The hum of our lives
These days, quiet is a luxury that is becoming harder and harder to find. Between the ever-growing presence of cities, cars, construction, and devices going 24/7, there’s a general buzz of manufactured noise that hovers all around us. The blanket of white noise is often missed, until you reach a place where it’s absent.
In 2021, 73.7% of Canadians lived in one of the country’s largest cities. The constant stimulation that urban environments provide us with are fatiguing. Ultimately, they can even diminish our overall health. We are sensitive. Did you know that any noise over 85 decibels can harm a person’s ears? Everyday noises like the subway, leaf blowers, heavy traffic are all pushing that limit. It’s not just people are being impacted either.
Affecting Wildlife
Even our local wildlife and plants are impacted by manufactured sound. With sonar and seismic charges used regularly under the sea, marine mammals that use echolocation are struggling. Seals and whales like orcas have a difficult time navigating and foraging amongst high decibel noises produced by shipping traffic. Birds have started altering their communication and migration patterns due to noise pollution. They’re having to sing louder or more repetitively to compete with noisy neighbourhoods. There’s a need for both people and animals to search and travel for a quiet space.
Listening to Nature
Protecting natural spaces from noise pollution is becoming an increasingly important topic. It’s not just quiet that we crave, but what we call natural soundscapes. A natural soundscape is nature’s way of communicating. It’s the bird songs floating through the air, the rush of a waterfall, the lap of the ocean water on the shore, the pitter patter of rain, and the wind rustling through the trees. Being able to experience those sounds in the absence of manufactured noise is both mentally and physically important.
It’s craveable.
This is wellness
It’s also been scientifically studied. Natural sounds are proven to increase your overall health and generally improve positive affect. This happens by reducing the stress and annoyance your body feels, increasing tranquility, and can even lower blood pressure. Environments that are filled with natural sounds make us feel safe and enable us to let our guard down. These sounds physically alter our brain chemistry, reducing the fight-or-flight instinct. Forest sounds like bird songs are linked to stress relief, whereas water sounds boost calm feelings. At Nimmo Bay, it’s a priority for us to create space for you to enjoy the beautiful and natural soundscape that surrounds the resort.
Nimmo Is Relief
Nimmo Bay is the perfect place to experience silence and embrace the natural soundscapes of the Great Bear Rainforest. Situated in the untamed wilderness, miles and miles away from any sort of town or city, you’re unaffected by the ambient white noise we’re so accustomed to.
A Silent Sunrise
Connecting to nature through your senses is a focal point of wellness at Nimmo Bay. It starts as soon as you arrive at the resort. The constant stimulation is so ingrained into us that when you reach Nimmo Bay the quiet envelopes you like a warm hug you didn’t know you needed. One of my favourite quiet moments is sitting on the end of a dock at sunrise. Curling up in a cozy sweater with a cup of coffee. As the sun climbs above the tree line, the only sounds you hear are those of the rainforest waking up for the day. Your thoughts are still and a peaceful calm washes over you.
IMmerse yourself in the Forest
One of the best ways to experience the natural soundscape of Nimmo Bay is through forest bathing. Forest bathing is a term that emerged in the 80’s in Japan. It’s the outdoor experience of simply being in nature. You enter into the rainforest and hone in on all five of your senses, guided through meditation. The intention is to bridge the gap between yourself and the natural world. By walking, touching, tasting, standing, breathing deeply, and sitting bare foot on the mossy ground. Focusing on each of these sensations for even just 1 hour helps you sink into a connection with nature and boost your energy and mood.
Paddle with Nature
A morning paddle is another time to soak in the quiet of Nimmo Bay. Kayaks are the perfect motorless vessel for a connective experience with the ocean. Your guide will take you gliding across the water as your paddles silently breaks the surface tension, propelling you along. When you reach the middle of an inlet, stop and let the kayak float naturally with the eb and flow of the water. Open your ears and listen to the fish jump and splash, the bird songs dance along a gentle breeze, and the water lap along the shoreline. It brings restorative relaxation throughout your entire body.
Make QUiet a Priority
Whether it’s considering quiet in your next vacation planning process or seeking out green space outside of your local city on a regular basis; it’s important for our health to prioritize time out in the natural soundscapes of the forest and ocean. I challenge you this week to work some intentional silence into your schedule.
All Photos by Jeremy Koreski