Shinrin Yoku
Shinrin Yoku (森林浴), commonly known as forest bathing, is a practice that involves slow walking mainly in the forest, inviting you to slow your body and mind down while awakening your senses to reconnect with nature. By adopting a full and conscious attention, often in silence, this practice immerse yourself totally in the natural environment, bringing overall balance and well-being.
For thousands of years, the natural environment has been the place where humans live and benefit from its many advantages. This reconnection with the living reminds us that nature is essential to our inner harmony.
Primarily conducted in the forest, it can also be practised in city wooded parks or other natural settings, such as by the sea, lake or river.
In the 1980s, the concept was introduced by Tomohide Akiyama, then Director General of the Agency of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries as part of a campaign to encourage people to reconnect with nature for its health benefits, particularly to counteract the stress and health issues associated with urbanization and overwork.
The Japanese government officially promoted Shinrin Yoku to integrate forest therapy into public health practices, making it a cornerstone of Japan’s preventive healthcare strategies. This initiative eventually laid the groundwork for extensive scientific research into the physiological and psychological benefits of forest immersion. Then, in the early 2000s, based on the research findings of Dr. Li and other experts, the practice of shinrin yoku came into more light.
The term forest therapy has also spread around the world. Giving this practice a new importance and a deeper meaning.