Shinrin-Yoku, or Forest Bathing therapy is the medicine of simply being in the forest. Developed in Japan in the 1980s, it’s now a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in the country. We spoke to Faith Douglas who runs sessions in the UK
'I've always had a love of nature and the outdoors. Growing up we were often out in the woods walking and playing. I work as curator at Thorp Perrow Arboretum, in Yorkshire. I moved onto the estate four years ago and live in a house in the woods with my family!
After working on a project in the Arboretum, with beneficiaries from Help for Heroes, I was offered a job at the local recovery centre in Catterick. I set up Forest Bathing UK seven years ago. Just being in our natural world has the most amazing effect on our bodies, our minds and our souls. It's free and it's all around us!
A good natural woodland is an ideal spot to practise Forest Bathing. We gain a physical benefit from inhaling the lovely wood oils that trees give off, but I believe you can benefit from being mindful in any natural environment, be it the beach, a mountain, a meadow or even your local park!
How to Get Started Forest Bathing
To start, I encourage the literal ‘shaking’ off of the modern world and our worries and stresses. Animals that have been in captivity on release often give themselves a good shake before rushing off.
