What is Forest Bathing?
Wildflowers on Hurricane Ridge - Join me for a Forest Bathing experience on the Olympic Peninsula
The Japanese coined the term “forest bathing,“ which is defined as: “taking in, in all of our senses, the forest atmosphere.” But the forest isn't the only nature landscape that provides these benefits.
In her TED Talk, Nature is everywhere – we just need to learn to see it, environmental writer Emma Marris redefines nature as “anyplace that is host to more than one species.” She says this can include your own back yard, a local park, or even an empty lot that has been allowed to go wild.
Simply being in nature reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases positive feelings such as gratitude and peace. Studies have shown that exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it also contributes to your physical well being, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. Plus, nature helps us cope with pain. Because we are genetically programmed to find trees, plants, water, and other nature elements engrossing, we are absorbed by nature scenes and distracted from our pain and discomfort. These are just a few of the ways Nature helps us heal.
I believe that the benefits of forest bathing don’t have to take place in a forest, but rather anywhere we can drop into Nature and explore it with all of our senses … including our own backyards. However, most of us don't take the time to bring "Nature Bathing" into our every day lives.
I am fortunate to live in the beautiful Olympic Peninsula, on the north western tip of Washington state. In fact, I grew up on Lake Crescent inside Olympic National Park, which is the only National Park in the United States that boasts three distinctly different ecosystems: glacier capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests, and over 70 miles of wild coastline.
Perhaps because of this, enjoying the beauty and healing properties of Nature has been an important part of my life long before forest bathing was a "thing."
I invite you to join me for a forest bathing experience in my own back yard ...
In her TED Talk, Nature is everywhere – we just need to learn to see it, environmental writer Emma Marris redefines nature as “anyplace that is host to more than one species.” She says this can include your own back yard, a local park, or even an empty lot that has been allowed to go wild.
Simply being in nature reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases positive feelings such as gratitude and peace. Studies have shown that exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it also contributes to your physical well being, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. Plus, nature helps us cope with pain. Because we are genetically programmed to find trees, plants, water, and other nature elements engrossing, we are absorbed by nature scenes and distracted from our pain and discomfort. These are just a few of the ways Nature helps us heal.
I believe that the benefits of forest bathing don’t have to take place in a forest, but rather anywhere we can drop into Nature and explore it with all of our senses … including our own backyards. However, most of us don't take the time to bring "Nature Bathing" into our every day lives.
I am fortunate to live in the beautiful Olympic Peninsula, on the north western tip of Washington state. In fact, I grew up on Lake Crescent inside Olympic National Park, which is the only National Park in the United States that boasts three distinctly different ecosystems: glacier capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests, and over 70 miles of wild coastline.
Perhaps because of this, enjoying the beauty and healing properties of Nature has been an important part of my life long before forest bathing was a "thing."
I invite you to join me for a forest bathing experience in my own back yard ...
