Forest Bathing – The Magic Therapy Reimagined for Modern Times
As much as the next kid, growing up, I was a nature advocate. During my teens, I lost my way and during my twenties (surrounded by nature-loving people) I became reacquainted. It was a gradual journey to where I am today with a need to be amongst the trees, on a daily basis.
The Japanese call it, Shinrin-Yoku “Forest Bathing” a concept that involves allowing each of your senses to be immersed in a natural space. As a leading researcher in the field, Dr. Qing Li, simply says, “let nature enter”. The term, Shinrin-Yoku originated in the 80s (as a response to the compounding stresses of work-life within Japanese society) and yet being in nature is a base human activity that almost feels a little silly to prescribe or put a name to.
I come from a long line of stressed-out family members. Over the last 10 years, I’ve made it a personal mission to address and find practical solutions to walk a different path. Forest bathing has been at the centre of my wellness narrative and I’m so excited to delve into it today.
SO HOW DOES ONE FOREST BATH?
01/ CHOOSE YOUR SPOT
Find a nature spot that is calming to you. For myself, it’s a 15-minute drive to an empty forest with a small watercourse trickling through. To me, it sums up peace; large trees, pretty ferns, soft mosses on rocks. Your peace may look a little different.
02/ JUST BE
Thich Nhat Hanh (a Buddhist teacher) has a lovely concept of viewing yourself as a pebble during mediation. I think it’s a handy visual for forest bathing as well.
“Allow yourself to be like a pebble at rest. The pebble is resting at the bottom of the river, and the pebble does not have to do anything”
No worries, no to-do lists – your only concern is to take in the beauty around you. You can sit or walk just remember, there’s no destination.
03/ ACTIVATE YOUR SENSES
LOOK
So many shades, patterns, textures and shapes in nature. How is the light falling through the leaves? Begin to visually take in what’s around you.
Smell
Research has shown the positive effect of breathing in phytoncides (plant emitted chemicals).
“The citrus fragrance found in forests affected human endocrine and immune systems, based on the measurement of urinary cortisol and dopamine levels, NK activity, and CD4/8 ratios” (source).
Have you ever smelt a forest after it rained? (that scent is called petrichor). Even the act of bringing awareness to breathing is a well-known meditation practice that doesn’t need to follow a strict structure to reap goodness from.
Hearing
My personal nature spot is full of birds and cicadas, the sounds of water rushing over rocks and the dancing leaves from the wind (also known as psithurism!) Gotta keep those ears open and your obsessive monkey mind slowed down.
(On a side note: this podcast episode, on how the world’s song birds originate in Australia, is a fun one)
Touch
You gotta feel it. Can you take your shoes off? Is there a stream you can dip your toes into? Can you feel the different bark textures or the soft leaves? It gets (less!) weird the more you do it 🙂
04/ DON’T RUSH
Think mediation over workout time. It’s not about exercise it’s about being still and soaking all the natural goodness up.
05/ LEAVE THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND
Loads of trees usually means poor reception but incase your network provider is top notch, leave your phone in your car.
06/ HOW LONG?
Research shows that 20-30 minutes “in a place that provides you with a sense of nature” will “significantly reduce cortisol levels” (source).
Lower cortisol, means inflammation is kept down, blood pressure and blood sugar are regulated, better sleep, reduced anxiety and depression + higher alertness – all the good things! (source).
At our core, I think we all know nature is uplifting to our soul. My biggest turning point was seeing nature as a friendly and welcoming environment. I like to repeat the following saying when I’m erring on a yes, or no. “Always say yes to nature”. I hope it helps you too.
If you want to dive a little deeper, Dr. Qing Li, wrote an article for TIME which you can find here and he also is the author of the book, Shinrin-Yoku: The Art and Science of Forest Bathing.
–
Want to see what else I do? Come peek over on my insta or grab a freebie when you sign up to my newsletter below 🙂 🙂
