The Healing Power of Trees

A trip to the forest is restorative for the body, soul, and mind. Visitors can immerse themselves in the gentle sounds of nature with all their senses in Europe’s first designated curative and healing forest on Usedom. The 187-hectare forest area on the Baltic Sea in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is located in the seaside resort of Heringsdorf at the Bansiner Landweg.

Enjoy the silence, feel the healing power of the trees

Surrounded by beech and pine trees, you can recharge with revitalizing energies. Take a break from your everyday worries through meditation and improve your fitness with physical exercises. Since late 2016, the Usedom Curative and Healing Forest—with its therapeutic equipment, climbing courses, and picturesque resting spots—has been a destination for those seeking relaxation and relief from stress. Here, visitors can enjoy a walk beneath the summer’s leafy canopy or the golden rays of the autumn sun. Smelling the moss and taking in the pleasantly cool atmosphere—that’s forest therapy at the Usedom Curative and Healing Forest.

For locals and vacationers alike, the Usedom Curative and Healing Forest near Heringsdorf is a wonderful retreat on the island. Here, visitors can recharge their batteries, reduce stress, and get some exercise. Forest therapy, or forest bathing, is a recognized healing method that was introduced in Japan in the early 1980s under the name “Shinrin-yoku.” As the largest living organism on the planet, the tree has been a constant companion to humanity since the dawn of time.

Today, research shows that trees in the forest can even communicate with one another and exchange information. The healing power of trees helps us regain balance, heal our souls, and to relieve physical discomfort.

Each tree species is said to possess specific characteristics and energies. While you enjoy a journey of self-discovery through meditation in the Usedom Curative and Healing Forest, the pine trees sharpen your mind and restore emotional balance. It is said that being near the beech trees fosters your capacity for tolerance and reduces your stress levels.

The healing power of the trees in the Heringsdorf coastal forest unfolds its positive effects without requiring much effort. Refreshing forest therapy is used as a therapeutic, preventive, or rehabilitative measure. In the Usedom Curative and Healing Forest, people with high blood pressure, respiratory problems, allergies, or psychosomatic illnesses find renewed strength.

For a long time, the healing power of the forest was underestimated. But anyone who walks in the forest will instinctively feel its soothing effect on both body and mind. Tension, stress, and inner restlessness fade away, while nature helps ease depression and grief. Your cardiovascular system is strengthened as you recharge with fresh energy. When you spend time in the Usedom Curative and Healing Forest, its holistic healing influence helps with a wide range of conditions:

• asthma, chronic bronchitis
• Itching, psoriasis, neurodermatitis
• Exhaustion, sleep disorders, burnout
• Weak immune system
• Mental health issues
• Sensory overload
• Orthopedic conditions

Nature lovers of all ages, resort guests on the Baltic Sea, and stressed-out managers from the worlds of politics and business benefit from the natural healing power of trees through forest therapy or meditation. The combination of a mild maritime climate and fresh forest air, in particular, has a positive effect on well-being.

On the nature trail, with its excellently developed network of paths, you’ll find a variety of therapeutic trails. The poetry trail, for example, features famous quotations, while the sensory and motor skills trail is designed to encourage physical activity.

Certain areas of the certified Usedom Curative and Healing Forest feature extra-wide paths designed for people with limited mobility. The haptic design of the colored pillars in the forest help visitors with visual impairments. Feel the healing power of the trees in the soft, shimmering light. The natural surroundings are ideal for deep meditation on the path to a new awareness, accompanied by the melodic sounds of singing birds and the gentle whispering of leaves.

Daily rituals can enhance the effects of forest therapy on the Baltic Sea. Every tree in the forest is a place of power to which you can focus your attention. You can use the therapeutic forest in Heringsdorf as a spiritual retreat or for a leisurely walk in the woods. The healing power of the trees—the ancient beeches and fresh pines—will help you find peace and enhance your well-being. That’s how you relax on the island of Usedom!