Healing Forest

Forest Bathing Guide

The state of our mind, designs the state of our life. Forest Bathing is the gentle art of turning to nature to recharge your mind, revitalise your body, and come home to yourself. In this simple forest bathing guide you’ll discover: what is forest bathing, how to forest bathe, and where to practice it.

You’ll also learn about a wide variety of forest bathing benefits for your mind, body, relationships. Fascinating insights from Japan as a society show us why forest bathing has become specially relevant in these turbulent times and how we can apply it to improve our lives.

*At the end of this article you’ll find free forest bathing activities to download as well as a link to our best nature connection activities from around the world.

Forest Bathing

Forest bathing is the practice of immersing yourself in nature in a mindful way, using your senses to derive a whole range of benefits for your physical, mental, emotional, and social health. It is also known as Shinrin-yoku. ‘Shinrin’ means forest and ‘Yoku’ stands for bathing. The idea took birth in Japan in the 1980’s and proved to be a very effective tool to overcome the ill effects of a hectic life and stressful work environment.

Forest Bathing allows the stressed portions of your brain to relax. Positive hormones are released in the body. You feel less sad, angry and anxious. It helps to avoid stress and burnout, and aids in fighting depression and anxiety. A forest bath is known to boost immunity and leads to lesser days of illness as well as faster recovery from injury or surgery. Nature has a positive effect on our mind as well as body. It improves heart and lung health, and is known to increases focus, concentration and memory.

Certain trees like conifers also emit oils and compounds to safeguard themselves from microbes and pathogens. These molecules known as Phytoncides are good for our immunity too. Breathing in the forest air boosts the level of natural killer (NK) cells in our blood. NK cells are used in our body to fight infections, cancers and tumors. So spending time with these tree is a special form of tree bathing.

An intangible outcome of forest bathing is enhancement of emotional intelligence and self confidence which leads to improved relationships and better social health. Something that we know intuitively is now getting scientific proof and validation through research.

What is Forest Bathing | Shinrin Yoku

Forest Bathing and Japan: Japan is among the most developed nations of the world, and yet this progress and development is not bereft of challenges. The island nation has one of the most demanding work environments. In fact, they have even coined a specific term for death by overwork (Karoshi). The performance pressure from jobs is so high, that there’s very little time left for a personal life. The marriage rates in Japan have fallen drastically in the last 30 years.

The urban cities of Japan have a hyper digital culture and a peculiar obsession with technology. In the age of internet many Japanese people are spending more time online and having fewer social interactions. It is leading to higher incidents of anxiety and stress. Depression and loneliness are also on the rise. The country is also prone to devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, such that the Japanese have had to face a disproportionate amount of trauma. In Japan, neuropsychiatric disorders are estimated to contribute to 24.6% of the overall burden of disease (WHO, 2008)

Forest bathing activities — *Forest Bathing Activity: Sense opening*

Fortunately, over 70% of Japan is still covered in forests. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries came up with the idea of shinrin yoku in the early eighties. Shinrin yoku or forest bathing created different activities for enjoying the forest atmosphere in order to reap its health benefits. Due to the relentless Japanese work culture, the stress levels of Japanese employees was already running rampant then and the forestry department saw a wonderful possibility. And so forest bathing was born.

How To Forest Bathe

You can practise forest bathing in any safe nature space. The main principles are to go in silence and go slow. Use your senses to find things in nature that bring you peace and happiness. Through nature connection activities and sense exercises, you can alter your mood and energy levels resulting in a host of benefits. Recommended time for forest bathing is at-least 2 hours a week.

Meditation is difficult when you try, easy when you don’t.

Forest Bathing Meditations

Attention: Beginners and young children start with simple forest bathing activities which focus on objects in nature to hold our attention and slow us down. By directing and controlling our attention we are training to control the direction of our thoughts and feelings.

Awareness: Once we are able to reach a calmer state of mind, we can grow our awareness. In the depths of the forest, one can sense the cycle of transformations that all life goes through. Things that we were. Things that we are yet to become. Just like a seed in the ground. Growing our awareness is growing our connection to all life.

