10 Wellbeing Tips From Finnish Nature

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10 Wellbeing Tips From Finnish Nature

10 Wellbeing Tips From Finnish Nature

Are you looking for a digital detox, natural beauty boosters, or simply a way to add more mindfulness into your life?

The nature in Finland offers many natural remedies. Whether you are visiting us in the summer, making a winter trip to see the Northern Lights, or in Finland just for the weekend, the exquisite beauty of Finnish nature will lure you in no time.

Here is the alphabet to Finnish beauty and wellbeing – all from nature!

Article published in April 2o2o.

Beauty boosters

While Finnish beauty might at first glance seem quite subdued, it is, in fact, bursting with ancient recipes and a close relationship with nature. Finnish skin care is natural, supercharged with antioxidants, freshly pressed oils and balancing ointments. Everything starts from within – feeling good on the inside helps you to glow on the outside.

Frantsila Organic Herb Farm, a pioneer in organic herb growing, has been a natural health product manufacturer in Finland since 1981. The family owned and operated company produces wonderful blends, such as the beautifully colored carrot and marigold oil, guaranteed to moisten even the most sensitive of skins. For visitors, Frantsila’s Well-Being Center in Hämeenkyrö offers a variety of wellness events and courses throughout the year.

Digital detox

Finland, with our vast array of technical advances and a huge drive for startups, is a hot spot for all things digital – it’s true. Our local wi-fi is one of the fastest in the world and the country is covered by a highly functioning 4G/5G internet network. But – what Finns love most is calm and the sound of silence. Why not engage in a bit of this local activity by leaving your phone at your accommodation, not charging your laptop for a while, or making sure that social media platforms get no glimpse of you for a few days? You might thank us later.

Or how about trying Harriniva Hotels and Safaris’ Lapland Offline experience? Experience the Lappish summer’s nightless nights in the surroundings of the over 100 years old Torassieppi reindeer farm next to one of the most iconic national parks in Finland, the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park.

Relax like a Finn

Relaxing like a Finn, or ‘Finrelaxing’, means engaging in plenty of peace, quiet and time. Finland provides all travelers with plenty of room to roam, breathe in the fresh air, and dream. Finrelaxing the local way means hiking in the summer, cross-country skiing in winter, simply enjoying the wild woods – and sauna, of course. Walking in the Finnish nature not only refreshes and relaxes the brain, but also frees the spirit.

Forest bathing

A term established in Japan in the 1980s, forest bathing simply means “taking in the forest atmosphere”, something that Finns do on a regular basis. The activity has been proven so beneficial that municipalities, such as Sipoo next to Helsinki, have started offering it as a cure to people suffering from anxiety, depression, or high levels of stress. Spending time regularly in the forest is proven to lower blood pressure, detox your body, and improve your overall mood. The recipe is simple: walk into a forest, find a cozy looking place to rest on, lay yourself down, and rest your head on some soft moss. Take it all in and breathe. You will feel lighter and lighter by the minute.

Can’t get enough of forest bathing? Then why not hug a tree? Or better yet, adopt Halipuu, a hugging tree!

Fresh air

Did you know that the cleanest air in the world is in Finnish Lapland? Yes, it has actually been proven that the world’s cleanest respiratory air is in the Muonio municipality of Western Lapland – and the rest of the country is not far behind. So when in Finland, make sure to indulge in the plentiness of fresh and clean air! And what better way to enjoy it than taking long Nordic walks, the national total body version of, well, simply walking. Nordic walking poles can be rented in most cities and accommodations.

If the sport of walking briskly with bespoke ski poles is not quite your cup of tea, why not engage in a some forest yoga? A hyper effective way of engaging with nature while feeling present and taking in the surrounds breathing in deep. And, if none of this feels appealing, just take in a few breaths while browsing in the shops and streets of the bigger cities. Finnish fresh air is abundant even in the metropolitan areas.

Herbalism

In Finland, wild foods are everywhere. Everyman’s rights guarantee that you are allowed to pick almost anything your heart or your mouth might desire. Just remember to always respect nature and leave it as you found it. No trash, please.

According to Pauliina Toivanen, a herbalist and the author of Villiyrtit, a book on wild foraging, the action of picking herbs in nature is also healing. While picking wild herbs, you are getting a combination of walking, squatting amongst the greenery and baskets full of delicious herbs. All for free! Why not try a course in foraging? Toivanen and Anna Nyman of Helsinki Wild Foods organize courses in the Helsinki area during the early months of spring when herbs are fresh and most potent.

Mindfulness

What would be a better way to spend your holiday than bring your attention to the present? And what’s the best way to embrace the silence of Finland? We suggest the following: leave your phone on flight mode, take in those long breaths of fresh air in between all the forest-based activities, and have a taste of a spruce sprout powder latte made especially for you by Arctic Warriors, a company with products from this arctic corner of the Earth.

The Finnish way of mindfulness means engaging in less small talk, observing more, and finding what is truly important in your everyday. You know, the small things that make life worth living. Who knows, you might even make a habit of it, and gain a healthier work-life balance upon your return home! Did you know that Helsinki has been named as the best city in the world for work-life balance?

Sauna

It has been estimated that there are over 1.6 million saunas in Finland and the sauna ritual is a quintessential part of the local way of life. Finland offers a vast range of public saunas open for anyone in need of a steam. Ranging from underground self-made and self-serviced baths to the pure luxurious, there will be one to fit every need. There are also saunas in rental cottages, hotel rooms, and even libraries. Want to try something off-the-beaten path? Go for sauna yoga!

So, why not visit a sauna on your next visit? No need to bring a towel, most public saunas will have clean ones for you. And if you get a chance, try plunging into some cold water, whether it is the Baltic sea, a lake, or a river. The combination of hot and cold will work miracles on you. Most public saunas also have cafés and kiosks where you can buy small snacks and refreshments. After all, that blissful post-sauna feeling is not complete without a little bite to eat.

Superfoods

The cuisine in Finland is an impeccable mix of clean flavors, pure ingredients, and an incredibly high level of dedication to tradition with a hint of innovation. All which lie heavily on the fresh produce provided by the abundant nature. The growing seasons in Finland are short but so intense that natural ingredients are not only packed with flavors, they are packed with healthy benefits. Berries, such as blueberries, strawberries and lingonberries, are all bursting with antioxidants – not to mention the cloudberry or the local seabuckthorn. When eaten fresh, they might require a bit of an acquired taste, but the health benefits are indisputable.

If you want to add a touch of nature to your summer or autumn trip to Finland, we recommend picking wild berries and mushrooms straight from the forest. Pack a picnic, eat it all in the woods, and fill your basket with the goodness of the wild. If deep-diving into these forest activities is not for you, then buying fresh produce on a daily basis is a must, especially in the summertime. Visit a local market place, called a ‘tori’, for the best selection. Other seasons will provide a plenitude of products to be taken home as dried, frozen or even in confit!

Traditional treatments

If going through the alphabet of Finnish wellbeing did not relax you yet, then why not go a bit deeper? Succumb to the goodness of traditional Finnish treatments such as Kalevala bone-setting, a manually administered mode of therapy, that is done with high regard to the human body. It relaxes the muscles and invigorates the body by balancing the structures of the musculoskeletal system.

Looking for something even more extreme? Go for cupping. It is an alternative mode of therapy that involves placing cups on the skin to create suction, removing energy blockages, and healing the blood flow. Cupping has long been used in Finland as a traditional method of treatment.

After this, you might never want to leave!

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10 Wellbeing Tips From Finnish Nature