Forest bathing

Find your breath. Let nature hold you.

What is Forest Bathing?

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a research based, rapidly growing framework that supports health and well-being. While it includes opportunities to be mindful in nature, there is also a relational component that serves to remind us of our own sense of belonging in the natural world- whatever this may look like for each one of us as individuals.

It is an invitation to slow down and connect with yourself and all the sentient beings around you. It is an invitation to explore the natural world through the lens of your senses, to slow down to the pace of the earth and notice what or whom is around you.
My approach

The framework I use was created by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and is called Relational Forest Therapy. The roots and support of this framework are provided by the latest medical research, the field of nature connection, and ancient traditions of mindfulness and whole body wellness. This framework is applicable in any natural setting including, but not limited to, forest ecosystems or any other bioregion.
The effectiveness of the practice has also been shown in human-built environments such as yard spaces, city parks, and botanical gardens. Forest therapy can be integrated with nature education, general health promotion, emotional healing, psychotherapy, social work, recreation, employee wellness programs, mindfulness programs, and conservation efforts as well as many other specialties.
A homecoming

Have you ever had the experience of walking into a canopy of trees and suddenly feeling like it’s all ok? Have you ever let the waves ebb and flow against your ankles while standing on a beach and you notice doubt and worry begin to drift away? Have you ever hiked to the top of a mountain and felt the vastness of the universe within yourself? Have you ever laid down on the earth and immediately felt your body hush with a deep sigh of relief?
This is no accident. No coincidence. It is by design. It is your nature. YOU ARE NATURE.
When you step outside and surround yourself in the elements of nature, there is a soft landing, a remembering, a deep sense of belonging. You are HOME. You have arrived. You are safe to rest here. You do not just enjoy nature, YOU ARE NATURE.

Forest bathing supports you in connecting to wild awe. Finding awe in nature has the potential to open your mind and soften your body. It also reduces the likelihood of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety and cancer.
When we spend time engaged in the art of noticing, our body responds similarly to how it responds after a good night’s sleep, a big glass of quality water, a life-giving meal, and a time of belonging and connection with those we love- we feel alive, empowered, strong, balanced, and nourished.
When we hear the sound of water and other soothing nature sounds, the vagus nerve is activated. Your body is literally sending signals of safety and rest to the brain- saying it is safe to go slow, put down the doing and just be here. Present and aware of what is.
When we smell the air under a canopy of trees, we feel a sense of calm and groundedness as the compounds in the scents of many trees and plant life stimulate the rest and connect response (parasympathetic) of the nervous system. Many plants release chemical compounds, called phytoncides, that stimulate the production of important immune cells that fight viruses and kill tumor cells.
When we see nature scenes (real and in photographs) dopamine networks are activated in the brain, animating exploration and wonder. When we view landscape scenes, our gaze naturally softens and widens. This sends signals of safety to the body and the body responds by releasing tension and softening.
Engaging with natural materials through our sense of touch, activates sensory responses that help to calm the body and mind. Our awareness shifts to what is right in front of us rather than recalling events of the past or worries about the future.

During a forest bathing walk, you will be guided through a series of invitations that will balance rest with movement and solo time with group gathering. Walks can last anywhere from 1-3 hours. This is not a hike as there will be no specific destination. This is not a naturalist walk, although you may feel called to interact with a particular plant, animal or tree out of curiosity. There will be opportunities to wander, to find stillness, to rest and be.

These walks are offered in person AND online. While there are differences between an online and in person experience- both options offer a space to slow down and connect to the life all around you.

Benefits:

Enhanced immune health

Promotes mental health and improved mood

Shift out of stress and into rest or relaxation

Shift out of breakdown and into repair (catabolic to anabolic)

Increase heart rate variability- enhances function of vagus nerve and restoration of nervous system

Feel a sense of belonging and support to remedy the loneliness epidemic

Find the Science Here!!