FOREST BATHING IS IMMERSION IN NATURE.
What is Forest Bathing? Forest Bathing Guide Anne Markham Bailey on the origins and benefits of Forest Bathing.
The term “forest bathing” is a direct translation of the Japanese term “shinrin yoku,” and is a guided immersion in nature with a trained guide. Forest Bathing is also called Nature Therapy.
WHERE DOES FOREST BATHING HAPPEN?
The setting may be a city park, a back yard, an arboretum, a botanical garden, private land, or a national forest. Forest bathing sessions can happen wherever humans and nature meet.
HOW LONG IS A FOREST BATHING SESSION?
A session may last an hour or may be several hours. It depends on the number of people and the time that is available for the participants.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A FOREST BATHING SESSION?
A Forest Bathing session is guided, and the guide offers information about the land and the area. Then in a series of invitations, the participants are guided in ways to connect to the living world through opening the senses. The sessions include sharing circles and end with a tea ceremony. Participants report that Forest Bathing is both relaxing and invigorating.
ARE SESSIONS IN-PERSON?
The sessions may be held in-person, or remotely, on Zoom. Remote sessions are done with each participant in a place in nature, guided in a combination of video and audio participation. The remote sessions are wonderful and allow for people in a variety of locations to share the experience together.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
When we spend time immersed in nature and the elements, our health improves, and our hearts open. We can rest and listen. We can feel the deep time that underpins our relationship on the planet earth. We connect to stones, water, sky, and trees. We connect with the heart of being and are renewed.
Scientists across the world began the evidence-based study of Forest Bathing benefits in the 1990’s, and today there are thousands of studies showing the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of the practice of Forest Bathing.
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