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WHAT IS FOREST BATHING?

Forest Bathing, also called nature therapy, is an easy, relaxing practice that enhances health and well-being through time spent in forests, parks, and other natural environments. As a healing practice, forest bathing originated in Japan in the 1980's to encourage relaxation and stress-relief among an overworked society. In partnership with national forest programs, Shinrin yoku, literally translated as "forest bathing" has become a popular practice not just Japan, but also in South Korea where substantial government investment is supporting the integration of forest bathing into the healthcare system, with "prescriptions" for forest and nature therapy becoming an accepted drug-free alternative for patient care in a number of areas. In the United States, Parks RX America in partnership with healthcare and park programs have teamed up to provide similar park prescriptions. Because of forest bathing’s ease and accessibility it combines well with other health and education programs and practices such as mind/body wellness, trauma and anxiety therapy, eco education, and team building and innovation workshops. 

Why does forest bathing and nature therapy work? Studies show that under the forest canopy, trees, especially evergreen trees, emit natural aerosols into the air. When human beings spend adequate time immersed in these aerosol-rich environments, an array of health benefits can be enjoyed including reduced stress and cortisol levels, a boosted immune system and faster healing. But that’s not all; in our tech-filled world, time spent in the forest soothes over-stressed neural pathways associated with attention fatigue and restores the brain's ability to focus, sharpening cognition and enhancing intuition and creativity.

Perhaps most importantly the simple act of tuning out the "noise" of our modern world and tuning in to the quiet of the forest can create the space to reconnect with who we are and what is meaningful in our lives. Nurturing that space - that pause - between what is and what can be, reminds us that we have the capacity to choose the things in life that most enliven us. When we make that choice with intention, our lives take on more meaning and when our lives are more meaningful we tend to be happier and healthier. For those suffering from anxiety, burnout, technology addiction, depression or are navigating a difficult life transition, a guided nature practice can have transformational healing effects.

From our ancestral origins through to modern day, philosophers and physicists, shamans and poets have all returned to the forest again and again to contemplate, dream, innovate and remember what it means to be human in a more-than-human world. As new and thought-provoking science emerges documenting the many benefits of connecting deeply with Nature (The Nature Fix), (The Healing Code of Nature), as well as the the beings within it (The Hidden Life of Trees), (The Genius of Birds), it is becoming increasingly clear that a reciprocal relationship with Mother Nature as a unique and cognizant entity may hold deeper secrets for mankind than we could have ever imagined - a rich and fertile return, indeed.