Answers: Our mind gets a much deserved rest so that it can apply itself with renewed energy and come up with surprisingly creative solutions. It begins to ask the right questions rather than simply seeking answers. The forest provides the light to spark new insights and learning which can give us a deeper understanding of life.

Forest Bathing: How To

Let us guide you into the art of Forest Bathing and show you how to forest bathe in any nature space close to you.

Forest Bathing Meditation: The simple act of sitting and focusing on your breath can be quite difficult if you are not in the proper frame of mind. A large number of people give up meditation due to a frustrating experience in their initial attempts.

However, forest bathing makes it easy to reach a peaceful state of mind. By paying attention to our senses and moving in the forest mindfully, we not only get all the benefits of meditation for our mind, but also boost our immunity and create good health for our body. And the beautiful bonus is the friendships these activities help us cultivate. It’s because in forest bathing we are guided by the greatest teacher of all – Nature.

Forest Bathing Near Me

Not everyone has an access to a forest in their backyard. In fact most people who live and work in cities will have to travel a fair amount to get close to the woods. But nature is all around us. You can consider forest bathing and the sense based exercises in any urban park near you.

While traditionally, monks in India, China and Japan, traversed long distances to meditate in nature, in the recent decades the idea of headspace creation has become known as restoration in psychology. The Attention Restoration Theory and its closely connected Stress Recovery Theory state that our recovery from stress starts within minutes of entering a green space.

For people who are unable to go out into the urban parks, or are restricted due to disability, the sense based nature therapy activities can be carried out even in the confines of the their house. Just bring elements of nature indoors. You can use your creativity to build the nature connection even in a closed enclosure.

Here are links to some interesting activities which you can try on your own:

* Mindfulness In nature offers you a wide range of activities that will transform your world in wonderful ways. For those of you who wish to dive deeper into the art of forest bathing, please visit our Nature Calm course>>.

Forest Bathing Benefits

It is important to understand the different benefits that forest bathing brings to our lives. Knowing these facets will help you apply the activities to your life in a more efficient way. Forest Bathing benefits can be grouped into 3 major areas: the mind, the body, and our relationships. Here is a simple explanation for each:

Forest Bathing benefits for the mind:

Learn to overcome anger, anxiety and sadness.
Higher self esteem and confidence.
Improved ability to handle fear, self doubt and impatience.
Avoid stress and burnout.
Manage moods and switch off unwanted thoughts.
Strengthen will-power to control cravings, give up addictions.
Find peace and happiness in the present moment.
Enhance creativity and problem solving
Build empathy. Improve relationships.
Find answers for important questions and decisions.

Forest Bathing benefits for the body: As discussed earlier, Forest Bathing has a positive impact on one’s immunity levels. Also the body’s sleep cycle improves and we are able to get better rest. Heart, lungs, muscles – they all benefit from the outdoor activity. Movement in nature is a wonderful antidote to lifestyle diseases that come with sedentary lives. It is a great way to recharge and renew your energy levels. The benefits of a 2 hour walk can last through the week.

Forest Bathing benefits for our relationships: Forest bathing has shown positive results across age-groups – from children to the elderly. It’s extremely helpful for parents as well as working professionals. As a company welfare program, forest bathing can be used for employee recreation, new employee training, and mental health management. Forest bathing when done with family of friends, yields deep connections and meaningful bonds. It is a beautiful way to grow love – for self, others, and nature.

The Science: In forest bathing we use the senses to train the nervous system which is intricately linked to our endocrine system and the immune system. When the physical body has started to calm down – blood pressure stabilises, stress hormones in our blood decrease, muscle tension decreases – the mental health benefits also kick in. We start thinking more clearly, our feelings of vitality increase and our mood starts to lift. The time needed in nature has been narrowed down to just 20 minutes a day in order to manage our mental health.

Forest Bathing Activity — *forest bathing activity: Silence and Sound*

Forest Bathing – Why?

Our mental health is a very precious gift. For most people, the real value of our mind only becomes clear when things fall apart. Once a person becomes affected by any mental health issue, the road to recovery can take a lot of time, effort and money. Finding the right help and guidance is not easy and on top of that there is still a lot of social stigma attached to mental disorders.

