Shinrin-yoku, literally Forest Bathing, was developed in Japan in the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. Shinrin-yoku Forest Therapy, the medicine of simply being in the forest and taking in the forest atmosphere.
We all know how good being in nature can make us feel. We have known it for centuries. The sounds of the forest, the scent of the trees, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh, clean air — these things give us a sense of comfort. They ease our stress and worry, help us to relax and to think more clearly. Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us.
To bathe in the forest or nature means to bask in it. Your five senses are open to receive nature. You smell the flowers and the natural essential oil from tree barks, you taste the fruits or the air, you see the tall trees and thousand shades of green, you hear the sounds of birds and nature around you, you feel the forest with your palms and sole of the feet, deep within your soul.
When you have been busy at work all week, it can be hard to slow down. You may have been rushing around so much you no longer know how to stand still.