What is forest bathing?

In the 1980s, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries developed the concept of shinrin-yoku, which translates to forest bathing, or immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the forest.

The Director General of the ministry, Tomohide Akiyama, developed shinrin-yoku in response to the ill effects of widespread nature deprivation and the need to protect the country’s diminishing forests. Forest bathing was the perfect solution for both.

Forest bathing is based on the concept of reciprocity. As people seek more exposure to nature and receive its medicinal benefits, they form a relationship which sparks their desire to preserve it.

Over time, Japan has designated 62 of their recreational forests as certified therapy forests based on the level of healing elements available. Japan has 10 forest medicine bases across the country with dedicated onsite medical providers who can assess your physical and psychological profile before and after shinrin-yoku.

In his book Forest Bathing, Qing Li describes on-site healthcare providers and doctors who accompany you through the forest and take your blood pressure at various shelters along the path. They can also take your mood scores before and after your trip.

After years of research, a lot of sound science has proven the measurable benefits of forest bathing.

Today, forest therapy is gaining worldwide recognition. Spas and wellness destinations offer forest bathing therapy as part of their vacation packages. Forest kindergarten is becoming a popular concept. And you can find shinrin-yoku meetups with certified forest guides all over the world. And sites like this are finally being created to support the practice!

This site is dedicated to anyone who cherishes the benefits of nature and wants to practice it for themselves and for the forest bathing guide who’s looking for fresh ideas for their practice.

How do you practice shinrin-yoku?

No, you don’t have to get naked or take an actual bath in a forest.

Forest bathing is the practice of spending meaningful, mindful time in the forest. The activity is a slow practice of tuning in to your environment and tuning out all the other “noise” in your life.

Shinrin-yoku means going into the forest and taking in the entire atmosphere with your senses. You can start with your five senses and expand from there.

Forest bathing senses

{Your “other” 5 senses, part of the 5-day forest bathing challenge}

Basically, you use the concepts of mindfulness to bring your awareness to the present moment.

While doing so, you get to experience the medicinal qualities inherent to the forest, such as exposure to sunlight, microbes, and volatile organic compounds. The most prominent being the exposure to phytoncides, which enhances NK cell activity. In other words, the natural essences of the forest boost your immune system and well-being.

Forest bathing is not the same as hiking

The pace, goals, and focus are completely different.

When you hike, your focus is on movement from point A to point B. It’s mostly about physical exertion, which is also great for you. But you’re not necessarily paying close attention to what’s going on around you in a meaningful way.

On the other hand, forest bathing has no set pace and mostly keeps you in the same vicinity. You’re hyper-focused on what’s happening around you. The goal is to relax, tune in, and take all the wonderful pleasures of the forest in.

Shinrin-yoku isn’t just a “hipster millennial thing”

If shinrin-yoku was invented in 1982 in Japan, how did American millennials get blamed for exploiting it and why is being a “hipster millennial” so derogatory anyway? That’s a topic for another post.

Anyway…

What I really want to say is, it doesn’t matter what sort of beanie-wearing picture you have in your head, you can still benefit from the practice.

Maybe you’ve been practicing something similar all along and the term “forest bathing” finally gives the concept of what you’ve always done a name and a more well-defined focus.

Forest bathing is gaining popularity, not because of some kind of hipster trend-setting push, but because it encapsulates something people have found beauty in and have been wishing for all along.

Forest bathing isn’t a waste of time

For some, the practice just sounds like another thing to add to their to-do list. And, no thank you.

I find forest bathing to be a great excuse to get to the forest more than I normally would. It gives me something to focus on while I’m out there. And it makes me feel soooooooo incredibly good afterward.

Because that’s what life is all about right? Finding fulfillment and joy.

Shinrin-yoku isn’t some kind of chore you should be doing. It’s a pleasure. It’s a state of mind you need to replenish your brian. And you don’t need to travel to a remote secret forest either. A tree in your backyard or local park will do, if nothing else.

Just do some of the tasks you normally do inside, under a tree instead;)

Forest Bathing Studies:

We have an entire page dedicated to forest bathing research. I update this compilation of studies whenever I notice a new development or article, so make sure to check back occasionally.

If your goal is to get the most out of your life, then you should add shinrin-yoku to your regimen.

If you want to see just how healthy and life-giving forest bathing is, look here.

Shinrin-yoku vocab lesson

In the forest bathing community, you may hear a few terms or names thrown around that you don’t understand. Here are a few you need to know:

Threshold: the entrance to the forest. Many forest bathers like to perform some kind of transition ritual upon entering the forest and exiting “everyday life.”
Phytoncides: antimicrobial volatile organic substances emitted by trees and plants that have many medicinal benefits.
Invitation: an exercise you can do to experience the forest. On this site, we often call them exercises, but the terms can be used interchangeably.
Tea ceremony: forest therapy guides often culminate their guided walks with wildcrafted tea. They often give thanks to the forest and discuss their experiences during this time. You can try something similar on your own or come up with your own culminating ritual.
Sit spot: a place in the forest where you can sit and observe nature and return to often.
Qing Li: the lead researcher behind all the shinrin-yoku-specific studies to date.

Want to read more about shinrin-yoku?

Are you ready to try shinrin-yoku yet? Then, hop on over and grab our free starter guide.