Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing)
Imagine you in nature...
You walk slowly through the forest, feeling each footstep on the forest floor.
You're not hiking, or running, or climbing. You are simply present. Just sensing.
You breathe in clean air, smelling fragrant pines and wildflowers.
You listen to birds singing and leaves crackling.
You notice new shades of greens and grays and shifting light patterns streaming through the leaves high above. Running your hand across soft green moss on an old stump, it feels new and alive.
Invitations to slow down, use your senses, and shift your perspective are all around you. You let the stillness permeate you and quiet your mind.
You finish your time in the forest feeling both physically and mentally refreshed and restored. You are now ready to move back into your daily activities with more awareness, thinking more clearly and intentionally, and feeling more connected to the world around you.
About the Practice
Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a building block of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. Researchers have established an extensive body of scientific literature on the health benefits of spending time under the canopy of a living forest.
As a result, forest bathing has become a vital part of preventative healthcare in Japan. It has been shown to improve sleep quality, mood, and the ability to focus. It also reduces stress, which when chronic, contributes to the development of conditions such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia, as well as a host of physiological problems like high blood pressure, muscle tension, and lowered immune response.
What to Expect
- Slow quiet walking or resting in a peaceful place
- Invitations to explore using all five senses
- Opportunity to learn about the science, sentience, and semiotics of the forest
- Opportunity to set and work with personal intentions
- Opportunity for self-reflection and self-discovery
- Sessions typically last about 2 hours, but may be longer or shorter depending on desires and intentions