Spending time in nature good for our bodies and minds. From the fresh air, to the gentle sounds of nature, to the feel of sunlight on our skin, keep our feeling refreshed, restored and revitalized.
The art of slowing down in nature has a name. Forest bathing, or shinrin yoku as it is called in Japan, is a practice that was developed back in the 1980s. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest” and Yoku means “bath”, which literally translates as ‘bathing in the forest atmosphere’, encourages people to get back to nature quite literally. The practice of forest bathing involves simply spending time in a forest, woodland or other natural landscape. Not jogging or running through it; not even walking through it necessarily; simply resting within it and experiencing it via all your senses – sight, smell, touch, taste and sound. This really allows you to awaken to the environment around and within you. Those who practice forest bathing may well experience both mental and physical improvements, including decreased anxiety, lowered stress levels and deeper relaxation, as well as physiological changes.
The practice of forest bathing and its associated benefits is now widely recognized, including in the western world where more and more people are discovering its joys.
