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Forest Bathing “shinrin-yoku”
I woke up this morning with a deep sense of needing a “bath.” No, not quite a normal bath inside in a tub, but time spent outdoors in my surrounding deep and lush forests. It has been a few days since I enjoyed some immersion time, alone, in my local wilderness, and I knew I really needed to go for a walk and linger along the trails. I wanted to take in the sights, the smells, the whole sense of being-ness that permeates my mind, my body, and my spirit.
I have been over-analyzing and over-focusing on several projects that I am creating in my online world, and that translates to just too much time hunched over a computer and in my own head. After a while, the thoughts slow down and the creativity ceases IF I don’t take a #nature break and head out for some #forest bathing!
While I have been “#forest bathing” my entire life, apparently, this is the latest and greatest thing going out there in wellness land and as an anti-stress tactic…a good technique that I would have to agree with in promoting! I hadn’t thought about the concept for about a year now, but a dear friend of mine mentioned it to me last week. After my walk on the wild side this afternoon, I decided to look up the concept and see where it has expanded and developed. If you are new to the idea, I have shared one of the posts below for your enjoyment. But, the best way to learn more…go out and soak in that great big wonderful tub outdoors and relax.
It might sound too good to be true, but eco-therapy is truly taking the wellness world by storm. Shinrin-yoku is becoming increasingly popular among prominent health communities. Forest bathing is the new yoga, and now you can even sign up for guided classes to facilitate the authenticity and effectiveness of your immersive experiences. Ready to become a forest bathing master? Consider enrolling in a weeklong certificate program in forest therapy.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. After years of research, there is now a vast collection of scientific evidence that proves that forest bathing helps:
To give you an example of its uses, sufferers of chronic tension or anxiety could turn to forest bathing for some much needed relief. David Yaden, a research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center, says, “There have been studies comparing walking in nature with walking in an urban environment and testing people on their mood, different aspects of depression, and in some cases, brain scans. In the natural setting, people are more relaxed and less stressed.”
According to the definition of the term, coined in 1982 by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, forest bathing “refers to the process of soaking up the sights, smells and sounds of a natural setting to promote physiological and psychological health.”
No, it’s not what it sounds like — forest bathing doesn’t actually involve an exterior physical cleansing. However, it does facilitate a cleansing of the mind and inner body. Shinrin-yoku is a Japanese practice that translates in English to “taking in the forest atmosphere” or “forest bathing.” What exactly does that entail, if not a bathtub in the woods?
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