The healing power of nature
I mentioned to a friend about forest bathing. She side-eyed me and whispered, “I didn’t know you were into that?”
I stopped mid-step on the trail, “What do you think forest bathing is?”
She shrugged, “Being nude in the woods?”
“Yah. No. No. No.”
Forest Bathing aka Shinrin-yoku
Forest bathing is from the Japanese word, Shinrin-yoku and it means spending time immersed in the woods is a therapeutic way to heal ourselves.
If you go down the rabbit hole of reading the research on how spending time in nature benefits us, you know it does in a myriad of ways from our mental health to our physical well-being.
But how does one Nature Bathe?
You spend time in nature. Not just walking through the woods but becoming tuned into the woods. Notice how the air smells, how it feels on your skin, through your hair. Begin to see the trees for the forest. Listen to all the sounds around you. And, more but the basic level is to slow down and utilize all your senses to BE in the woods.
Here is a book that I like about forest bathing.
How to Start Forest Bathing
To get you started, let’s start with a small assignment. Trees.
The next time you are in the woods hiking slow down and really look at the trees. What does the bark look like? What are the colors of the bark? What does the tree feel like under your fingers? What do the leaves look like? How do they feel? Are their edges smooth or toothed? The more you start to deeply examine the world around you the more wonder and awe you will discover.
For example, the tree. You are likely to discover that the tree is a hotel for a variety of insects – ants, moths, caterpillars, and spiders as well as the large occupants of squirrels and birds.
You might notice that there are other guests of the tree in the form of lichens and mosses. What once was a simple tree you passed by on the trail now is in and of itself an entire universe.
After checking out the tree, I always thank the tree for its time and for all the things that it does like cleaning the air and producing oxygen. If you can’t tell, I feel a connection to trees.
On the different hikes, I have favorites and on one trail I have a favorite white oak tree that I love to visit and sit at the base and lean against the trunk.
These times are as sacred as going to mass. They are spiritual to me and provide an oasis in this chaotic world. You can find this serenity as well – you just need to slow down and take in the woods and listen to the trees to start.
