Speed, efficiency and productivity are the gods that mark our days. Often aggregated in cities and metropolises, the nature in our lives is relegated to city parks.
And so more and more often, and especially for the youngest generations, we live far from the natural world, do not know its dynamics and ignore the countless precious benefits it can give us.
At Preidlhof, the magnificent local natural heritage becomes even more valuable as you discover it accompanied by Irmgard Moosmair, a nature and landscape guide, specialized in phytotherapy, including gemmo- & aromatherapy and the preparation of natural remedies with herbs, but also an expert in mindfulness, mentoring, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and experiential pedagogy.
A childhood in close contact with nature
Born in a ‘maso’, the typical mountain cottage of South Tyrol at the end of the Passeier Valley at 950 m above sea level, Irmgard grew up, along with her 7 siblings, among meadows, flowers, woods and herbs, and nature has been part of her life since the cradle. “My mom was a great expert of mountain herbs, which she used both for cooking and as medicine. We lived immersed in nature and did everything at home, like cooking nettles, making bread with sourdough and rye or buckwheat flour,” she remembers.
Irmagd's keen curiosity since from an early age led to the then unusual circumstance that every year her father sold a cow to send his daughter to a private school in Merano. As a maid for a wealthy family from Verona, Irmgard travelled to Europe and North America, broadening her horizons in a way that was rarely possible for her peers. “I always wanted to know what is beyond the mountains, beyond the lake, beyond the sea.”
Forest Bathing: an ancient practice to regain harmony
Today, Preidlhof guests can go with Irmgard to the most authentic origins of “Forest Bathing,” a practice that has become very fashionable in recent years but is actually as old as humanity. A true immersion in the woods, their light and the scents of the earth, a connection with the elements that brings peace, energy, harmony and serenity. On Mount Tramontana, located just a few minutes' walk from the hotel, in spring and summer or on Mount Sole, in fall and winter, the practice can last from a couple of hours to half a day: the goal is not the final destination, but the experiences along the way.
More and more often we read about the great healing power of nature. Yet how did we manage to get so far away from the natural world?
Irmgard takes guests step by step on a journey that expands sensations, increases inner calm, raises the frequency and connects deeply with nature.
Feeling the breath of the wind, stopping to listen to the birdsong, admiring the light filtering among the branches of the trees, smelling the scents of the forest, feeling the warmth of the sun on the skin and the coolness in the shade of the fir fronds, perceiving the ground beneath your feet, recognizing the moisture of the earth, chasing the flight of butterflies, getting lost in the endless shades of green ... Surrendering to the magic of the woods is a harmonizing, relaxing experience, capable of arousing regenerating emotions and triggering within us, without realizing it, a deep transformation.
The ritual of alpine incense: an ancient art of purification
“It is unfortunate that many people are no longer connected with the earth and aware of the incredible secrets that nature holds. Even what seem like small things might be key for the balance of our bodies.” In nature we are different, our personality changes, deepening.
To further stimulate the senses, the journey is enriched by moments of meditation, breaks to sip tea created with berries and edible herbs freshly picked in the woods if available or prepared at home by Irmgard in the winter time.
During the walks in the wood, Irmgard loves to talk with guests, to get to know their stories, their challenges, their dreams. And as she gets to know them, they open up to nature. And to themselves.
When she finds a quiet place, she stops to perform the traditional alpine incense ritual, which aims to cleanse us of disturbing forces and open the flow of our energies, with a harmonizing and healthful effect that has a profound impact on our well-being.
The mixtures of unprocessed herbs and resins are collected and carefully prepared by Irmgard herself; her empathy and far-sighted personal counselling enable her to recommend the blend of herbs, resins and woods most suitable for each one’s personal needs.
“In March I go out alone, within nature and with my thoughts, and collect alpine incense, the resin from trees, like firs, larches, ...which I then use for the ritual. Larch resin for example is strong, it opens, while juniper is a protector,” she explains. “The resin is where the branches are cut, where the wound is. And as the resin restores the wound in the plant, so it helps heal wounds in people's bodies. Sometimes guests are sceptical, but the smoke can do a lot, it goes into the body where it's needed and then it acts over time, working over the next few weeks. It's always a very exciting experience.”
The ritual takes place in the special atmosphere of the forest, without drinking or eating guests smell the smoke and let it act. And then they return without speaking toward the hotel, lulled by nature and enjoying their own depth.
The rhythm of nature: a lesson for daily life
What can we do to try to reclaim our place in the natural world? Today we often live without rhythm. We get up at 5 or 10 o'clock as if it were the same thing.
“In the summer I get up at 5:30, water the garden before going to the hotel and plan my day's schedule. I have breakfast with bread, jam, butter and honey. And I drink two cups of tea, made from a blend that I personally harvest throughout the year,” Irmgard explains.
It is important to have a rhythm and make a schedule for the day. Our bodies have an internal clock, which we too often ignore.
“We no longer eat at noon, when the spleen still manages to deliver what each organ needs. We need to eat slowly, savouring the food, according to the Mindful Eating practice so much promoted at Preidlhof. And rest is then needed by the liver, before starting to work again in the afternoon, to slow down toward evening.”
I listen to Irmgard and realize how often the rhythm of daily life today led us to do just the opposite. After waking up, we need to take a moment to feel within ourselves how to start and how to carry out our day, without always being sped up from early morning but listening to our own rhythm and priorities.
“Maybe we have to change, take something away, we might have to go backwards sometimes, not just forwards,” Irmgard concludes. And I feel in those words all the power of simplicity that comes from someone who has long and constantly nurtured within herself a refined and deep spiritual wisdom.