Forest Bathing
The Green Prescription
How much do you notice when in nature? Do you look intensely at it’s beauty, the patterns, colours, intricacies, various life forms? Do you question the different scents or explore your sense of touch? Do you take your shoes off and place your bare feet on the ground? To simply be present while in nature - with all our senses fully alive - is proven to have a remarkable healing effect as well as awaken an unrealized connection to all living things.
Forest bathing is a practice inspired by the Japanese tradition called shinrin-yoku. It is a gentle, meditative approach to being in nature that brings about a deep sense of calm and relaxation. This in turn reduces the stress hormone cortisol, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, improves immune function, it enhances mood, social cohesion, a sense of belonging, improves sleep, creativity and focus. This results in reduced anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress,
The Fifteenth Century physician Paracelsus taught “the art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician”. While we cannot argue with the myriad of ways in which modern medicine has improved human health, stress-related illness, anxiety and mental health issues, as well as pressure on healthcare systems are all growing concerns. What if there was an integrative strategy, a green prescription, that had mutually-beneficial health outcomes for both humans and the earth.
Forest bathing is now recognized as an official form of healthcare in Japan, and it’s increasingly being embraced in other countries as well. With the pressure of modern life, we need to find ways to connect with nature and disconnect from technology and our over-active minds. Forest bathing offers a solution, by slowing down and connecting to the earth of which we are a part, by simply reconnecting to our roots and our main source of sustenance, we heal in countless ways.
Each of my workshops begins with a 2 hour forest bathing walk. As the purpose of the workshop is reconnection and mindfulness through craft, forest bathing is a magical way to initiate this process, relaxing us, enhancing our mood and expanding our creativity.