The research indicates that the observation of the stars has numerous advantages and retreats in various parts of the world have specialized in offering this experience to visitors
I am resting inside an empty Victorian bathtub next to the shrubs of Yorkshire Charnecas in northern England.
Under my head, more and more stars appear while the sky dark slowly, going from light blue to purple and finally blue blue.
Next to me, in his bathtub, Gemma, my guide to the star tank, meditation begins.
“Allow you to dazzle with the incredible view of the sky you are witnessing to,” says gently. “Enjoy our stay here right now, this beautiful night. Gently concentrate in the sky … and your breath. Just be.”
I feel cold and self -awareness. I try to silence the part of me who is deeply skeptical, because I desperately want to escape the anxiety that my last three years of life has taken on.
The search for relief has already made me swim in wild environments, playing the drum, practicing yoga and now the stars of the bathroom – a practice of emerging well -being offered in hotels and retreats from all over the world.
Taking a stars bath is not just identifying the constellations. He is losing himself in the night sky.
More and more research indicates that this activity can help to calm the nervous system, promote happiness and feed a sense of perspective.
So here I am, wrapped in blankets, for a weekend of observations of stars to Broughton Sanctuary, a 16th century historical construction next to a set of chalets, within the limits of the Yorkshire Dales National Park in England. The place was recognized as an international scarl reserve.
Here the healing power of nature receives particular attention.
The 12 km² land houses one of the largest reforestation projects in the United Kingdom. And the star bathroom is just one of the many activities created to bring visitors closer to the natural environment.
Meditation ends and silence falls on the nucleus. It is interrupted only by the distant pious of an owl.
I look up, try not to think about the stress of last week. The sky continues to darken and the new stars arise as if by magic.
My breath becomes slower. Suddenly, I feel that something begins to change. I realize that I’m not just looking at the universe, but I am part of it.
It is impossible not to be surprised by the vastness and beauty of the night sky up there.
The psychological benefits of experience are well documented. It has been shown that it reduces the heartbeat, increases the levels of oxytocin and reduces inflammation.
These are some of the reasons that make the stars so many benefits for our mental health.
“The admiration experience regularly brings deep benefits to our mental health, as it helps to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves,” says the astrophysicist and yoga and meditation teacher Mark Westmoquette. It manages the retreats of observation of the stars in the United Kingdom and in the European continent.
“When we look at the night sky and become aware of our place in the universe, this sense of admiration and perplexity can really change our perspective on who and what we are”, according to the teacher.
The benefits of nature for mental health can be well documented, but the researchers have started to study only the effects of the natural night environment.
In February 2024, the magazine of publication of environmental psychology published a new connection rate to the night sky. He has shown that increasing the connection with the night sky has a positive relationship with people’s happiness and mental health.
The office for the development of astronomy – a joint project between the international astronomical union and the National Research Foundation South African – is evaluating the potential for the use of astronomy as a tool to promote the mental health of vulnerable people. And the results are encouraging.
At the end of our Bath Stars session, Gemma, I and the other two participants had hot chocolate and we went down along the hill. We cannot look away from the sky, which becomes more surprising, the more you look up.
The next night, after a whole day that explores the ground, relaxing on the spa and swimming in a former icy water basin, I participate in an observation session of the stars, as part of the annual dark sky festival.
After a vegetarian meal of two courses around the bonfire in the “temple of fire” (a wooden structure covered in the middle of the woods), a group of about 20 people walk in the sanctuary garden, where the astronomer Chris Higgins awaits us with a powerful telescope.
Higgins shows us various planets and constellations, which we observe in the shifts through the telescope. I am wideing when I contemplate Venus, who always appears as a growing moon, and Jupiter, with its light and dark stripes and four of its numerous moons.
The group is quickly formed. Our natural reserve seems to disappear while admiring the cosmos.
The night blocks, but nobody wants to enter. The beautiful and beautiful sky looks like a gift and we cannot stop looking at the stars.
After a while, I stop trying to understand science and admire, allowing the cold light of the stars to calm down.
I love to think that while almost everything on our planet has changed since the beginning of human civilization, the beauty of the night sky has remained intact. I am amazed by the same vision that enchanted my ancestors – and this notion brings a profound connection to the earth.
World trend
I was happy with the experience. I go home and start looking for other retreats.
At the top of my desire list is the Bliss & Stars of the self -sufficient luxury retirement center, two hours after the village closest to the reverse of the revenge in South Africa.
Inaugurated in 2019 by Daria and Heine Rasmussen, it offers three -star bathroom retreats, with guided observation sessions of the night sky, immersion in nature, meditation of awareness, breathing under the stars and night walks.
Daria Rasmussen says that many visitors have deep experiences when they observe the night sky.
“A guest, hit by years of trauma, crossed a turning point while looking at the rings of Saturn,” he says.
“He said that his experience was” surprising as an exorcism “and recharged his ability to feel joy”.
“Another guest was a mourning mother who found comfort in the night adventures between nature and observation of the stars with the naked eye.” I heard that the universe was in mourning with me, “he said.”
The Atacama desert in Chile also occupies a prominent position on my list. The place of the place is cleaner and more dark in the world.
The Elqui Domos Hotel was designed specifically to appreciate this impeccable night sky. He has geodesic chambers with retractable ceilings to allow guests to observe the sky lying on the bed.
The Ranga Hotel in Iceland maintains a first -range observatory. It offers the possibility to participate in observation sessions of the conscious stars in the hot water tanks outside, powered with geothermal heating.
In the Scottish Highlands, the Cairngorm Excursions company promotes the star of the star bath, collecting people for a night of observation of the sky, far from light pollution.
The holidays include hot drinks, Stume (A traditional Scottish dish, prepared with meat and potatoes), blankets and accommodation on the trunks. And, since it is Scotland, the nights also include champions of gin, whiskey and rum, produced by a local distillery.
Australian Aborigines are considered the first astronomers in the world. And there are more and more experiences that allow visitors to know the astronomy of the ancient peoples of Australia.
Ngururnga Tours, owned by Aborigeni, offers a night trip to the Millstream Chichester National Park in Western Australia. The program includes a night of the field to explore the wild environment and learn the stories of native peoples on the stars.
In the port of Sydney, Fantasea Cruising offers a dream cruise with an Aboriginal sky. An aborigenous astronomer tells past stories from generation to generation on the sun, the moon and the stars.
For now, I go out in my garden in Bristol, in the south -ovesto of England, and I lie on a blanket in the evenings of clean sky.
Of course, it is far from a dark sky like Yorkshire and the light pollution obscures many stars. But I realize that I can still have that feeling of peace, which I have become known.
Perhaps the amount of stars I can see does not matter. As Westmoquette says, “even if you can only see a star, that light will have traveled through the universe for hundreds and hundreds of years, until you reach your eyes right now”.
“Despite all the difficulties, you are seeing that ray of light. This has a meaning.”
Read a Original version of this relationship (in English) on the site BBC Travel.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
