Walking in the Woods: Go back to nature with the Japanese way of shinrin-yoku
by Yoshifumi Miyazaki

'It is clear that our bodies still recognize nature as our home...' -Yoshifumi Miyazaki

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a method of existing among trees that was developed in Japan in the 1980s. It is a meditative walk through the woods, spending a large part of a day unhurriedly exploring a forest path with all your senses. As you gently walk and breathe deeply, the trees' essential oils are absorbed into your body and you find yourself relieved of stress, full of positivity, and with a regulated nervous system, blood pressure, and brain activity. In short: It's physically and emotionally healing. Bathe in the atmosphere of the woods, becoming attuned to the environment around you and to the workings of your own mind, and emerge refreshed and healed, ready for what the world brings you.