Forest bathing offers a time tested approach. A large portion of the human evolution has taken place in nature. Nature connection is intrinsic to our behaviour, and is inscribed into our genetic code. It’s only during the last 200 years or so, that we have reduced our interaction with the outdoors. Going back to nature can bring us to a heightened state of sensory awareness and a feeling of alert calm. It is akin to a feeling of returning home and gives spontaneous rise to peace and happiness.

Forest Bathing works best as a form of prevention and a way to retain a healthy mind and body. It is not a replacement for medical advice or counselling for those who are seriously ill.

The rise of forest bathing in Japan teaches us that material wealth and economic progress are not enough to create a healthy, happy life. To find balance and harmony, we must focus on our inner selves first. And the whole journey starts with the mind. After all, the state of our mind, designs the state of our life.

Forest Bathing & You

Transform your mind, body, relationships with our collection of 150+ amazing activities.

A great resource filled with invaluable ideas from Japan and other parts of the world.

Check out our Nature Calm course.

We hope you found this forest bathing guide meaningful. For more useful articles join our free monthly newsletter.

Forest Bathing exercises — *forest bathing activity – Sense Circle*

REQUEST: Please share this post so it reaches those who might benefit from it. We are a small group of friends trying to find new ways to reconnect people with nature. The aim is simple. Helping people heal. Helping forests heal.

Download a few forest bathing activities and meditations at this link. | *In case you post any of our forest bathing resources, a link back to this page would be deeply appreciated.

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Posted on January 27, 2020 by foresthealer

Forest Bathing, Healing Forest

Here’s a nature poem from one of the wild places of our amazing planet. A short poem that urges you to come closer to nature and add some wildness to your soul.

In this short film we see the hidden beauty of the forests from the arctic circle of Sápmi also known as Lapland. A region from the northern parts of Finland, where very few people live. What secrets do these forests hold? And what can we learn from the people who call this land their home?

Covered in snow and cloaked by darkness, the forests of the north are sleeping for a large portion of the year. But when the short summer arrives for a few months, the golden sun cast it’s rays on this wild land and reveals what is concealed. Endless green carpet of conifers, dotted with dark lakes that glint silver when seen from top of the surrounding hills. Occasional reindeer, a medley of birds and a carnival of wild flowers and berries add their own magic to this surreal landscape.

The people of this ancient land believe in making the most of all seasons. While winter is their playground, summer is the time for embracing the celebration of life. They know the bitter-sweet truth about nature. Some things are hidden so that their wildness can be treasured. Perhaps it is the same with the wildness of our soul.

*Turn on sound and watch in full screen. Visuals and words by Nitin Das | Music: Patrick Hawes | Special thanks: Maria Nurmela, Tuija Syrjaniemi | Location: Lapland, North Finland.

Feel free to use this video and poem as you please. A download link to this poem is given at the end of this post. You can also check out our Nature Calm course with 100+ ideas to re-wild your soul.

WILD SOUL

LIVING INSIDE THE BOX

The modern world is designed around boxes. We live in a box, travel in a box, work out of a box and are reading this post from a box. However, as a species we have evolved and existed outdoors for more than 99% of our human history. This disconnect from the outside world is beginning to show in our society.

As per this article in New York Times:
City dwellers have a higher risk for anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses than people living outside urban center. These developments seem to be linked to some extent, according to a growing body of research. Various studies have found that urban dwellers with little access to green spaces have a higher incidence of psychological problems than people living near parks and that city dwellers who visit natural environments have lower levels of stress hormones immediately afterward than people who have not recently been outside.

Creating a connection with the wildness outside is way of keeping the wildness within alive.
~People of Lapland

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

The good news is that we can always turn to nature to boost our mental health as well as mental wealth. Effects of being in nature begin to show in as short as 20 minutes, but the longer time you can spend the better it is for you. Here are some interesting exercises based on the Japanese concept of Shinrin-yoku or forest mindfulness.

