‘…and into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul’
John Muir
Forest bathing
‘shinrin-yoku’
A nature connection practice designed to relieve stress, enhance wellbeing and promote relaxation.
What is forest bathing?
Forest bathing derives from the Japanese term ‘shinrin-yoku’ which means ‘bathing in the forest atmosphere’ or ‘taking in the forest using your senses’.
It originated in Japan in the 1980’s due to a public health crisis at the time with a stress epidemic and deaths by overwork.
The aim of forest bathing is to help you to slow down while walking in nature and awaken all of your senses in order to fully connect to the nature around you.
This increases your capacity to be fully present and enables feelings of relaxation and calmness which can be an effective antidote to our stressful, technology-driven lifestyles.
Please see FAQ'S page for details on what happens on a forest bathing walk
The science
We know inherently that spending time in nature can be good for us. Among other positive benefits, research studies have shown that forest bathing can:
lower stress
restore our mental energy
boost the immune system
improve concentration
increase creativity
