Getting Started With Forest Bathing
You Love the Forest — Now Let it Love You Back
You already connect with nature, right? Many adventures to wild and scenic places end with an increased sense of well-being, such as becoming more relaxed, creative, or peaceful. Even a walk through your local urban green space can change your mood and deepen your nature connection. This sense of peace is what keeps many of us hungry for more, and so we plan our next hike, climb, paddle, or stroll.
But what if there was more to the natural environment that we are missing by moving with so much purpose? What if there was a way to more deeply appreciate and connect with the more-than-human-world, which can result in improved health as well as improved relations with our body, our selves, and others? Enter the practice of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku.
What is Forest Bathing?
It is a simple practice. Forest Bathing is a slow wander in a natural place where we use all of our senses to experience what we discover around us. For example, you might spend time during a guided forest walk just noticing all of the sounds of the forest environment. Or, you might find and hold a rock and notice everything about it: its texture, its smell, and what journey it has taken to be with you in this place, at this time.
A forest bath is often done in the forest, but many guides have led successful walks in city parks or even gardens. It is not a hike—you will not get the typical exercise you experience from hiking a distance to a set destination. A guided forest bathing session might cover less than a half-mile but be spread out over a time frame of two to three hours. To better understand what a forest bath might be like, check out this two-minute video filmed during a winter forest bath.
The American practice of forest therapy has its roots in the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing). Shinrin-yoku became a formal, often prescribed, practice in Japan after researchers spent years tracking the physiological effects of forest bathing on their stressed-out city dwellers. (More on the research can be found below). Indeed, the Japanese now have multiple protected forest trails dedicated to the practice of shinrin-yoku, which are destinations for people from around the world.
Do I need a forest therapy guide?
Do you need a forest therapy guide to lead you in this practice? The answer is no—you can have a profound experience all on your own by following the process explained in books on Forest Therapy or Forest Bathing. I recommend Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature by M. Amos Clifford (Bookshop), the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy founder, an organization dedicated to training forest therapy guides. Another good option is Healing Trees: A Pocket Guide to Forest Bathing by Ben Page (Bookshop).
However, participating in a guided walk is a very helpful way to get started. A trained Forest Therapist will offer you invitations to slow down and absorb and deeply experience what is around you. You might not realize how strange it could feel to let go of the urgency of getting to the next place, and using a forest therapy guide will help by giving you the “permission” or guidance you need to do so.
If you attend a forest bath with a group of other participants, you may also experience not just deeper connections with the forest but also a connection to the others who are also slowing down and experiencing the wilderness in new ways along with you. Even in large groups, the practice is quiet—very little is said between participants other than brief (optional) opportunities to share what you are noticing. As you experience the forest with all your senses, in a quiet and unhurried manner, you and the other participants may start to feel connected—with each other as much as with the natural world around you.
I wonder, as you read this article, how quickly you are trying to get to the end, much like a hike you want to complete in a set amount of time? I wonder what might happen if you slowed down your reading, taking time to process your impressions as if you had all the time in the world.
Forest Bathing Benefits
There are two ways to look at the benefits of Forest Bathing: the benefits for you and the benefits for the forest and its inhabitants. The benefits for you are related to your physical health and well-being, resulting from reduced stress levels. Forest Bathing might be compared to yoga or meditation in this way: the practice itself puts you into a calmer state of mind, which in turn reduces cortisol, lowers blood pressure, and sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system responses (supporting study here). I have had participants tell me that weeks later, they are reminded of something that they noticed on the walk and that this memory brought the feeling of the forest bathing experience back to them. Perhaps this is a reason that the impact is so lasting?
Another benefit unique to forest bathing—breathing in the phytoncides, or scents released from the trees. Phytoncides are a tree’s immune response to fighting off unwanted threats, like a fungus or insects. These scents are actually beneficial to the human immune system, boosting our natural killer cells (supporting study here). So when we bathe in the forest, we are bathing in the forest air, taking in the phytoncides and clean air that trees provide us and all other forest dwellers.
Our hope and inspiration as forest guides is that the practice of forest therapy also offers the human participant an opportunity to more deeply experience and connect with the more-than-human world around them. The process of slowing down and noticing the world around us with multiple senses might teach us that the natural world has a rhythm, for example, which we are a part of, not separate from. We are nature, and nature is us. By remembering this connection (we remember it because it has always been true), we might find ourselves becoming better caretakers of the more-than-human-world, as a natural extension of caring for ourselves. And because of this deeper connection, we know are not alone.
Forest Bathing Research
As mentioned above, the Japanese began researching the practice of forest bathing in 1982 and have since produced an impressive amount of research verifying the positive effect the practice can have on health and well-being. The Japanese researchers recorded before and after markers, such as blood pressure, cortisol levels, and emotional profiles, to confirm the positive effect of forest bathing on physical and mental health. In the 1990s, they additionally began researching the effects of phytoncides on human natural killer cells (cancer-fighting white blood cells). In addition, there is research being conducted worldwide regarding the benefits of nature therapy—specifically forest bathing. For example, Dose of Nature is an organization dedicated to compiling research focused on the benefits of spending time in nature, including forest bathing. The content offered on the Forest Library site is more specifically focused on the practice of forest bathing.
