<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The benefits of forest bathing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n By Marianna Pogosyan Ph.D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among all their marvels, trees are good listeners. They stand silently and courteously, holding space for all our thoughts \u2014 the happy ones and the sad ones. They\u2019ve learned mercy, they\u2019ve earned wisdom, from observing life unfold. They\u2019ve seen and heard it all. Sometimes, they will let the wind chime in. Leaves will whisper. Branches will nod. Birds will offer their good sense. Beetles will poke their curious heads out of cracked bark and damp soil. But the trees, unperturbed and dignified, will keep listening to our stories, even before we put them into words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For thousands of years, humans have turned to Nature for their ailments. By now, the benefits of pulling away from the grip of our stressful, urban lifestyles and stepping into the arms of Nature are well documented by science. Take, for example, the growing popularity of shinrin yoku or forest bathing. In recent years, countless forest-goers around the world have been enjoying the therapeutic effects of this Japanese practice. Whether they come in groups or alone, in Europe or in Asia \u2014 the forests reward their visitors. As writer John Muir penned, \u201cIn every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a forest therapy practitioner from Ireland, Shirley Gleeson regularly witnesses some of these well-being effects firsthand. Gleeson sees her role as a facilitator, helping her clients establish a deep connection with Nature. Her biggest lesson, she tells me, is to know when to get out of the way and let Nature do its work. \u201cI may have a whole outdoor session planned and the group just wants to lie in the moss or sit with a tree,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first glance, forest bathing might look similar to the leisurely Nature visits you indulge in on sunny weekends. It\u2019s the same walk, along the same trails, with the same hiking shoes strapped on your feet. But there is a twist: The roles between you and the forest are reversed. Now, you are the listener. Now, you are the one offering the woods your doting presence. It\u2019s usually the treetops that keep an eye over you as you trudge through labyrinths of ancient roots and pass by the rumbling creek that lives between the straight-spined pines, barely touched by their grace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, you are there, truly there, to hear the trees and to taste the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What happens next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n After initial self-consciousness, forest-bathers appear to let go of their everyday roles and just be, observes Gleeson. The sights, smells, and sounds of the forest might bring up happy childhood memories of possibilities and imagination. Various emotions might arise \u2014 playfulness, joy, creativity, sometimes even sadness from the realization that \u201cthey had not laid on the forest floor or felt the rain on their faces since they were children,\u201d notes Gleeson. Overall, as mental chatter subsides and clarity settles, her group leaves the forest \u201clighter, smiling, and rejuvenated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other side of the Earth, forest therapist Nagisa Ono invites her clients to engage all their senses as they take in the splendor of the Japanese forests. In the past 13 years, she has guided over 2000 people to experience the wonders of shinrin yoku. \u201cThe most important thing is to relax in the forest,\u201d she says. That makes it easier to enjoy the forest as a multisensory feast. In the meantime, while our senses are absorbed in smelling, seeing, hearing, touching, tasting the Nature around us, a cascade of health benefits floods through our minds and bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to research, the benefits of forest bathing are far-ranging. For example, forest bathing has been shown to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then there is the enchanting beauty of Nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSometimes it is like stepping into another world where time seems to slow down, and endless possibilities emerge,\u201d says Gleeson. Entering \u201cforest time\u201d prompts our bodies to get attuned to the rhythms of Nature, Gleeson explains, calming and slowing our minds, refreshing our spirits. Perhaps that\u2019s the secret of Nature that poets have urged us to embrace patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are thinking of giving forest bathing a try, Gleeson has these practical tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Originally published at Psychology Today<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The benefits of forest bathing. By Marianna Pogosyan Ph.D. Among all their marvels, trees are good listeners. They stand silently and courteously, holding space for all our thoughts \u2014 the happy ones and the sad…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[2400,88,489],"class_list":["post-7116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-healing","tag-health","tag-nature"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n