Everyone who enjoys the great outdoors, knows how good it feels to spend time in nature. The fresh air, being surrounded by trees, and the sound of birdsong all have a calming effect on us. Connecting with nature becomes more and more important in our urbanized and digital world. A good way to achieve this, is through the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing (or Shinrin Yoku).
The name might have you thinking that you need to go into water to forest bathe, but that is not the case. During a forest bathing session, we bath our senses in the atmosphere of the forest. No swimsuit necessary!
Forest bathing is all about slowing down and balancing mind and body. You do this by consciously connecting your five senses to nature. You focus on what you can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. When you go on a forest bathing walk, a guide will give you a series of forest bathing invitations. Those invitations are nature-based exercises that will help you to open your senses and connect with nature and yourself. For example, you take a very slow walk, while you notice everything around you that is moving. Or you discover the forest floor with your sense of touch and smell.
Forest bathing is not a hike or an athletic activity. Typically, a walk lasts for two or more hours, but you only cover one or two kilometres. The big difference is that you don’t pass through nature but that you stop, stand still, and do nothing in order to connect with nature. It’s a mindful activity where you focus on the here and now.
Forest bathing started in Japan in the 1980’s. Since then, scientific studies have shown that it has lots of health benefits. So much so that is has become an accepted part of the Japanese preventative health care because of the positive effects on mental and physical health. You will read more about the benefits of forest bathing in a future blog post.
(First published on A Mindful Hiker Blog)