If you’re one of the many people that can appreciate the subtle nuances that make forest bathing so satisfying, you’ll enjoy these strategies to take your practice a step further.

Or, you can use each one of these as a starting point if you’re just beginning to forest bathe.

These strategies help you mine the cracks of your forest bathing practice for gold.

 

Try these 50 ways to uplevel your shinrin-yoku experience:

1. Bring a magnifying glass. Check out nature in even more up-close detail.
2. Bring your journal.
3. Bare your feet
4. Use a walking stick. Make it a game to find the best one.
5. Use your imagination to build a fantasy story about your surroundings in your head a la Bridge to Terabithia or Where the Wild Things Are.
6. Bring your child with you and ask them general questions about the forest to see what they say.
7. Bring along a local field guide.
8. Go forest bathing at sunrise.
9. Leave your technology behind completely.
10. Pray.
11. Do a handstand and observe the trees from a new perspective.
12. Touch interesting textures with something other than your hands: your knees, toes, or nose.
13. Dig a hole.
14. Bury a burden in the hole you dug.
15. Carry parts of the forest with you as you walk, such as a pinch bouquet.
16. Leave a gift, something of yourself, for the forest (without littering). A kiss. A lock of hair. A prayer written in the soil.
17. Go forest bathing at sunset.
18. Read a nature poem before you go to set the tone.
19. Leave your worries at the forest entrance.
20. Smile.
21. Skip.
22. Do some stretches with the support of a tree.
23. Burn a mental snapshot.
24. Sing.
25. Set an intention for your walk before you go.
26. Lean in.
27. Look around and locate more things to be grateful for.
28. Bring your dog. See the forest through the eyes of your pet.
29. Try to scope out secret hiding spots like you would as a kid.
30. Look inside hollow trees.
31. Perform a one-word walking mantra meditation.
32. Take a moment to actually read the informational signs.
33. Follow the length of an entire vine with your hands.
34. Veer off the trail a tad.
35. Walk backwards for a short distance.
36. Try to decipher the answers to life’s biggest questions in the forest.
37. Stare intently at something interesting.
38. Take in the view of the forest on your back.
39. Follow the trail of an ant.
40. Find a high spot to look out over the horizon on.
41. Give back to the forest: pick up a piece of trash or send a mental blessing.
42. Put your feet in the water.
43. Write a message in the soil.
44. Leave a message in a hollow tree for someone to find.
45. Sway or do some Tai Chi moves.
46. Let the little kid inside of you dance when you feel compelled.
47. Listen for rhythms.
48. Make note of natural symmetries and patterns.
49. Learn one thing about how to survive in nature.
50. Take a moment to appreciate how tiny you are inside the forest from the Google-eye view.

Here’s a pinnable version to pin for later!

I hope this brainstorm helps you get more out of your next forest bathing experience. Let me know how it goes in the comments below!