What is Forest Bathing?

What exactly is forest bathing?

Whether you call it a fitness trend or a mindfulness practice, the term Forest Bathing emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”). The purpose is to offer an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire people to reconnect with and protect the country’s forests. This Japanese practice is a process of relaxation, with the simple method of being calm and quiet amongst the trees, observing nature around you whilst breathing deeply can help both everyone de-stress and boost health and wellbeing in a natural way. 

The Japanese quickly embraced this form of ecotherapy. In the 1990s, researchers began studying the physiological benefits of forest bathing, providing the science to support what we innately know: time spent immersed in nature is good for us. While Japan is credited with the term shinrin-yoku, the concept at the heart of the practice is not new. Many cultures have long recognized the importance of the natural world to human health.

Forest bathing is not just for the wilderness-lover; the practice can be as simple as walking in any natural environment and consciously connecting with what’s around you. For a more structured experience, you can join trained guides for a meditative two- to three-hour ecotherapy excursion. Here are five places to try forest bathing.

Tips for beginners:

• Turn off all devices to give yourself the best chance of relaxing, being mindful and enjoying a sensory forest-based experience.

• Slow down. Move through the forest slowly so you can see and feel more.

• Take long breaths deep into the abdomen. Extending the exhalation of air to twice the length of the inhalation sends a message to the body that it can relax.

• Stop, stand or sit, smell what’s around you, what can you smell?

• Take in your surroundings using all of your senses. How does the forest environment make you feel? Be observant, look at nature’s small details.

• Sit quietly using mindful observation; try to avoid thinking about your to-do list or issues related to daily life. You might be surprised by the number of wild forest inhabitants you see using this process.

• Keep your eyes open. The colours of nature are soothing and studies have shown that people relax best while seeing greens and blues.

• Stay as long as you can, start with a comfortable time limit and build up to the recommended two hours for a complete forest bathing experience.