I admit, I’m skeptical. As an avid hiker and enthusiast of outdoor activities, I love the activities of the adrenaline pump. I’ve hiked the Inca Trail in Peru, crossed the Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile, and lifted to the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Plus, there are sky diving, gliding, bungee jumping and diving – activities I do around the world.
So, I’m not sure if forest bathing is my business. I have a strange idea that it involves walking naked in the forest (the word “bathing” usually means no clothes).
“If you walk slowly in the forest and really notice what’s around you, it’s forest bathing,” said my guide Junichi Aida, who has been hiking in the Yakushima forest in Japan for over 27 years.
The word forest bathing is called Shinrin-Yoku In Japanese, it was created in the 1980s. This concept is a response to the Japanese technological revolution – Shinrin-Yoku An antidote for a high-octane lifestyle is providing an antidote that is replacing a traditionally nature-oriented society.
So what is forest bathing? Aida explained that it was simple. It is natural and adjusts the sound, smell, sight and energy of the surrounding environment. It is present and mindful when you “bathe” in the forest.
Forest bathing has become an important part of Japan’s healthcare. Aida pointed out Research shows Forest bathing improves sleep, mood and focus, and reduces stress levels. As many of us know, chronic stress can lead to a variety of diseases including anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and a reduced immune response.
By reducing the impact of stress on the body, spending time in nature and away from our gadgets, we can improve our physical and mental health. Prescribed forest bathing in Japan has brought healthier lifestyles to people of all ages.
I’m still skeptical. What I like most about outdoors is the physical aspect – I feel my muscles are tired but exciting, with a sense of success and accomplishment. Forest bathing, on the other hand, sounds like a psychological exercise.
I took a full-day (eight hours) hike with Aida, one of Japan’s picturesque national parks. Usually, when I hike, I like to talk – talking makes time faster and faster, making me feel like I’m reaching my destination faster. But Aida encouraged me to spend at least half of my time silent. He encouraged me to be in my mind (a place where I wasn’t sure if I was comfortable).
I didn’t have a mouth, but started tuning. I often feel uncomfortable with quietness, but I am here, embrace it. That was when I realized it wasn’t quiet at all, and talked very positively around the forest, but I’ve never heard of it. I began to pay attention to my breathing and heard the sound of leaves bent under my feet.
I realized maybe forest bathing is my business. Perhaps consciously striving to spend time in nature, slowing down and taking over the surroundings is exactly what I need. I realized that this not only slows down physically, but also does so mentally. My mind is always worried about the future or questioning of what I have done in the past. But encouraging my mind to grasp what is before me and to worry about the past and the future (at least during my forest bathing) gives me a deep sense of calm.
The greatness of forest bathing is that you can do it anywhere. People who are not familiar with this kind of exercise often start going with the guide, who is mainly for comfort, especially when you are worried about getting lost – but can also provide tips along the way…how do you feel, what you see, what you see, what you hear, what you smell?
Aida has been leading forest bathing hikes for decades, but he explains that people can be new to themselves. He explained that you are going to walk in nature and listen to five senses – watching the trees dance in the wind, listening to lwick cracks, cracking while walking, feeling the warmth of the sunshine on your face, smelling the Cedar Forest, and tasting the fresh air.
“You can’t do the wrong forest,” Aida said. “If your mind starts to linger, just bring it back to the present and do as much as you can.”
The best place to bathe in the forest
YakushimaIt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and stands out in Japan. Located in the southwest of the country, this national park has incredibly scenic trails. It is mountainous and covered with dense forests, made of ancient cedar trees called Yakusugi. You can hike in the laurel forest on the lower foothills, which gives way to coniferous and deciduous forests on the uphill. The woodland in turn gives way to shrubs and short bamboos on rocky granite outcrops and weathered ridges near the top of the mountain. It feels like a hiking in a fairy tale. Yakushima Geographic Tour Forest bathing experience has been provided for twenty years.
A popular self-guided journey in Japan (called Japanese ikigai and the road to happiness) includes tranquil trees along the Nakasendo Samurai Route (inland route within 335 miles of the mountain, bathing the forest that once connected today’s Tokyo to Kyoto). This mental and health-inspired journey also includes experience Wabi-Sabi (The concept of accepting blemishes) at a seminar on the restoration of Kintsugi Golden Ceramic in Tokyo; and Onkochishin (Find new wisdom in ancient ways) With travelers attend Zazen seat meditation in Kyoto.
Of course, while forest bathing originated in Japan, it can be done anywhere in the world.
Most health and destination spas offer forest bathing as part of the itinerary. Popular places to attend forest bathing classes include Woodlooge’s Cabin In Pennsylvania, Mohonk Mountain House In New York, Art of life In North Carolina, Mirror In Berkshire, Canyon Ranch in Arizona. You can also turn any hike into a forest bathing experience by adjusting the five senses and turning off the monkey’s mind.
Germany has a similar concept, named Forest bathing or Waldeinsamkeit. It is taking time on nature and adjusting it into your surroundings. It is popular all over the country, including in the Black Forest Guide walk Available.