the other significant benefits of using a sauna are improved heart health, lower stress levels, easing of joint pains and muscle soreness, and relief from asthma.
FOREST THERAPY EVENTS
For people who are interested in learning more about the emerging field of forest therapy, there is an international event IFTD Days held in Finland every summer. It brings together individuals engaging in forest therapy in different types of forests around the world. The aim is to share ideas, experiences, practices and research, to advance our thinking and learn from each other. The gathering represents a variety of disciplines from science and practice.
IFTDays is a movement for sustainable health in which all partners come together to promote change in the way health is experienced in their own cultures. The event is focused around forest therapy for health promotion and disease prevention. The founders Riina and Heidi believe that by bringing people together they can build communities’ collective resiliency and hope for the future, supporting the well-being of individuals and fostering a sense of true belonging in nature.
You can read more about their mission or attend their event through this link: http://foresttherapydays.com/
Every country in the world has it’s own unique customs to connect with Nature. Let us know some special ways about your country in the comments section below. It will add to our collective learning.
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