Introduction to Forest Therapy/Forest Bathing

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
–Kahlil Gibran

Forest Therapy is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, which translates to “forest bathing.”

In the early 1980s, Japan was undergoing a health crisis. People were striving to reach new heights in the technological world, friends and relatives were vying for high-paying, well-respected jobs, and parents were placing high expectations on their children for high test scores and entrance into prestigious universities.

It seemed as though everyone was competing with each other, working, or studying around the clock and consequently experiencing stress and health impacts from these pressures. Suicides were on the rise as were heart disease and other stress-related diseases. In response to this health crisis, the Japanese developed a collection of activities at certified forest therapy trails, of which there are more than 60 in Japan, whereby a guide leads a group into the forest and presents activities that engage the five major senses as a way of grounding, decreasing stress, and improving quality of life by alleviating mental and physical disorders and diseases.

It was soon found that the benefits of forest bathing reduced blood pressure, slowed the heart rate, alleviated stress and anxiety, and balanced cortisol levels. Further, these benefits sometimes lasted for more than a week after the participant experienced the forest.

Many studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits, especially in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and for stabilizing and improving mood, cognition, and mental well-being. [1]

As a certified and trained Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) Guides and Programs, I build on the Japanese practice of forest bathing and look beyond it to the healing that occurs when people remember we are a part of nature and not separate from it; we are related to all other beings in fundamental ways. Thus, forest therapy is an approach to holistic health, individuation, and pro-environmental consciousness inspired through the fields of ecology and Jungian psychology. It is heart-centered work.

If you are interested in forest bathing, here are some general guidelines.
A Forest Therapy guide will help you to:
1. Create a specific intention to connect with nature in a healing way. This requires mindfully moving through the landscape in ways that cultivate presence, opening all the senses, and actively communicating with the land.
2. Take it slow and easy. Forest bathing is a connection with nature and is not something to rush through. Walks are not undertaken with the primary goal of physical exercise. It’s more about being here than it is about getting there. Typical guided walks take 2 ½ hours.
3. Give generously of your attention to promote healing interactions. Usually, the spontaneous emergence of a natural state of mindfulness and full embodiment comes forth with the guide providing ever-changing and an evolving series of invitations. These invitations are all crafted to slow us down and open our senses. We begin to, more deeply, perceive the nuances of the constant stream of communications rampant in any natural setting. We learn to let the land and its messages penetrate into our minds more profoundly.
4. Develop a meaningful relationship with nature over time. It is cultivated by continually returning throughout the natural cycles of the seasons. Forest therapy is best thought of as a practice, similar to yoga or exercise or daily walking. It’s not a one-time event.
5. Develop other core routines. It’s not only about taking walks in the forest. The walks are important, but there are other routines that we can do to help in deepening our relationship with nature and healing ourselves in the exchange of health benefits between humans and the more than human world. Among these practices are sit spot, (sitting in one place throughout the seasons), place tending, acquiring nature knowledge, and engaging the active imagination through play, creative expression, and imaginal dialogues with other-than-human beings such as animals, trees, stones, and rivers. [excerpted from natureandforesttherapy.org]

When we do such heart-centered work, two central feelings are evoked: gratitude and grief. Gratitude and appreciation for all that is around us. Grief so we may be given space to honor and heal.

For more information regarding forest bathing, or if you are interested in a forest bathing experience, contact Sandy Troyano, RScP at stroyano9@gmail.com, or visit her website at forestalchemy.earth.

By Sandy Troyano, RScP

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[1] For more information on the science behind nature experience:  Please see:  Nature and Mental Health: An Ecosystem Service Perspective. Gregory N. Bratman et al. Science Advances 24 Jul 2019 Vol. 5, No. 7 advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/7/eaax0903.full

A wealth of studies has demonstrated that nature experience is associated with psychological well-being. These include investigations of single as well as cumulative occasions of nature contact, and range from experimental to observational designs. The forms of the association include evidence that links nature experience with increased positive affect happiness and subjective wellbeing positive social interactions, cohesion, and engagement; a sense of meaning and purpose in life; improved manageability of life tasks and decreases in mental distress, such as negative affect. In addition, with longitudinal studies, as well as natural and controlled experiments, nature experience has been shown to positively affect various aspects of cognitive function memory and attention impulse inhibition, and children’s school performance, as well as imagination and creativity

Evidence supports an association between common types of nature experience and a reduction of risk factors and the burden of some types of mental illness.

Nature experience has been associated with improved sleep and reductions in stress, as assessed by self-report and various physiological measures and biomarkers of acute and chronic stress These impacts on sleep and stress may entail decreased risk for mental illness, as sleep problems and stress are major risk factors for mental illness, especially depression. In addition, there growing evidence that nature experience is associated with a decreased incidence of other disorders, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression.

Resources:

Videos:

Colorado 7 News: thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/going-inside-the-new-trend-of-forest-bathing-in-colorado

Articles:
Mindfulness and Shinrin-Yoku: Potential for Physiological and Psychological Intervention During Uncertain Times. Erica R. Timko Olson, et.al. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020 17 (24), 9340. Dec 2020 mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/24/934014

Can forest therapy enhance health and well-being? Susan Abookire, BSEE, MD, MPH May 29, 2020.
health.harvard.edu/blog/can-forest-therapy-enhance-health-and-well-being-2020052919948

Books:
1. Clifford, M. Amos. Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature. Conari Press, MA. 2018.
2. Mazzola, Nadine. Forest Bathing with Your Dog. Blue Cloud Books. 2019
3. Hakenmiller, Suzanne Bartlett MD. The Outdoor Adventurers Guide to Forest Bathing. Falcon Guides. 2019
4. Page, Ben. Healing Trees, A Pocket Guide to Forest Bathing. Mandata Publishing. 2021
5. Qing, Li M. The Japanese Art and Science of Shinrin-Yoku Forest Bathing. How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness. Viking Press, NY. 2018.