Waldeinsamkeit - "the feeling of being alone in the woods."

Waldeinsamkeit is an astonishing German word with a beautiful meaning. It roughly translates to "the feeling of being alone in the woods." The structure of the word says it all: "wald" means woods/forest, and "einsamkeit" means loneliness or solitude. It is basically a therapy and mediation that helps to find isolation in the woods. Germans have one deep and intimate connection with nature. And that is expected because Germany's landscape is mainly covered with greenery as 33% of its land area is forest.

Since my childhood, I have always been obsessed with trees. I used to sketch trees because I always felt this close connection with trees, and I felt like a tree compliments the emotion of solitude and the internal power to remain positive whether it's autumn, spring, summer, or winter. It remains strong from its roots when all the leaves shed off from its branches in the autumn, it becomes chirpy and happy as it fills with colors and spread positivity around us when spring comes. Nature has always been a heaven for me, a place where I can safely reflect on my deepest emotions and darkest secrets. There is a sense of liberation in being utterly alone in space, finding peace and pleasure in our own company. It gives freedom from societal pressures, and the true self is safe to crawl out and let itself be known.

When I moved to Hannover, I was very excited because Hannover is one of the greenest cities in Germany. The world-famous Herrenhausen Gardens were located near to the student dormitory that was very conventional for me.   Whenever I used to feel down or homesick, I always used to go to the garden. Those trees have always given me so much positivity and energy to look forward in life. If you want to be a decisive person, then spend more time in nature; it turns your negative thoughts into positive ones.

Waldeinsamkeit is about creating a connection with nature and cherishing one's time spent alone in the woods. Waldeinsamkeit evokes feelings of contemplation, calmness, together with an urge for meditation. It's not easy to find solitude and meditate peacefully just in one day, you need to search for it, and that day would be the luckiest day when you will find that in the forest. 

Did I ever experience waldeinsamkeit? Ummm, I would say partially,  because you can only find solitude in the forest all alone without any disturbance. But still, I would like to explain what I have experienced somewhat. Once it was 5 in the morning in summer, I went for a jog and found myself alone in the forest; I went close to the lake surrounded by trees and closed my eyes for few minutes in that peaceful morning. Suddenly, everything had stopped; I started listening intently to birds chirping, whispering in the breeze, and the soft crush of leaves beneath my shoes, sun rays shining through the trees,  calmness in my heart, and light soul.  As insignificant as it may have seemed to the outside eye, that moment was precisely what I needed to experience that day. But, that singular moment was only part of waldeinsamkeit. The real waldeinsamkeit is the collection of the moments in which introducing solitude to my life helped me find a new piece of myself.

In other words, waldeinsamkeit brings us back to ourselves. But first, we have to seek it. Tell me, have you ever found peace while being in a forest? Will you try waldeinsamkeit? 

The concept of waldeinsamkeit has been widely famous nowadays because research has shown the apparent effects of forest activities on people's mental wellbeing, particularly during this pandemic.

 I hope this article has helped you in finding peace and a deeper connection with yourself. We need to explore further and deeper, to not merely discover a forest but perhaps to look for the larger world that dwells within us. 😉