What happens when we spend time in nature a few times a week? It helps reduce stress, lowers our resting heart rate, helps improve our sleep and in general, makes us feel better and more balanced. Recently, Mazda Canada invited me on a relaxing outdoor adventure to help me reconnect with nature with the hope that my experience will inspire you to take some time to get outside and enjoy what nature has to offer. Even when I get close to nature just a few times a week, for less than an hour a day, I notice that my mood improves considerably and my outlook on life is altered in a very positive way.
With Mazda and a few fellow lifestyle bloggers, I was treated to a glamping getaway at Whispering Springs, about an hour and a half outside of Toronto. There we embarked on a guided experience through the forest inspired by the Japanese shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing” practice. The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physical and psychological exercise to serve as an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the country’s forests. At Whispering Springs, a guide took us through the woods and encouraged us to walk, sit, listen, touch, see and smell what nature had to offer, for about 50 minutes… all while we were gently encouraged to leave our turned-off phones in our pockets.
After the 50-minute session, we enjoyed a soothing tea ceremony and discussed what we thought of the experience. 
The CX-50 minute challenge was created by Mazda with ParticipACTION to help encourage Canadians to get outdoors and, with the help of the CX-50 min challenge app, you can keep track of the amount of time you spend in nature each week and even win prizes until the end of August. I just downloaded it myself and there are lots of tips and nudges to encourage you to get outside.
For more info and to download the CX-50 Minute challenge App, check out the Mazda Canada and ParticipACTION websites below:
mazda.ca/en/CX50minutechallenge/
participaction.com/en-ca/programs/app
After our tea ceremony, we had time to shower and unwind in our glamping tents at Whispering Springs.
We were then treated to an amazing Japanese-street-food-inspired dinner created by Chef Christopher Ranco.
After a wonderful sleep in our cozy beds, breakfast was delivered to our tents by golf cart.
Followed by a yoga session at the main hall.
Visit the Whispering Springs website here to learn more about their glamping packages (they also host group retreats and weddings).
And, if you’re interested in learning more about the Mazda CX-50 that we drove to the retreat from Toronto, check out all the specs here.
Thanks, Mazda Canada for the amazing adventure and for reminding me that time spent in nature is as essential as air and water!
*Note: I was invited to experience the Whispering Springs retreat and the Mazda CX-50 but this is NOT a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.
