What is Forest Therapy?
Forest Therapy and Shinrin-yoku
Shinrin-yoku, or Forest Bathing, is deeply rooted in traditional Japanese culture, where harmony with nature has long been a path to wellness and spiritual balance. Embraced as a healing practice, shinrin-yoku reflects Japan’s reverence for the natural world, drawing on centuries old beliefs that nature holds restorative powers for the mind, body, and soul. It’s a gentle, mindful way to reconnect with the essence of the forest, promoting health and tranquility through the simple act of immersing oneself in nature.
In the 1980s, Japan responded to rising stress and illness from urban life by introducing Shinrin-yoku - Forest Bathing - as a national health practice. Recognising the deep disconnection from nature, this simple act of immersing in the forest proved to reduce stress, restore well-being, and renew our bond with the natural world.
Forest Bathing is more than a walk in the woods - it’s a sensory immersion into nature’s embrace. Imagine the vivid greens of the leaves, the soft earth beneath your feet, the chorus of birdsong carried on a breeze, and the grounding scent of moss and soil. Each moment draws you deeper into connection, rekindling peace, clarity, and a quiet sense of wonder often lost in the rush of daily life.
Shinrin-yoku shows what science now confirms: nature directly benefits both mind and body. Biologist Edward O. Wilson’s biophilia theory explains why - humans carry an innate bond with nature, shaped by millions of years of evolution.
Why Forest Bathing Therapy?
Modern urban life keeps us indoors, glued to screens, and moving less. Combined with isolation and constant city pressures, this lifestyle heightens stress and steadily drains our attention, leaving us mentally fatigued.
Chronic stress and fatigue fuel serious health problems, from heart disease to depression. Forest Therapy offers a natural antidote - time in nature restores calm, reduces stress, and leaves us feeling refreshed and revitalised.
Whether its Forest Bathing, Nature Connection, Nature Bathing, these therapeutic experiences help to rekindle an ancient bond we hold with nature. This experience helps to strengthen our connection with nature and forms the basis of our wellbeing. The action of Forest Therapy is to ‘bridge the gap between us and the natural world’ revealing we are not separate to nature, but that we too are nature.
A forest therapy session reminds us of the importance of our relationship with the natural world and maintaining this connection is vital for our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Health Benefits
Forest Therapy offers powerful mental and physical health benefits. Scientific research shows that even a single Forest Therapy walk can immediately improve your body’s stress and wellness markers. These changes have a direct and positive impact on your overall well-being, helping you feel revitalized and balanced.
Direct Benefits of Forest Therapy Walks
Anxiety and depression levels are lowered
Positive mood improvement in happiness levels
Improved cognition, attention and focus
Reduction in heart rate and blood pressure
Reduced cortisol levels indicating a reduction in our
stress hormone levels
Improved immune function as Natural Killer cells increase
in volume (anti-tumour)
Exposure to phytoncides which possess anti-bacterial,
anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-microbial and anti-viral properties
Indirect Benefits of Forest Therapy Walks
Reduced risk of heart and lung diseases
Reduced risk of obesity
Faster recovery from illness or surgery
Weight management assistance
Increased overall fitness levels
Less likelihood of feeling stress in typical day to day situations
Better and more regular sleep
Enhanced ability to concentrate
Increased energy levels
Higher self-confidence and more emotional stability
Regular Forest Therapy to accumulate therapeutic benefits
Forest Therapy reveals nature's incredible ability to heal and rejuvenate us. It can lift our mood, ease our stresses, and restore our vitality. By immersing ourselves in nature, we nurture our mind, body, and spirit, returning to our lives with renewed energy and a deep sense of peace.
Why choose a Forest Therapy Guide?
In our fast-paced world, it can be challenging to slow down and fully immerse ourselves in nature. A Forest Therapy guide helps you do just that—shifting your focus from the constant chatter of the mind to the calming rhythms of the body, allowing you to move in harmony with the natural world.
Walking with a trained Forest Therapy guide offers a sense of safety and security, making it easier to relax and let go. As your guide, I handle all the details, so you can simply be present, savoring the experience of nature’s healing embrace. It’s a chance to truly disconnect from the rush of everyday life and reconnect with yourself and the world around you.
What Does a Forest Therapy Guide Do?
As a Forest Therapy Guide, I help you connect deeply with nature in a way that resonates with you. Our walk begins slowly and intentionally, on a carefully chosen trail designed to align our biorhythms with the natural world. Along the way, you’ll be invited to engage in a blend of creative, physical, and sensory activities, all inspired by the environment around us. These activities encourage you to be open, curious, and fully present in nature.
I work in partnership with nature, as a guide who opens the door to this healing experience. The forest itself is the true therapist. By slowing down and immersing ourselves in nature, we allow its calming influence to reset our minds and bodies, helping us find balance and peace.