A Sample of Popular Magazine Articles
The Guardian: Getting back to nature: how forest bathing can make us feel better
The Atlantic: 'Forest Bathing': How Microdosing on Nature Can Help With Stress
Greater Good Magazine: Why Forest Bathing is Good for Your Health
A Sample of Research Articles
Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review (National Center for Biotechnology Information)
A before and after comparison of the effects of forest walking on the sleep of a community-based sample of people with sleep complaints (NCBI)
A Review of Field Experiments on the Effect of Forest Bathing on Anxiety and Heart Rate Variability (NCBI)
Forest Bathing Certification: Why I Became a Forest Therapy Guide
My own story is that my first forest bath was self-guided: I read the book by Amos Clifford mentioned above, and intrigued, I took myself out for a forest bath. I then proceeded to experience the forest atmosphere in a whole new way. I am a dedicated backpacker and hiker, so slowing down and intentionally experiencing the woods with all my senses was quite different for me. Eye-opening. Sense-opening. It moved me, and I wanted to understand the practice more deeply.
I reached out to the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) and enrolled in an intensive eight-day training in the woods of Victoria, BC. That was supposed to be May of 2020, and of course, the training did not happen. But ANFT pivoted and used the pandemic crisis to rethink their training, providing their guides with an online program that spanned six months, concluding with a 4-day immersive experience once the threat of COVID had lessened. I went into the program skeptical that forest bathing could be taught online, but once I graduated, I was grateful for the time to absorb and embody the many philosophies and practices of the program over six months instead of eight days. I love the practice and really enjoy sharing it with my community.
If you are interested in finding a certified forest therapy guide to lead you on a forest bath, you can learn more at the ANFT “find a guide” site. Also, if you happen to live or be traveling through Portland, Oregon, you are welcome to contact me regarding local options here.
How to Go Forest Bathing
Whether you are going forest bathing with or without a guide, the following are some ideas to help you prepare for your experience.
Preparation
Check the weather before you go. Make sure you’re prepared for the conditions.
Eat a meal before you go, so you won’t be distracted by hunger.
Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back. This is a good idea whenever you head out into the woods.
Allow 2 to 3 hours of uninterrupted time. You might set an alarm if you have one so you know when your forest bath is finished.
Dress in layers. The temperatures may change significantly during your session, so wear layers that can be easily shed or added. Also, you will not be moving very fast, so dress more warmly than you normally would.
Wear comfortable shoes with traction. You might be walking or standing on uneven ground during your walk, so be sure that your shoes are comfortable and have decent traction.
Bring water and stay hydrated.
Bring a lightweight sit pad: it can add comfort if you choose to sit.
A backpack might be helpful for carrying your extra layers and water.
Some ideas for self-guided forest bathing trips
Turn off your electronics—we like to say: put your phone in “forest bathing mode.”
(You may wish to use your phone’s alarm feature to notify you when you are close to your designated end time.)
If going with fellow forest bathers, make a commitment to not speak until the end of your designated time. Forest bathing is an opportunity to be present through your sensing body—a conversation will shift your attention from your body to your mind.
From a green space in an urban setting to a wilderness area, any natural setting will do nicely.
Abandon the idea that you’re walking with a purpose or goal. Instead, give yourself permission to slow down and take in the world around you, one step at a time.
Practice mindfulness. Try sitting or standing in one place for 20-30 minutes, noticing what you can smell, hear, touch and see.
Try taking a slow walk—if you find yourself speeding up: stop, breathe in the forest air, notice what you notice, and then proceed walking slowly again. Remember, you will not walk far during a forest bath.
Be creative or playful, such as imitating what you see, creating something with what you find, adding your voice to what you hear.
End with a sit spot with a tree or plant, just noticing what you notice.
About the Author
Ellen is a native Oregonian with a deep love for the forests of the Pacific Northwest. She earned her M.S. degree in Education from Portland State University and is a certified Forest Therapy Guide by the Associate of Nature and Forest Therapy. Her love for backpacking, hiking, and foraging naturally drew her to the practice of forest bathing. Her ANFT certification and forest bathing practice expanded how she encountered the natural world, leaving her even more curious and deeply in love with both the wild and tamed world we all inhabit. More about Ellen and forest bathing opportunities can be found on her website: Pacific Crest Forest Bathing.
Resources
Websites
Association of Nature and Forest Therapy — More information about forest therapy, how to become a forest therapy guide, and the science behind forest therapy
Quiet Parks International — A resource for finding quiet trails and parks
One Square Inch — A website about one of the quietest places on earth
Books
Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Qing Li (Bookshop or Amazon)
Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature by M Amos Clifford (Bookshop or Amazon)
Healing Trees: A Pocket Guide to Forest Bathing by Ben Page (Bookshop or Amazon)
The Nature Fix by Florence Williams (Bookshop or Amazon)
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (Bookshop or Amazon)
Research
A helpful list of current research supporting nature and forest therapy can be found on the ANFT website.
