Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku in its original Japanese, is a mindfulness practice that involves immersing oneself in nature. The decades-old practice pulls from research that shows that spending time in nature can help lower stress levels and improve focus.
Recently, forest bathing is growing in popularity, thanks in part to social media where people are sharing their experiences exploring forests and other green spaces and taking in all that they have to offer. Over 45,000 videos have been shared on TikTok with the tag #forestbathing. Users says they’ve seen an improvement to their mental health.
“It’s slowing down. It’s connecting to nature with all your senses. It’s just being in a natural setting and being present,” says Mark Ellison, a certified forest therapy guide and trail consultant, and founder of Pinnacle Forest Therapy.
“The key things are to find a place where you can spend some time uninterrupted, and then notice the things that are around you.”
