Imagine wrapping your arms around a stout tree in a lush woodland. There’s something magical about the leaves, branches and tall trunks that shape each tree around you. It almost feels like you could bathe in the wonder of the trees. This is precisely what started with the practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing.

You won’t need a towel and soap for this calming mental bathing. It’s more about sinking up to your soul in the woods until you find alignment within and can exhale peace once more. Are you ready to let the forest soak your weary body and mind? Here’s how. 

What Is Forest Bathing?

Forest bathing stems from the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku, which means “forest” and “bathe.” It’s an unusual modern form of meditation that started in the Akasawa Natural Recreational Forest in the 1980s, where the unique relationship between humans and nature gained therapeutic importance. The Japanese Forestry Agency launched the initial campaign, and today, it is a popular activity with locals and visitors. 

The concept was to get more people to enjoy the peace and calm of the forests that cover much of Japan. Authorities hoped this could help alleviate mental strain and provide some distraction to people absorbed by daily technology who no longer knew how to breathe or relax.

To forest bathe, simply take a quiet walk into the woods, letting the silence and peaceful environment align your mind. There is no set rule for how to forest bathe or what practice works best, and each person follows their instinct in the forest.

Seeing and interacting with trees has shown remarkable influence in calming hyperactive behavior in children. Trees can also help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, elevating one’s mood and boosting mental calm.

5 Beginner Steps to Forest Bathing

With this straightforward guidance, you can make the most of your first forest bathing experience.

1. Prepare and Pick a Forest

Before you hop in the car and head to the nearest woodlands, it’s essential to prepare. Start by dressing appropriately. Wear loose clothes and comfortable shoes with sufficient tread to ensure you don’t slip on the leaves and vegetation. If heading out late in the afternoon, take a warm coat and a flashlight.

Decide which woods you’d like to visit, but check whether they are open for forest bathing, on public land and safe to stroll in. Also, check whether it’s hunting season in your area, and wear a bright-colored vest if needed.

Inform a friend or relative where you are going and take a cell phone with you if you need to call for help if you tumble or fall. Park your vehicle securely, and if possible, go with a friend. 

2. Activate Breathing

When you arrive at the park, intentionally leave your worries at the first trees. A mantra like, “Here I leave it for today,” can help you visualize the offloading of your day’s challenges. Take a few steps among the vegetation, walking softly and slowly. 

After a few steps, pause — if it feels right, stop. Now, inhale deeply, drawing the terpenes and organic compounds of the greenery into your center. Hold your breath, then exhale deeply and let your lungs drain entirely. Wait a moment, then let the air flow into your lungs before gently breathing out again. 

Breathe normally, and move forward slowly if you feel the urge. Continue breathing, letting the plants fill you as you move among the various trees.

3. Discover Your Senses

Deepen your meditation now by opening your senses. Start with the sense of smell, drawing the scent of the woods into your lungs. You can almost taste the green fragrance of leaves and twigs, and each step crunches underfoot as more aromas get released into the forest. The crunch of leaves underfoot and the swaying creak of the branches overhead become an orchestra that whispers in your mind.

Feel the rough welcome of a tree as you gently touch it while passing or lean in for a hug. Your eyes marvel at the fluttering leaves and the riot of earth tones around you. It’s a wonderful painting that you’ve become part of. 

4. Move Mindfully

Continue gently strolling among the trees. Pause when it suits you, and if you begin to feel tired, sit at the base of a tree that speaks to you. There is no time or rush here — only you and the forest. 

5. Experience the Trees

When you feel that your session with the trees has served its purpose for today, you may feel slightly dizzy, restful and filled. The world’s worries are now far away, and you find the woods’ quiet carries with you when you go home. 

Benefits of Forest Bathing

There are many benefits to spending time in a park, forest or wooded area in quiet contemplation:

• Switch off: If you’re caught up in the fast-paced, technology-crazy world, switching off when you step among the trees is a perfect way to calm yourself and root deeper into your mind. The quiet trees create the ideal environment for silent reflection and introspection. 
• Mellow feelings: The deep peace of forests is fantastic for mellowing your mind and removing troubled thoughts. The rhythm of leaves and the wind gently playing on the branches make for a wistful afternoon to relax. 
• Overcome burdens: Taking yourself or your worries too seriously is impossible when standing among the trees. These massive bastions of nature gently bring things into perspective, and it’s suddenly so much easier to let go of your burdens. 
• Alleviate stress and loneliness: Many people suffer from loneliness in the digital age, and despite so many ways to connect online, loneliness still plagues people. Surveys have found that 36% of participants felt lonely, showing how disconnected people are. When you stand with trees, you no longer stand alone. Forest bathing is also so popular that you’ll see another quiet soul stroll among the giants. 
• Discover inner peace: Regular forest bathers feel more at peace, have a clearer view of life and enjoy a heightened sense of self. Combine it with a mantra to benefit the conscious and subconscious minds, and a mantra quiets a busy mind when you first walk out among the trees. 

Find Your Path

The trees receive you peacefully and share deep remembrance and inner peace with all who stroll there. Whether you believe in forest bathing as a way to reach mindfulness or as a way to alleviate anxiety and beat loneliness, anyone finds the beauty of trees enchanting enough to spend hours strolling among them. 

Which path through the greenery will you take?