It is said that the state of your mind designs the state of your life. Japan has to offer one such concept, the Forest Bathing that’s said to revitalize your body, relax the mind and rediscover oneself. Read on to know more about Forest Bathing. What is Forest Bathing? Known as Shinrin-yoku, ‘Shinrin’ stands for forest and ‘Yoku’ for bathing; it literally means bathing in the forest ambiance. It’s not about jogging, exercising, or hiking, it’s simply being in the cradle of nature and leveraging its goods through senses such as seeing, hearing, smelling touching, and tasting. Shinrin-yoku is a bridge that opens us to the wonders of nature. What are the benefits of Forest Bathing? A small amount of time spent in nature can have a significant positive impact on our health. Forest Bathing allows the stressed portion of your brain to relax and lets the body release positive hormones. It helps you slow down, fight depression and anxiety, and let to control general ills of mind such as anger and sadness. It has an overall positive effect on your immune system and also improves your heart and lung health. How to do Forest Bathing? The most important step is finding a spot. Once you have done that, you have to totally follow your instincts and go with the flow. Walk slowly and aimlessly, sit if you want to, listen to your senses such as nose, eyes, ears. Let the forest in and savour the smell, sights, and sounds. You need to evoke your five senses and focus on the sixth, ‘a state of mind’. Don’t forget ‘not’ to carry any phone, camera or laptop! What to expect from a Forest Bathing session? There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this; this totally differs for each and every one. The ultimate aim is to be happy. When you are living a fast-paced life, it becomes difficult to slow down and tend to yourself. If you start thinking more clearly, have a strong feeling of vitality increasing, and feel that the mood starts to lift, that is it! What activities can I do while at Forest Bathing? You may indulge in forest walking, yoga, eating in the wilderness, water therapy,meditation, breathing,and relaxing exercises, or simple plant observation. Whatever suits you. Forestbathing can be done anywhere; in hot weather or in cold; in rain;you don’t even need a proper forest. You can practice Shinrin-yokuin a nearby park or in your home garden once you understand the concept.
