Forest Bathing: Mother Earth’s Medicine for Your Heart and Soul

By Greg Madden

In recent months, within the resplendent pages of the Catskill Mountain Region Guide, without your permission, we’ve plunged you shockingly into extremely icy cold waters, daring you to survive freezing cold water swimming and learning about how this could possibly be healthy for your body, when done safely and correctly. Turns out it was. So, how are you feeling?

One month later, after drying you off and sending you to a sauna with a hot toddy, or two, and warming your innards that had been completely and frigidly chilled to the bone, we next melted the snow off our mountain peaks and dispatched you off on a messy mud run. How did you like that? Are you still talking to us?

Then, after your local fire department hosed you down so you might have a better chance of being once again mud-less and allowed back into your dwelling by those you share living quarters with. Seemingly, cleanliness matters !! Towel?

So this month, take some time to chill (oops sorry, wrong month), rather, please unwind and relax, draw in deep cleansing oxygen filled breaths to your lungs as clearly you’ve been through enough already. This month we will take you into the quiet woods for a different type of deep and calming cleansing. A most remarkable visit is ahead.

This month we are determined to offer avenues to clear away of the cobwebs of your mind, offer guidance to ground your short-circuited, frazzled energy grids and then provide you a refreshing reconnection with the universal spirit with the planetary matriarch of us all, dearest Mother Earth, with her full arsenal of nature’s recharging and splendor.

Often referred to as “Forest Bathing,” it is nature’s form of human energetic car wash, and is also and most properly known as Shinrin-yoku. It is a full body experience and practice that originated in Japan nearly four decades ago. It involves immersing oneself in nature and is believed to have numerous health and wellness benefits, including calming and reducing one’s anxious moments, improving one’s overall disposition, and arguably the most important in these times boosting one’s immune system to prepare us for what might be lurking outside the forest. A great reminder that we are “one” with our planet, and beyond.

This type of “bath” is near rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and oceans, but does not require you to be immersed in water. However, it is enticing to think that this activity might take place during a warm summer sunny sprinkle or gentle shower.

What you are immersed in is fresh air, with the benefits of the boost it gets from the trees through photosynthesis, and the healing sunshine jam-packed with nurturing Vitamin D. In this practice, little to moderate exercise not only gets the heart and blood circulating, but provides a focused intentional meditation on bird movement and songs, critters, wildlife of all kinds, different types of trees, mushrooms, ground bush, fruits and berries and a myriad of wild flowers. It is a visceral experience that heals all of you and your collective human experience. Doing it more,heals more of you, so our prescription for you is – a Forest Bath (repeat frequently).

According to Dr. Qing Li, a world-renowned expert in forest medicine, “Forest bathing is a natural therapy for the mind and body. When we immerse ourselves in nature, we reap numerous health benefits, including reduced stress levels, improved mood, and enhanced creativity and productivity.” Dr. Li explains that “the key to forest bathing is to slow down and engage your senses. Take deep breaths and focus on the sights, sounds, and smells around you. Allow yourself to be fully present in the moment and let go of any distractions or worries.”

“Forest bathing has been shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce stress hormone production, boost the immune system, and improve overall feelings of well-being,” commented Dr. Eva Selhub, a physician and author who agrees with many experts and the message is clear.

The message is quiet, relaxed meditation and connection in the present moment while limiting distraction.

Forest bathing equipment is easy, and the simpler the better. At a base level all you need is you and the forest but forests have bugs and other items that you need to be prepared for. Bring bug spray or repellents, sunscreen protection and, depending on the length of your visit, food and shelter items. Remember to leave our forest pristine and take out what you bring in with you.

Your uniform should be practical, yet relaxed, comfortable attire and never restrictive. The most important for most bathers is foot protection, and many of you may prefer hiking boots or hiking shoes for rougher terrain.,The other freer, but less injuryfree option, is to find a forgiving path (like the ocean beach or a barren beaten path) and you then can decide to leave behind your shoes and increase your healing stroll through grounding the energy of your body. The benefits of this healing stroll will be even greater, but to do grounding justice sounds like another journey for us to take in the months ahead.

More than just a walk in the woods, forest bathing is a simple, yet forgotten practice that involves spending time in a natural environment, typically a forest or wooded area. Just you and nature, nothing else. What else do you need? Some like the shared “bathing” experience with others as they enjoy the mingling of nature’s joy and perspectives.

Oddly, it is not all about exercise or recreation, but rather about immersing oneself in the natural surroundings and being present in the moment. Your moment. No energy bombardment, no cell phones, no television or no internet .

Japan’s entry into the “practice” of forest bathing originated in the 1980s as a response to the country’s high-stress, overworked and urbanized lifestyle. The practice was promoted by government leaders as a way to improve public health and has since spread to other countries around the world.

According to Dr. Li, “In Japan, we have a long tradition of nature appreciation and forest bathing. It’s part of our culture and is deeply ingrained in our way of life.”

So in many ways, forest bathing is a simple yet powerful practice that can have numerous health benefits. Think of it as way of reintroducing oneself to one’s self, by immersing yourself into a jungle filled with living things, not electrical gadgets.

Choose roots and branches, not cables and wires. Leave your computer mouse behind and witness and mingle with the dancing chipmunks and the chorus of the feathered flock. The practice is guaranteed to reduce stress, improve mood, and boost your overall well-being.

Use this healing wellness formula to reset all that contains your energetic spirit and reinvigorate your life’s force into tomorrow with renewed vigor. This sacred path is about reconnecting, relearning and now remembering the universal way of blending these precious and simple lessons that we have lost track of, but had mastered as children.

Forest Bathing is a relaxed process to release all that is trapped and jumbled inside us and then to hold onto the only space that matters while you focus and return only to the present moment. As time moves forward there will always be the past and future, but all that matters is now, this moment. Not yesterday, nor tomorrow.

Be one with nature. Be present. Be still and know. Enjoy all that is the forest. Drink it in and bathe in it! That is all that matters. So, breathe in your vast universe, often. You are one with it, a place where only this moment matters!

Greg Madden, is the Development Manager at Wellness Rx Pharmacy where he also practices ancient healing modalities like Tui-Na Medical Massage and BioPhoton Light Therapy. Learn more at IlluminatingWellness.care.

WellnessRx, Pharmacy for the Public Good is America’s first nonprofit Community Pharmacy and Wellness Center in Tannersville, NY (WellnessRxLLC.com) and in April in Phoenicia, NY (PharmacyforthePublicGood.org), both located on Main Street.