Forest therapy or Shinrin-yoku as it is know in Japan is the ancient practice of forest bathing. Forest bathing is not what you might think but simply the art of getting outdoors into the woods and natural spaces as a way to re-establish our innate connection with nature. Since time immoral, humans have always existed in and around nature. But as we evolved, cities and urban jungles soon replaces that of the natural world and we soon started to increasingly get estranged from the wild.
The concept of Shinrin-Yoku was developed in the early 1980s by Tomohide Akiyama, the then Japanese minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries who saw it as a way to connect an ancient Japanese practice with health-oriented ecotourism.
A Shinrin-Yoku session or retreat is typically a guided activity that begins with an invitation to interact with the natural world After a designated amount of time in the wild, the group gathers to share experiences. They discuss how different senses engaged, what thoughts or feelings emerged, what inner truths came forth. Sessions often conclude with a brief tea ceremony.
Benefits of slowing down in nature
Before you dismiss Shinrin-Yoku as all fluff, there is actually hard science and data behind its benefits. Research has shown than there are health benefits of interacting with nature, including Japanese studies on forest medicine showing how exposure to trees reduces heart rate, blood pressure, and the stress hormone cortisol. We shared a detailed article on the benefits of an outdoor inspired lifestyle earlier.
What’s more, our immune function improves thanks to phytoncide an essential oil that trees release to guard against insects and disease. The oil increases our production go natural killer cells that fight cancer and other diseases – and the cells remain elevated even after we have left the forest. Not only does shinrin-yoku make you feel better in the short term but a regular walk in the woods also can act as preventative medication in the long run. The best part of all this is that it isn’t tied to level of activity as in you don’t need to go on a brisk walk or elevate your heart beat to enjoy these health benefits.
One key differentiator for practicing shinrin-yoku is th element of being still while in nature. Multitasking like listening to a podcast, audio books, talking on the phone, checking your step count or heart rate monitor are all discouraged. The idea being that when you are in nature which is considered a living breathing mechanism, it takes the natural environment about 20-30 minutes to ‘get used to’ your presence and settle down. You then become a part of the natural world as opposed to a visitor or intruder getting higher benefits than if everything is disrupted.
Getting started with Shinrin-yoku
When starting shinrin-yoku, it is best to
- stand still and orient oneself to the different directions around you
- spend a few minutes facing north, then south, then east and then west with your eyes closed and then repeat with your eyes open.
- connect with your life by asking yourself what each of these directions represent to you, what memories come up and what emotions surface?
- acknowledge them for what they mean to you and pick a direction that means the most to you.
Next pick a tree that stands out to you and introduce yourself to it. Feel it, touch it, smell it and even get up close and listen to it. notice subtle details around where it sits in relation to other trees. Trees are living breathing mechanisms that often lead intwined lives with everything else around them. As you familiarize yourself with them, you begin to establish a relationship with them that makes sense.
Core elements of shinrin-yoku
The core element of any shinrin-yoku is to develop a sense of being and belonging. Using nature to understand where you are in the universe of your life, engage all your sense to feel connected with all that is around you and to lean in to all that the forest provides.
Forest bathing is not the same as hiking. The key differentiator is that forest bathing is about being present right where you are. You find that what calls to you the most and stay to establish a relationship and connection. Whereas hiking is all about getting to the destination. The pace tends to be faster than forest bathing.
Luckily for us, Shinrin-yoku is being practiced widely in many part of the world. To find a forest bathing session near you, check out The Association of Nature And Forest Therapy. Have you tried forest bathing a.k.a Shinrin-yoku? We would love to know what the experience was like for you.
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