Whether we realize it or not, humans and trees have an organic connection with each other. We exhale the carbon dioxide that trees absorb. Trees emit the oxygen that humans need to live. Many cultures – both ancient and modern – have recognized this interdependency. Nearly every pre-industrial people group has had traditions, ceremonies, and medical practices tied to trees. The Japanese, for example, value being among trees so highly that they created a name for the practice of being with them: Shinrin Yoku. “Forest Bathing” or “Forest Therapy.” It is the activity of connecting to nature via the five senses. For the sake of maintaining mental and physical health, I encourage you to examine the potential of Forest Bathing to relax your body, calm your nerves, and uplift your spirit.
First, take a moment to remember a special tree from your childhood or more recent. If you’ve been fortunate enough to recall a special tree, think about the things that made it so special. What kind of tree was it? How big was the trunk? Did you play in it? Did you trace the leaves on paper with a crayon? Did someone special plant it? Did it bear fruit, nuts, or flowers? Forests and trees have a way of bringing us into the present moment. The positive sense of well-being you felt about your special tree can come back to you years later just by the memory of it.
Some basic guidelines about Shinrin Yoku are, first of all, to “forget guidelines.” Use your senses to cultivate your sense of perception and wonder. Slow down and be in the present moment. Try not to analyze or overthink when you enter the woods. There is no destination. It is not a hike. Some forest bathing sessions don’t even get more than a few feet from the starting point. If you have no forest near you, find a spot where you feel strongly the presence of nature. Do you feel a breeze on your skin? Do you hear the sound of water? Is there a tree that draws you in for a closer look? Practice the art of being still in nature and you will awaken to all it has to offer. Perhaps you will even get an answer to a life question you’ve been struggling with.
Mr. Amos Clifford, who wrote the book, “Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature,” says this: “I am not separate from nature. As a human, I belong not just to human society but equally to the society of the ‘more than human’ world. I don’t just view its power and beauty from outside. I am of it.”
Our disconnection from nature is one of the tragedies of the modern era. Taking the time to sit with nature and just breathe, is a remarkable remedy for the stresses of modern life. Be encouraged to return to the ancient source of our very being. Respect nature and she will respect and take care of you. Take from an experience of Shinrin Yoku those intangible things the forest freely gives: connection, calmness, union, healing, and wonder.
“Forests do not see humans as separate from them. They seem to long for us to return to our ancestral knowing of them. The trees welcome us and are glad of our returning” (Amos Clifford). I encourage you to find a Forest Therapy Guide near you, and experience the delight of Shrin Yoku for yourself.
Diane Simmons is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide through the Forest Therapy School. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband Wesley. Sam Houston National Forest is her happy place.
