Forest Bathing

Guest’s Guide to Forest Bathing – Enjoy!

Turn off your devices to give yourself the best chance of relaxing, being mindful and enjoying a sensory forest-based experience.

Slow down. Move through the forest slowly so you can see and feel more.

Take long breaths deep into the abdomen. Extending the exhalation of air to twice the length of the inhalation sends a message to the body that it can relax.

Stop, stand or sit, smell what’s around you, what can you smell?

Take in your surroundings using all of your senses. How does the forest environment make you feel? Be observant, look at nature’s small details.

Sit quietly using mindful observation; try to avoid thinking about your to-do list or issues related to daily life. You might be surprised by the number of wild forest inhabitants you see using this process.

Keep your eyes open. The colors of nature are soothing and studies have shown that people relax best while seeing greens and blues.

Stay as long as you can, start with a comfortable time limit and build up to the recommended two hours for a complete forest bathing experience.