Shinrin-yoku: The Healing Art of Forest Bathing

Discover a slow, mindful way of walking that heals the soul and mends the heart. Let all your senses bathe in the sensory pleasures that woodland has to offer. Forest as therapist: find practical ways to connect deeply with nature.   Leave the hustle and bustle behind for a while and fill your lungs with some fresh forest air. Soak up the sights, sounds (or silence) with all of your senses and indulge in some shinrin yoku; the health benefits are extraordinary. Turn off the phone, turn off the TV, close the laptop, lace up your hiking boots, and go outside for what the Japanese call “the medicine of being in the forest”, otherwise known as forest therapy.   Fresh forest air is filled with cancer-fighting chemicals called phytoncides, which have been found to lower blood pressure and decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol (if you happen to be crammed in the center of the city, know that a view of a park or other green space can also lower your blood pressure and reduce any muscle tension).   When you do get outside, let your senses guide you. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? Let your awareness of your environment recalibrate you. Let your surroundings speak to you. Focusing your awareness on the present moment (while acknowledging and accepting every thought and feeling) is one way to mindfully maximize the moments you spend luxuriating out-of-doors.  

Table of Contents:
CONTENTS SUMMARY   Prelims: 5 pp Introduction: 4 pp Part One: Brave the Elements: 48 pp Part Two: Ignite Your Senses: 48 pp Part Three: Spark Your Imagination: 48 pp Conclusion: 4 pp Index and Credits: 3 pp   CONTENTS BREAKDOWN   PRELIMS ( 5 pp )   INTRO ( 4 pp )   PART ONE: BRAVE THE ELEMENTS ( 48 pp )   “Walking sets the mind adrift, clarifying and organizing thoughts. Life need not be lived at a hectic, breakneck speed.” - Kathryn Aalto   Part 1 encourages readers to stay warm and dry while braving the phenomena of the natural world, enabling them to get the most out of their shinrin-yoku experience. Whether following the signposts or meandering off the footpath to explore on their own, the natural world is a limitless playground waiting for them to bathe in its beauty or delve into the depths of what it has to teach. From “Whisper to the wind” to “Peer into the shadows” this section lays the groundwork necessary to finding peace in nature.   • Sunbathe • Get wet • Hide in the fog • Whisper to the wind • Warm and dry • Pack a snack • Hop over a stream • Bushwhack • Sunrise and sunset • Peer into the shadows • Soak up ions after a storm • Change with the seasons • Take a deep breath • Experience the northern lights • Take your time • Find a rainbow • Baby steps • Listen to your thoughts • Feel your body • Clear your head • Be here now • Radical acceptance • Solitude • Companionship • Relax   PART 2: IGNITE YOUR SENSES ( 48 pp )   “Don’t just stay in your corner of the forest.” - A.A. Milne, creator of Winnie The Pooh   Part 2 encourages the reader to experience the natural world through their senses. No matter the vastness of far-away forests, nor the limits of fenced fields nearby, encountering the natural world in all its splendour is assured. From humble flora to grand fauna, the reader is sure to encounter a variety of textures, sights, sounds, smells and mysteries on their forest bathing journeys. There are metaphors and meaning in all we experience; opening our eyes, ears, hearts and minds is how and where we find the answers we seek.   • Take off your shoes • Listen to the birds • The buzz of the bees • Ride a bicycle • Hear the snow crunch • Go by horseback • Step on twigs • Kick a pile of leaves • Hike through heather • Go jogging • Look up • Smell the roses • Identify fungi • Pick berries • Sing to a plant • Sit still • Phytoncides • Fall asleep in tall grass • Follow a deer trail • Explore a den • Skinny dip • Jump in a puddle • Shower under a waterfall • Take time off • Trust in yourself   PART THREE: SPARK YOUR IMAGINATION ( 48 pp ) “Imagination alone is not enough; the reality of nature is far more wondrous than anything we can imagine.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson   Part 3 explores the relationship between imagination and nature, encouraging readers to untangle themselves from stress and bad habits via therapeutic play and physical activity. Staying inside limits energy and imagination; therefor chapters like “Leave a Trail of Breadcrumbs” and “Pray to the Nature Spirits” promote mental and physical well-being, for overcoming the metaphorical thorns and thistles of life can easily be mastered at the School of Forest Therapy.   • Find a fairy door • Pretend you are an Ewok • Build a tree house • Leave a trail of breadcrumbs • Ride a sunbeam • Get lost • Follow a Trail • Crawl • Slither • Balance on a log • Use your imagination • Carve your initials in a tree • Hug a tree • Climb a tree • Pray to the nature spirits • Wildcraft • Make music • The sound of silence • Hop like a rabbit • Write a haiku • Peace and quiet • Find freedom • Feel good • Make a mud pie • Enlightenment   CONCLUSION ( 4 pp )   INDEX AND CREDITS ( 3 pp )  

About the Author :
Nicknamed "monk" the day he was born, and steeped in eastern philosophy and martial arts, Oliver Luke Delorie has a black belt in self-help, penning the playful 100 Small Ways to Quit Worrying and 100 Small Ways to Manage Time.