If you’ve ever been in a forest, listened to the birds and watched the sunshine filtering through the leaves, you’ve already participated in one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental well-being.
The Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is the simple and therapeutic act of spending time in a forest.
Forest bathing does wonders for physical and mental well-being.
What is forest bathing
Leave your phone at the hotel—this should be a chance for a digital detox—and head to the nearest forest for a meander through the trees. No hiking, running, or mountain-climbing necessary. You can even sit if you want to. Take a moment to appreciate your surroundings and listen to the sounds around you: twittering birds, rustling bush, trickling streams. Breathe in clean, fragrant air and soak in the sights of the textured ground and the shapes of the leaves in the sky. Touch the soft, green moss carpeting the shaded stones, or the rough bark on the trees. Let the stillness around you influence your state of mind and make you forget the constant motion of the city. This is a sensory experience.
Everyone who calls Australia home, we are so blessed to have some of the best forests in the world. With Spring round the corner, lets make forest bathing, a form of communing with Nature a part of our daily or weekly routine.
The key to unlocking the power of the forest is in the five senses. Let nature enter through your ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet. Listen to the birds singing and the breeze rustling in the leaves of the trees. Look at the different greens of the trees and the sunlight filtering through the branches. Smell the fragrance of the forest and breathe in the natural aromatherapy of phytoncides. Taste the freshness of the air as you take deep breaths. Place your hands on the trunk of a tree. Dip your fingers or toes in a stream. Lie on the ground. Drink in the flavor of the forest and release your sense of joy and calm. This is your sixth sense, a state of mind. Now you have connected with nature. You have crossed the bridge to happiness.
The many health benefits of forest bathing
Forest bathing has become a vital part of preventative healthcare in Japan. The results of Japanese studies have shown forest bathing improves sleep quality, mood, ability to focus, and stress levels. Chronic stress can contribute to the development of ailments like anxiety, depression, and insomnia, to name a few. It can also contribute to physiological problems, like high blood pressure, muscle tension, and lowered immune response. Spending time in nature, away from modern technology and big cities can improve your physical and mental health by reducing the effects of stress on your body. Prescribed forest bathing in Japan has led to a healthier lifestyle for people of all ages.