Wild Fractals: Fractals are self-repeating patterns that occur very frequently in nature. Like the shape of a river delta or the branches of a tree. Unlike the complexity of human designs which have many sharp lines and angles, the fractals are very easy on the eyes. Seek out fractals in nature and when you find one, take time to trace it with your eyes. Start from one edge point and slowly follow it till the other end point. Interestingly, our nerve connections in the eye are also fractals.

Wild songs: Natural silence is one of the most endangered resources on our planet. We are surrounded by noise. But sounds have a direct link with our subconscious mind. Go out into nature and collect the sounds that you hear. Stay still and make a list of all the different natural sounds you can hear. By focusing on the softer, gentler sounds we are able to cut off the chatter in our own head.

Wild food: Finding edible food from the forest that has not be touched by any harmful chemicals or human interventions is an energising adventure. Whether it is berry picking, mushroom hunting or gathering wild herbs for tea, you will be rewarded not just by the joy of the activity but also the nutritious delight that boosts your immunity and health.

There are many such activities scattered around our website. Explore the pages to find new ideas and other wild places.

END NOTE: . We hope this poem added a little wildness to your soul. Please share this post with friends who are spending far too much time in front of a box. Here’s a download link to our nature poem – wild soul.

You can subscribe to our monthly blog posts at this link. We are a small group of friends trying to find new ways to reconnect people with nature. Our aim is simple. Helping people heal. Helping forests heal.

3 Comments

Posted on November 19, 2019 by Healing Forest

Healing Forest

Finland, Forest Bathing, Forest meditations, Healing Forest, healing meditation, Lapland, nature activities, Nature Art, Nature poem, nature walk, shinrin yoku, Wild places, Wildness

Stories of forests, rivers, mountains, deserts and magical beings who call these places home. Journey to some amazing places through these short forest stories and learn the wisdom of nature.

These stories will fill you with wonder and awe. Every forest story contains within it, a tiny seed of wisdom. We hope you can plant it in your life and enjoy the fruits later.

*At the very end of this post are some unique forest gifts. Don’t forget to check them out.

FOREST STORY FROM VENEZUELA | Tree of life

Amazing Fact: Orinoco Delta is a vast fan shaped delta located in eastern Venezuela, where the Orinoco River meets the sea.

Fable: The kids were lost. A group of children from a small village at the edge of the Orinoco River had stolen a canoe to have some fun, but the currents carried them far out into the delta. They shouted for help, but deep in the jungle there was no one to come to their rescue. As night fell the children were afraid they would never be found and end up being eaten by a jaguar.

Tired and hungry, they were on the verge of tears when they heard a gentle whisper. They looked up to see a Moriche palm tree, waving in the wind. The palm offered the children its fruit. With food in their stomach, the children gained strength to look around. The Moriche palm introduced them to other members of the forest and soon the children had many friends. They learnt to use wood to build houses and leaves for roofs. They found places to find food and water, herbs for medicine and even ways to dress up and decorate themselves.

Many years later, a group of adventures canoeing down the river were surprised to see a small settlement on a forested island deep in the jungles. The children had learnt the ways of the forest and were now living comfortably amidst the labyrinth of waterways. The Moriche palm came to be known as the ‘tree of life’ and the children grew up to be the Warao Indians also known as ‘canoe people’.

Moral: When in trouble, look to nature for answers.

Li River – Picture by Sam Beasley / Unsplash

FOREST STORY FROM CHINA | Artist and the river

Fable: In ancient China lived an artist whose paintings were almost life- like. The artist’s fame had made him proud and conceited. One day the emperor wanted to get his portrait done so he called all great artists to come and present their finest work, so that he could choose the best. The artist was sure he would be chosen, but when he presented his masterpiece to the emperor’s chief minister, the old man laughed. The wise old man told him to travel to the Li River, perhaps he could learn a little from the greatest artist in the world.

Reduced to tears with anger and curiosity, the artist packed his bags and left to find out this mysterious master. When he asked the villagers on the banks of the river for the whereabouts of the legendary artist, they smiled and pointed down the river. The next morning he hired a boat and set out to find the illustrious painter. As the small boat moved gently along the river he was left speechless by myriad mountains being silently reflected in the water. He passed milky white waterfalls and mountains in many shades of blue. And when he saw the mists rising from the river and merging with the soft clouds surrounding the peaks, he was reduced to tears. The artist was finally humbled by the greatest artist on earth, Mother Nature.

