Forest Bathing

The concept of Forest Bathing is nothing new to many people. It’s actually a practice that originated in Japan. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries developed the term shinrin-yoku. The translation is “absorbing the forest atmosphere”. It’s so easy to do. No special equipment, just your body and your mind. You don’t even need a forest. You can go to any area where there are some trees and nature.

Experiencing the trees since moving to the Pacific Northwest has been one of my greatest joys. There is a special walk I take with the dogs, and it goes deep into wetlands and wooded areas. I can be experiencing an extremely sad moment and all I need to do is look up, see the birds flying, hear the soft wind blowing through the branches, the birds chirping, and it takes me out of myself and my “issues”. It switches your gears, a feeling of gratitude takes over and yes, the sad event is still there but there is now a different perspective to it. Those trees help to reframe your situation if you allow for it. It’s an amazing experience.

The good news is that you don’t have to be in the Pacific Northwest amidst the magnificence of these evergreens, nor do you have to be in California with the majestic redwoods. You can forest bath right in your backyard or at your local park. All it takes is a willingness to be mindful and present and to let a feeling of awe come over you. There is quite of bit of information on the Internet if you wanted to find out a bit more. John Muir sums it up so eloquently. “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul” ― John Muir