How traditional societies managed stress and how we can emulate them
By Simon Trevelyan, Owner of Arbutus View Thermal Spa, Salt Spring Island, BC Canada
Hunter-gatherers endured very dangerous living conditions. To feed and protect themselves their bodies were often, of necessity, super-charged with adrenaline. Being in fight-or-flight mode ensured their survival. However, they could not stay in that state indefinitely; to have have done so would have probably proved fatal. After intense physical and/or psychological activity the body needs to relax, to recuperate.
Research on traditional societies suggest that our ancestors rested much more than we do today. Not only did hunter-gatherers have more time to relax, but they also likely used that time more effectively. Relaxation in traditional societies often took the form of connecting to self and being aware of, and connected to, their natural environment.
Advances in science, medicine and technology may have lengthened the life expectancy of modern humans and given us more material pleasures, but these changes do not seem to have made us more relaxed. On the contrary, tension and stress seem to be a endemic in the 21st century.
Raising a family, working in a fast-paced business environment or navigating changes in our ever-evolving world can be like riding a roller-coaster. We respond to multiple stimuli almost every nano second, juggle many responsibilities and fit all we must do into a crowded day. Our lives seem in a constant state of flux. We experience stress on an almost continual basis.
Without coping mechanisms to deal with the stress we accumulate, we run the risk of developing physical and psychological maladies over the long-term.
Worse still, modern humans have tended to adopt relaxation modes that are addictive and unhealthy: alcohol, junk food, drugs, television and electronic devices invariably do more harm than good. These forms of relaxing take us away from ourselves, from others, and from the natural world around us.
Because it was so important to them, traditional societies ritualized relaxation. Examples of this are sweat lodges, saunas and the Aboriginal Dreamtime. These rituals were practised regularly, not only as a means of relaxation, but also as a means of purification.
Ten years ago, when I was working in a fast-paced corporate position in Vancouver, I spent a lot of time looking at the night sky, thinking about hunter-gatherers, how they survived, how they made sense of their world and their place in it. A yearning grew within me to cultivate the peace they must have felt as they connected to the natural world around them.
Just before Covid, I started a relationship with a woman who grew up on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Together, we decided to leave our corporate careers, sell our homes in BC's Lower Mainland and start a simpler life on Salt Spring. We had no idea how we would earn a living on the Island. Shortly after arriving on Salt Spring, we married, purchased and renovated two homes (renting one of them and starting a B and B in the other). We then launched a folk club, and I became an IT tech, working remotely.
Life was just as busy as before, but there was one big difference. Our property on Salt Spring was in the middle of a beautiful old-growth forest with 500-hundred-year-old Douglas Firs, Maple, Cedar and the stunning Westcoast Arbutus tree (with its unique and ever-changing bark). Life was quiet here... sometimes the sounds of birds, owls and frogs were all we heard.
We were lucky enough to inherit a large hot tub on our deck. It was suspended over the forest. I started to spend an hour a day in the hot tub, staring at the forest and the circling eagles and hawks. With every passing day I felt more connected to the forest, more connected to the rhythms of nature and the natural changes around me.
Six months ago, Michaela (my partner) and I decided to build a Thermal Spa on our land. We wanted to share the tranquility of the forest with others. With the help of some great Island friends, we built an outdoor spa that is inspired by, and reflects, the forest. Cedar, Fir and Arbutus are all part of the design. We called it Arbutus View Thermal Spa. The spa includes a Cedar Barrel Sauna, Cold Plunge, Hot Tub, Rest Areas and Firepit.
Arbutus View Thermal Spa has been open to the public for six weeks. Most mornings, Michaela and I start our day with a sauna and cold plunge circuit. At 66, I feel more energized than I have in decades. This is my relaxation ritual and I plan to continue it.
The best part of my day is seeing the faces of customers as they leave the spa. Their skin is glowing, their shoulders have dropped a few inches, and they are invariably smiling.
Whatever your relaxation ritual is, try to be committed to it. Relaxation is essential to our well-being; it makes our lives worth living.
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