Moral: We have a lot to learn from Nature, the most important thing being humility.

Forest Stories & Magical Walks

If you are stuck in a concrete jungle, but love forests and stories then check out our collection of 10 Magical Walks. The best forest story after all, is the one that you’ll create for yourself.

At the end of this post, visit our Nature Play page to learn life’s most useful lessons through play. Small steps that help you achieve big dreams.

FOREST STORY FROM AFRICA | The Bushmen

Amazing fact: The Bushmen are one of the oldest inhabitants of Africa and have lived in the Kalahari Desert for over 20,000 years.

Fable: A long, long time ago the Creator was distributing the lands on the earth amongst various races. Some people got beautiful regions with plenty of sunshine and rain. Some were lucky to get big rivers flowing through the lands which were fertile for growing food. A few of them got thick forests rich with animals and birds. One by one the races came to the creator and went back happily to live in the land given to them. Only a tiny group of people were left. When the Creator looked on to Earth he only found a vast stretch of sandy desert left. It was a terrain that was very harsh to live in, with many difficulties. The Creator told the people that while all he could offer them was a life in the desert and the bush, he was going to give them a special gift. He would give them purity of heart and the joy of friendship. The people, now known as the Bushmen, were happy with the offer and learnt to live and love the land they call home. Many other races have not been able to survive in much better climates and regions, but the Bushmen have continued to live in the Kalahari for thousands of years.

Moral: If you have good friends, the harshest of places can become bearable.

FOREST STORY FROM AUSTRALIA | 3 Sisters

3 Sisters, Australia – Pic by Dougie Frew / Pixabay

The Three Sisters is a rock formation in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. They are close to the town of Katoomba and are one of the Blue Mountains’ best known sites, towering above the Jamison Valley. Their names are Meehni (922 m), Wimlah (918 m), and Gunnedoo (906 m).

Fable: Long ago in the Blue Mountains, three Aboriginal sisters; Meenhi, Wimlah and Gunnedoo lived with their father, a Witch doctor named Tyawan.

In the same forest lived a gigantic creature that was feared by all – he was the Bunyip. Tyawan who knew where he lived would leave his daughters on the cliff behind a rocky wall where they would be safe while he would collect food.

One day, waving goodbye to his daughters he descended the cliff steps. On the top of the cliff, a big lizard suddenly appeared and frightened Meenhi. She picked up a stone and threw it at the lizard. The stone rolled away over the cliff and crashed into the valley below. Suddenly, the rocks behind the three sisters split open, leaving the sisters on a thin ledge.

There was a deep rumble from below and the angry Bunyip emerged from his sleep. He looked up to see who had rudely awakened him and there perched on the thin ledge he saw the sisters cowering in fear. Furiously he lurched towards them.

In the valley, Tyawan heard the cry and looked up to see that the Bunyip had almost reached his daughters. Frantically the Witch Doctor pointed his magic bone at the girls and turned them into stone. They would be safe there until the Bunyip was gone and then Tyawan would return them to their former selves.

The Bunyip was even more angry when he saw what had happened and he turned on Tyawan and began to chase him. Running away, Tyawan found himself trapped against a rock which he could neither climb nor go around. He quickly changed into a Lyrebird and disappeared into a small cave. Everyone was safe but Tyawan had dropped his magic bone. The Bunyip returned angrily to his hole. Tyawan crept out of the cave and searched for the bone, and is still seeking it while the Three Sisters stand silently waiting, hoping he will find the bone and turn them back to their former selves.

You can see the Three Sisters today from Echo Point and in the valley you can hear Tyawan, the Lyrebird, calling them as he searches for his lost magic bone.

Moral: The forests are beautiful, but you must always be careful to know what creatures live there.

FOREST STORY FROM MEXICO | Ant and the Bear

Fable: An ant was on its way to collect food when it came across a black bear cub who was crying. Curious, the ant climbed up the bear cub and asked him why he was crying. The cub told her that he had fallen into the ditch and was unable to get out. The little ant told the bear not to worry for she would get the bear out of the ditch. The bear cub was surprised, for how could a tiny any lift him out.

