What is Forest Bathing?
forest therapy / nature therapy / shinrin-yoku
Forest bathing is a slow walk in the forest where enough time is given to relax into and immerse in the present moment. It is an open ended experience that brings people into a deeper relationship with natural spaces through a series of invitations.
A typical walk lasts 2-3 hours and covers under a mile of walking. There is opportunity to stand, sit or even lie down. There is no right or wrong way to forest bathe, there is no prescription for what you should experience or receive and each walk is different from any other.
‘Forest Bathing’ is a rough translation of Shinrin-Yoku, a Japanese practice based on ancient Shinto and Buddhist traditions, is full sensory – seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting – immersion in the beauty and awe of nature and trees. In the US this practice is also referred to as forest therapy and nature therapy.
Shinrin-Yoku was developed and promoted by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in Japan in the early 1980’s. The creation of this practice was a response to a public health crisis – high levels of stress and a worrying spike in rates of auto-immune disease in the urban workforce. The practice of Shinrin-Yoku encourages stressed-out and overworked people to periodically leave their urban homes and spend quiet time in forests as a way to relax and improve mental and physical health. Many Japanese city parks have paths specifically designed and labelled to encourage slowing down and paying attention.
People had been taking walks in Japan’s forests for centuries and current studies show that these walks can actually reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol levels and improve concentration and memory. A chemical released by trees and plants called phytoncides is found to boost the immune system when inhaled. During a walk in the forest one is literally bathed in phytoncides from surrounding plants and trees.
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