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THE FOREST
A quieter corner of the site where the Podencos roam, Ground.dog was born, and the practice of Shin-rin Yoku forest bathing reminds us how to slow down and breathe.
SHIN-RIN YOKU - FOREST BATHING
Shin-rin Yoku, or forest bathing, is the Japanese practice of slowing down and immersing the senses in the woodland environment. Rather than hiking or exercising, it invites us to pause, breathe and reconnect with the rhythms of the natural world.
Time spent among trees has been shown to calm the nervous system, reduce stress and restore attention. The forest itself becomes a quiet partner in the process of healing and balance.
My own practice grew from those early mornings standing barefoot on the grass at sunrise, grounding with the earth while Binky waited patiently beside me. Over time it became clear that the elements of earth, light and sound working together in the forest create the perfect conditions for the body to settle and reset.
That understanding now forms the foundation of my work as a Shin-rin Yoku practitioner and the inspiration behind Ground.dog.
GROUND DOG
Ground.dog began in the quiet of early mornings.
While working through my own PTSD, I started a simple daily practice, stepping outside at sunrise and standing barefoot on the grass. As the first light filtered through the tree canopy, the tension in my body and the noise in my head slowly began to settle. The simple act of grounding, allowing the body’s electrostatic
charge to exchange with the earth’s free electrons became a small but powerful part of my healing. Most mornings, Binky would join me.When winter arrived and the grass became cold and wet (as UK winters tend to be), standing barefoot became a little less practical. But one morning a simple thought occurred to me: Binky never wears shoes. She was already perfectly grounded.
All I had to do was hold on to her.
That moment led to a bigger realisation. If grounding could happen through physical connection with a dog, it might also be possible while walking together. From that idea came the design for a specialised collar and lead system that allows grounding to occur naturally during everyday walks.
GROUND DOG was born.
The system is currently patent pending, and we have recently completed our first single-participant pilot study. The early results have been extremely promising, and further development is now underway.
At its heart, however, the idea remains simple: reconnecting people, animals and the natural environment through the quiet act of walking together.
And it all began with a Podenco called Binky.
This work is still growing. Updates and developments will be shared here as the journey continues.
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