Now it so happened that the ant was no ordinary ant. It was a leaf cutter ant. The ant rushed back to her nest colony which had millions of ants and told them about the problem. Together they cut the leaves off from the orange trees and kept dropping them into the ditch, until the ditch began to fill up and the bear could easily climb out.

Moral: Common people can create big revolutions when they get together.

Amazing fact: Leaf cutter ants live in large and complex societies which are second only to humans. In a few years their nests can span more than 30 meters and contain millions of ants.

Northern Lights – Pic by Vincent Guth / Unsplash

FOREST STORY FROM NORWAY | The Aurora

Fable: To the king of the skies was born a daughter so pretty that she gave the Moon a complex. The King raised her in strict discipline as a prim and proper princess, for he had laid many careful plans for her future. But despite his best efforts the pretty princess fell in love with wild dancing. She would put on her emerald dress with flowing ribbons of light and dance her way into the night. Watching her beauty, many a Star fell for her.
As the princess and her admirers grew so did the King’s anguish, for he could not bear to watch a royal princess dance for the common people. Finally, he put forth a hard choice for the princess – either marry the Rainbow prince, settle down and give up dancing, or be banished for life to the edge of the Earth. The princess made her choice. To this day, you can often catch her dancing in the skies of the northern hemisphere and see the Stars falling. Not many people have experienced her beauty, but those who have are changed for ever.

Moral: Every choice has it’s tradeoff, but it’s easy to choose if your priorities in life are clear.

Amazing Fact: Northern Lights or the aurora is a natural light display in the sky of the arctic regions. The dancing lights are a form of intense space weather, a result of the atmosphere shielding the Earth against fierce solar particles that would otherwise make our planet unsafe for life. The lights occur frequently between September and October and then occur again between March and April. They are also visible sometimes in the winter.

FOREST STORY FROM U.S.A. | The Wolves

Fable: Not so long ago, the President was troubled, for the wolves were slowly vanishing from the forests. He was desperate to save the noble animal, so he called all his scientists and ordered them to find a way to conserve the beautiful wolves. The scientists came up with big plans and ideas, from creating protected areas to captive breeding. Some even suggested cloning. To some extent they were successful in raising the population of the wolves, but soon the hunters became even more active and the wolves started disappearing at a faster rate.

The President was extremely sad, but a wise counsellor suggested he take the help of the storytellers. So a new approach was found and the creatives were called. Musicians made beautiful songs on the wolf, the writers wrote enchanting stories, and photographers and filmmakers captured the beauty of the illusive wolf and its importance for our forests. Soon the word spread and the people joined in the movement for protecting the wolf. Slowly the wolf numbers began to rise and balance was restored to the forests.

Moral: Scientists create a better life, but we also need artists and storytellers to create a better world.

Write Your Own Forest Story

Not so long ago, we lived in harmony with nature. However, modern lifestyles have taken us away from the forests and their stories. What story does the future hold for you? And, how will you prepare yourself to face the challenges that lie ahead?

Check out our Nature Play activities to reconnect with the forest. You will learn life’s most useful skills through nature. Skills that schools, books, or internet can’t teach. Choose the link above or tap the rabbit below.

Our connection with nature is a continuously unfolding story and we are all part of its magic. Read about the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing to know why being in Nature is so good for us.

Now more than ever, we need forest stories that connect us back to nature and the beings who live there. It’s because things we connect to, are the things we care for.

END NOTE:
To get new stories, films, & inspiration from the forest, you can join our free newsletter. We are a small group of friends trying to find new ways to reconnect people with nature. Our aim is simple. Helping people heal. Helping forests heal.

2 Comments

Posted on October 26, 2019 by foresthealer

Healing Forest, Mindful Activities

amazing forests, forest stories, forests of the world, inspiring stories, Mindful Activities, nature activities, nature stories, stories with morals

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Healing Forest

A Calm, Healthy Life | Wellness with Nature

Forest Bathing – What, How, Where? A beginner’s guide

Forest Bathing Guide

Forest Bathing

What is Forest Bathing | Shinrin Yoku