Escaping the city, sitting beneath a starry sky can have big health benefits
When was the last time you gazed up at the stars and saw the Milky Way? Thanks to light pollution, it’s probably been a while or maybe even never. In the video below, The Weather Network’s Michael Vann explains why you should make it a priority to head to one of Canada's designated Dark-Sky Preserves.
Modern humans often find themselves missing something essential in life. According to Steve Durand, owner of LeTerrain—a wilderness sanctuary nestled in the heart of La Pêche, Quebec—what we truly need is to reconnect with nature, especially under the stars.
“There are two types of stargazers,” explains Durand. “There's the telescope stargazers, and then there's the rest of us. I like to take in the whole thing–the big aperture. I think that there's the language that we're downloading from the big, big starry night.”
RELATED: Don’t shy away from nature's dark side - celebrate it
LeTerrain is a 430-acre off-grid wilderness sanctuary about an hour north of Ottawa. (The Weather Network)
Research indicates that stepping away from artificial light pollution can yield significant physical and mental health benefits, including the resetting of our natural circadian rhythms.
“We are still very natural beings, and so we have circadian rhythms as well,” says Durand. “[Studies have] shown all kinds of health benefits of being under the dark skies.”
LeTerrain cabins are reserved for retreats and gatherings. (The Weather Network)
Mandy Morris, a therapist and executive psychology coach specializing in trauma, mental health, and personal transformation, supports this idea.
“Spending time out in nature, stargazing, being in the fresh air, that has grounding benefits,” she says. “And there's lots of research behind these grounding benefits and how that calms the body down.”
Across Canada, there are over a dozen Dark-Sky Preserves to explore, with LeTerrain being one of them, located just over an hour north of Ottawa. Whether you’re exploring ancient ruins, hiking along 20 kilometres of trails, or spotting the Milky Way while stargazing, this 430-acre off-grid sanctuary offers numerous ways for visitors to escape, recharge, and reset.
Watch the video accompanying this article to learn more about what LeTerrain has to offer.