“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”

                                                                   -Albert Einstein

  “Forest Bathing,” or shinrin yoku,  is the ancient Japanese practice of being intentional about how we take a walk in the woods,  This activity is  beginning to attract serious consideration and enthusiasm as life gets noisier,  more stressful, and meaner. Walking in the woods mindfully enhances our capacity to see the subtle things of beauty—the life that springs up from a decaying limb lying on the forest floor; the sensory experience of wind, birds, fragrance ; the touch of a fern on bare skim, all create an awareness of the natural world that does in fact help us “to understand everything better.”

In Japan, doctors are able to prescribe this to patients and when supervised, is a legitimate medical treatment. Numerous studies have shown that  just thirty  minutes  of contemplative walking  in the woods statistically decreases blood pressure, and cortisol levels while concurrently elevating endorphin levels. Of particular note,  have been studies that demonstrate that Shinrin Yoku has tremendous therapeutic value for patients challenged by depression.  So next time you need a nature fix, take a quiet walk in the woods and attend to the Life under, around , above and within  you.

For more information on scheduling  a forest bathing activity, please contact me at trey@treysgardens.com.