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If you’ve ever been called a ‘tree hugger’ then boy have we found your next hobby!
Many of us naturally navigate to spending time in nature as a quick way to clear our heads and take a deep breath. The outdoors is grounding, and at the end of the day, behind all our fancy tech and job titles and mortgages, we’re all animals. Intelligent creatures who all need to spend a little more time outdoors. So, if you want to get your forest therapy on, then follow this guide to forest bathing.
What is forest bathing?
In essence, forest bathing is the practice of sitting in stillness amongst the trees with a focus on breathing and mindfulness. It’s sort of like meditation with an emphasis on the natural world and observing that which happens around you while in a peaceful state. It’s all about slowing down and forming connections with your surroundings and yourself.
Image source:Tasha Marie / unsplash
Where does forest bathing come from?
Forest bathing, also known as shinrin yoku was a practice first developed in Japan in the 1990s after studies were conducted which showed that spending two hours of ‘mindful exploration’ in a forest has many natural benefits for the mind and body. These studies were initially started as a response to the nation’s wave of burnout and as a way to protect the country’s vast forests.
The term shinrin yoku literally means forest bathing, shinrin being forest, and yoku meaning bath or bathing. Simple! But while the term originates from Japan, as well as the studies, the concept of connecting with nature for physical and mental health reasons is not new. Many Indigenous cultures across the world have always held the importance of nature and its healing powers at the heart of their beliefs, and similar practices can be found all over the world.
What are the benefits of forest bathing?
The aforementioned studies have shown forest bathing to reduce blood pressure, lower levels of stress hormones, and improve concentration and memory. In addition to this, the studies also found that trees release a natural chemical called phytoncide, which has a protective antimicrobial effect. Basically, it can boost your immune system.
With the clear health benefits of forest bathing outlined, the Japanese government launched a national health programme revolving all around shinrin yoku.
Image source:Getty Images / unsplash
How do you forest bathe?
It’s as easy to begin forest bathing as it is to take a stroll in your local park. You don’t need any fancy equipment, you don’t need any practice or particular skills, just a pretty wooded area you can sit down in and relax. Besides the travel costs you might spend getting yourself to the woods or any entry fee, it’s also completely free!
Here’s how to forest bathe:
- Pick a quiet time: If you already have some experience with meditation then by all means, venture forth at whatever time of day you please, but if you’re just starting out with this kind of practice picking a quieter time of day may be ideal. This will depend on your area, but generally speaking early in the morning and later in the evening will be less crowded (note: your safety is the top priority, so make sure to pick your time accordingly).
- Take your time: Forest bathing is all about you, so make sure you take your time. Find a spot you like, ground yourself, and take a minute to settle in – there’s no rush!
- Use all your senses: When was the last time you used all five senses? Touched the earth and felt the crunch of leaves between your fingers, listened to birdcalls and tried to pick out each individual song, inhaled the smells of the forest like moss and fresh air?
- Focus on your breaths: Like with all meditative practices, breath work is the main work. Focus on your inhales and exhales, fill your belly and lungs with the air, and open yourself up to the healing effects of the forest.
2 hours is the recommended amount of time for forest bathing, but even just 10 minutes a day of being outside will do wonders. And, if you can’t sit still that long, why not turn to some other mindfulness practices like yoga?
Where are the best places to go forest bathing?
There’s no perfect place to practice forest bathing – just a quiet area in your local park will do! But if you want to really immerse yourself in the forest atmosphere and maybe discover some place new in the process, here are some exceptional places for forest bathing.
1. USA National Parks
The US has an abundance of National Parks. Famous ones like Yellowstone and Yosemite, and some lesser known ones like Rainier National Park. Doesn’t matter which one you pick, be it east or west coast, north or south, they’re all stunning in their own way and vast enough for you to find a quiet spot and lower your heart rate after a hike with some forest bathing.
If you go in the autumn you can also enjoy some leaf peeping at the same time – we recommend the White Mountain National Forest for this!
Image source:Contiki
2. Costa Rica
For the forest bathers who want a completely different natural environment. In Costa Rica you can settle in one of many lush and vibrant rainforests. The air is thicker and more humid, the plantlife more wild and bright, and the sounds around you more wild with the cries of monkeys and calls of tropical birds. This is the place for some next level forest bathing, and a must-visit destination anyway.
3. Japan
Well you can’t forest bathe and not go to the country where the term was coined! Oftentimes when people think about Japan they think about the hum and buzz of Tokyo’s neon strips of light and hoards of busy people. But outside the city – even within, in some areas – Japan is filled to the brim with gorgeous natural sites! There are plenty of wooded shrines and temples you can visit to practice some mindfulness, or you can get lost on Yakushima Island which inspired the sprawling forests of Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke.
Image source:Chinh Le Duc / unsplash
4. New Zealand
New Zealand is known as the world’s adventure paradise because of the many mountains to hike and the canyons to jump off of (with a bungee cord, of course), etc. But it’s also a place you can visit to really clear your mind. With so much open land, so many wooded areas that are relatively untouched, your forest bathing game will be epic (in a very calm sort of way). Top spots include Rotorua, Doubtful Sound, and Mount Aspiring National Park.
5. England
England is a very flat land and though there aren’t many mountains, there are lots and lots of forests that cover the island nation. The Lake District up north with lakes that gently lap against wooded shores is the perfect place for some tranquil meditation. You can find a spot and listen to the wind and the water and the rustle in the leaves, then have a hearty pub meal afterwards.
