chance to give it a rest, to instead exercise your
brain’s emotional and imaginative “muscles.”
And lastly, it is not a hike. You don’t go on
a forest bathing walk to get exercise or reach a
destination, such as a mountaintop or a lake. You
go to slow down, breathe deeply, smell raindrops
and pine resin, hear water flowing, feel the breeze
brush your cheek. Your only destination is a state
of being mindful, of absorbing the forest’s energy
by actively noticing sounds, smells and textures.
Day in and day out, we are in a relation-
ship with nature, whether we realize it or not.
Each time we eat fruits or vegetables, breathe
in oxygen-rich air, or drink a glass of water, we
experience firsthand how profoundly intercon-
nected we are with the natural world. But in our
everyday lives, we tend to forget about this life-
supporting relationship. The built environments
around us—and a thousand other distractions—
constantly vie for our attention and energy.
Forest bathing is a tool for slowing down our
buzzing minds and practicing a secret super-
power—the skill of consciously choosing where
we focus our attention. By nurturing this skill,
forest bathing plugs us into things we all seek: a
source of peace and well-being, and numerous
physical benefits like improved sleep, acceler-
ated recovery from surgery, and increased energy
levels. In fact, research shows that even as little as
30 minutes in a forest setting can have immediate
health benefits. For instance, airborne essential
oils called phytoncides emitted by trees as protec-
tion against microbial infections also appear to
boost human immune system function. (Check
out the “Resources” section below to find out
more about the science underlying the numerous
health benefits of forest bathing.) Longer or more
frequent walks may reap greater health benefits.
4 v Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin
Forest bathing underscores the obvious:
Humans cannot live healthful lives without a
healthy natural world. Like any relationship, ours
with nature is a two-way street.
What to Expect on a Guided Walk
Forest bathing walks can be as short as a lunch
break or last for several hours. And, you can go
solo, with friends, or sign up for a guided walk.
Guided walks will vary, depending on the location
and your guide, but most share some basic charac-
teristics. Typically, they don’t cover a lot of ground.
(The walks I lead in North Creek Forest, an urban
forest in Bothell, are less than a mile long.)
After leading a short breathing exercise to
help you transition into a calm mindset, your
guide typically offers a series of suggestions—
called invitations—to help you focus your senses.
You can accept these invitations, or not. (I’ll
share a specific invitation below...) Either way,
each invitation is followed by silence, during
which participants simply soak in the forest.
After a short while, the guide invites partici-
pants to share what they experienced. There is no
obligation to share. That said, I’ve seen again and
again that sharing creates connections between
people and generates powerful insights I never
would have reached on my own.
Your only obligation on a guided walk:
Commit to slowing down, breathing deeply, and
consciously using your senses to connect with your
surroundings. Remember that the main goal is not
physical exercise or learning facts. Your purpose is
to downshift—to be still and let the colors, shapes
and smells of the forest envelop you.
If you want to try forest bathing on your own,
simply go to any natural space and try this simple
invitation (courtesy of M. Amos Clifford’s book,
“A Little Handbook of Shinrin-Yoku,” where you
can find many more invitations like it):