What is a forest bath?

 

Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing, forest therapy, mindfulness in the forest... there are so many new terms that seem to designate activities in nature that provide health benefits. The nuances stand out above all in the approach of the guide. I describe here what you can expect if you take the trail with me.

 

At the crossroads between attentive presence and walking in the forest, shinrin-yoku is a Japanese practice that invites you to slow down and relax while rediscovering nature through the pleasure of the senses. It is also a practice recognized by the medical world for its health benefits.

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These activities can be a good complement to psychotherapy or to your personal development journey. They are often considered as preventive tools in the management of stress, anxiety and depression. They aim to increase the autonomy of participants in taking charge of their well-being or their therapeutic process.

 

Concretely, a forest bath takes place on a forest path. It is a slow walk punctuated with opportunities to settle down in the pleasure of rediscovering nature through different guided invitations. The trails used are chosen according to the mobility of the participants in order to promote access to as many people as possible.

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The term invitation is used here to refer to a guided mindfulness activity. These are generally suggestions that lead participants to experience the forest environment by paying attention to how this environment interacts with one or more senses (smell, hearing, touch, taste, etc.). An invitation can also appeal to people's imagination or creativity.

 

A forest bath can take between 1 and 3 hours depending on the season, temperature, group size, needs, etc. These forest outings end with a light snack.