A Pitch for Love

June 5th, 2020

When my family and I became the new owners of Treehouse Cabins last May, we took over from a long tradition of welcoming families and couples coming to relax, celebrate, procreate, and also to grieve.

Our motto: “All who enter with love in their hearts are welcome at our cabins”

This is a broad statement and its meant to be. When we lead with love in our hearts, our minds are also open to connection and empathy with others. I might even go so far as to say that it is essential for creating positive memories and bonding experiences with your family, significant others, or yourself while here. It is this state of mind we hope all of our guests can tap into and the kind of space we have tried to create at the cabins.

I’d like to offer another interesting fact for you to consider about this whole idea of arriving with love in your hearts. Its actually more than just a beautiful concept, its quite biological (in a “birds and bees” kinda way). When we are relaxed, endorphins, sometimes called bliss hormones, are released into our nervous system. They elevate mood, reduce pain and emotional stress, and increase cognition. (We don’t charge extra for that.) During this state, our minds and bodies are open to connection with others which most would agree is a pretty awesome place to begin, renew, or reaffirm relationships. (Who doesn’t want that?) The easiest most simple place to begin is with the breath. Breathing deeply by yourself or together with those you love for 5 minutes can elevate mood, reduce stress and open your mind (cognitive function).

Tip: For an even deeper connection, try looking into your loved one's eyes while you deep breathe together. 

I won’t spend too much time explaining what happens when we try to engage from a place of fear, but let's just say we cannot be opened (except by force and even then our minds remain closed). This too is biological. When triggered by fear or scarcity, our bodies respond by secreting cortisol which actually changes the chemistry in our brains that serve to curb the functions that are nonessential or detrimental in a “fight-or-flight” reaction. During this state, we are unable to empathize or connect with others as our brains are incapable of critical thinking or rational thought, their only job is to keep us “safe” and alive. Prolonged, ongoing stress such as what our country has been experiencing with COVID-19 and racial injustice has had a significant impact on our ability to relax, open, connect, and empathize with each other. We are simply unable to lead with love when our brains are trying to keep us alive or protect what we think will keep us alive.

This all sounds like a strange sales pitch for the cabins, but it is not. Its a pitch for love and country. Because if we can start with the simple act of breathing with our families, and breathing with our neighbors, and breathing with ourselves, we will relax (it's biological remember). As we regulate our bodies and minds, we can feel less pain, less fear, love more deeply, and connect more openly. Only then might we remember who we are, one nation under God with Liberty and Justice for All.

Our country is exhausted, raw, and ragged and we are in need of respite.

Breathing deeply is the most simple place to start.

Because, we can.

-Jennifer