Forest Bathing or Shinrin-Yoku

Forest Bathing or Shinrin-Yoku
Forest Bathing or Shinrin-Yoku
To calm yourself and relax, visit a forest or treed area, breathe deeply and focus on where you are and your surroundings. This is the simple concept behind Forest Bathing or Shinrin-Yoku which originated in Japan and has been proven to relax the body and mind.

meditation in forestTo calm yourself and relax, visit a forest or treed area, breathe deeply and focus on where you are and your surroundings.  This is the simple concept behind Forest Bathing or Shinrin-Yoku which originated in Japan and has been proven to relax the body and mind.  It can be as simple as visiting a local park or your own backyard, but the main point is to immerse yourself in nature and allow the sights but especially the sounds and smells to quiet your mind.  Simply take long deep breaths in and exhale fully while focusing on what you hear and smell in your surroundings.  Visiting a peaceful location where you can complete this little exercise for 15-20 minutes will help to clear, calm and reset your frame of mind, leaving you in a more peaceful state of body and mind.

If going outside or visiting a forest is not currently an option, check out a link below for a guided forest meditation, script or YouTube…

https://wholesomeresources.com/3207/woodland-walk-free-guided-imagery-script/

https://youtu.be/gU_ABFUAVAs

Katrina Van Osch-Saxon
Professor, Urban Forestry
Fleming College
Lindsay, Ontario

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