Courtesy of Unity of Naples
There may be nothing more relaxing than sitting still in the forest and listening to the wind rustle the leaves and feel it gently caress your face. But when was the last time you did this? And, how long could you relax before negative thoughts entered your mind?
Being able to destress, unwind, and unplug is a priority these days. It’s good for both our mental and physical health.
One way to achieve this is to take a “digital detox” by leaving your cell phone behind and following a certified forest bathing guide into nature.
Forest bathing is a cute name for a well-established wellness practice that started during the 1980s in Japan, where it is called shinrin-yoku (and translates in English to forest bathing).
Back then, Japan was changing from an agrarian society to a tech one, and their citizens were developing more health issues from the stress and being sedentary. To help, the country developed retreat centers in the forests where trained guides led the new nature-based sensory wellness program. People “bathe in” the natural environment, including phytoncides, which are helpful chemicals that many trees give off.
Decades of research now show how forest bathing can help with anxiety, stress, depression, and sleep as well as cardiovascular health, respiratory function, immune response, and even cancer.
Many doctors write “nature prescriptions” to encourage their patients to recover and restore their health by being outdoors.
Forest bathing is not a hike or exercise. It is not an educational program about local plants and animals. It’s meant to be quiet and very relaxing. The wellness technique starts with a guided meditation and includes invitations to use senses such as sight, hearing, and touch to reconnect with nature and yourself. A guide helps people stay in the present moment and continue to relax more deeply during the two-hour program.
Locally, forest bathing is currently offered at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, Unity of Naples, Jessie’s Tropical Fruit Farm, and the Calusa Nature Center.
The program is run by a Certified Forest Bathing Guide from Go Forest Bathing who was trained by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, which has 2,500 guides in 68 countries.
Each venue has different nature spaces. The Rookery Bay spot is a trail along Henderson Creek, part of the 110,000-acre estuary. Unity has a small trail, colorful gardens, and a labyrinth. Jessie’s boasts 1,500 fruit trees and about 70 varieties, many of which are sampled during the program. The Calusa Nature Center is the largest green space in the city of Fort Myers.
In addition to these public programs, Go Forest Bathing also works with HOAs, senior living communities, and other groups to coordinate private programs.
Get back to nature, and back to yourself, by going forest bathing.
Robin DeMattia is a Certified Forest Bathing Guide and owner of Go Forest Bathing.
Learn more at goforestbathing.com.
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