Evergreen

The wonderful thing about Oregon is that evergreen is all year round. Have you ever taken the time to smell a sprig of freshly rubbed evergreen. It is so revitalizing.

In health.com's article, The Healing Power Of Pine, Sara Altshul shares some amazing insight to some of the benefits of evergreen.

"In Japan, going for a therapeutic walk in the woods is known as shinrin-yoku, which means "taking in the atmosphere of the forest." This practice has recently been studied for its ability to ease stress.

In one study, researchers at the Japan's Kyoto University sent 498 healthy volunteers on two 15-minute forest strolls one day, compared to a control day when they didn't walk. Volunteers rated their mood on a standard psychological scale. Their hostility and depression scores decreased significantly after walking. What's more, the more stressed-out the volunteers were to begin with, the greater the relaxation they experienced."

We are counting our blessings in the great northwest. As we enjoy spring and the flowers, we may also have joy that "evergreen" happens all year long.