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04/10/2024

Have you ever wandered into a woodland and watched the leaves gently sway in the breeze? Or smelled the scents you get while walking through pine forests, or past a stand of oak trees? These are just some of the ways you can indulge in forest bathing, the practice of mindful relaxation among trees. In a world where we’re constantly on the go and managing stress levels that can lead to health issues and burn out, taking the time to unwind among trees has been shown to have hugely beneficial effects.

“Forest bathing is much slower than just a walk in the woods,” explains Gary Evans, co-founder and director of The Forest Bathing Institute in the UK. The purpose isn’t to get anywhere, or to exercise, the purpose is just to soak up nature.

This natural therapy was pioneered in Japan (where it is known as shinrin-yoku). Twenty years of scientific research from Japan has shown that forest bathing can lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, help with mental health ailments such as depression and anxiety, improve concentration and memory, and lower blood sugar levels. Today, more than three million people a year in Japan regularly take part in forest bathing, often after being prescribed it by doctors. Gary would like that to be the case here. And The Forest Bathing Institute is working with universities and local authorities to build up the data and run pilot programmes. 

Its popularity has grown in the UK as word has spread about its revitalising effects. Kew Gardens in London and Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, both offer guided forest bathing sessions and The Forest Bathing Institute runs forest bathing experiences around the country, including at Leith Hill in Surrey this autumn. The practice has even influenced garden design with the Forest Bathing Garden for Muscular Dystrophy UK winning the Best Show Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year.

Why Forest Bathing Helps You Relax

The science behind the success of forest bathing works on many levels. “Because forest bathing is a relaxing, non-energetic pursuit, it takes the body out of its fight-or-flight mode and puts it into the rest-and-digest mode,” explains Gary. “This gives the body and mind a chance to step away from stress and find time to heal.

“Then there is the richly oxygenated air in the forest environment and the chemicals that trees give off – known as phytoncides – whose job is to protect the trees from disease, but that also have a positive effect on the human immune system. And finally there are the different brainwaves that are engaged when the mind listens to birdsong or watches dappled light flicker on the ground,” he adds.

Forest Bathing Techniques to Try

While it is helpful to be guided by an expert, there are plenty of ways to try forest bathing techniques independently where you can immerse yourself in trees. The essence is to focus on each of the senses of touch, smell, sight and hearing to reach a deep state of restfulness.

We know that wilder natural landscapes support people’s wellbeing. And several of our developments are surrounded by wonderful woodlands or country parks, which make great locations to practise some forest bathing exercises. In Hampshire, for example, we created the 70-acre Hartland Country Park with many accessible trails as part of Hartland Village. A signposted path – the woodland walk – leads directly from the homes to the woods in the park. The mature trees here are predominantly Scots pine, giving forest bathers the chance to inhale the rich pine smells they emit and to feel the bounce of the woodland floor that the carpet of pine needles creates.

“You could walk into the woods, find a place to sit, and just look up at the trees,” suggests Gary. “Seek out all the different shades of green that you can see and find a particular shade that you find most soothing or uplifting.

“Or you could pick up sticks from the forest floor and note the different smells you get from ones covered in moss, ones that are rotting, or ones that have fallen more recently. Listen out for birdsong, taking note of directions and distances, and explore your environment finding different textures in the leaves such as rough, smooth, hairy or silky,” he says.

The trick is to take your time and concentrate fully on the activity at hand for a number of minutes before moving on to the next one.

In North London, why not explore Trent Country Park, which features ancient woodland? Restored as part of the Trent Park development, it is open to the public, and miles of trails lead through a mix of oak, birch, sweet chestnut, cherry, holly, poplar and ash trees. The woodland is home to bats, hedgehogs and various types of birds.

Another green space that is accessible to the public as a result of our work, after years of being out of reach, is the country park at Sunningdale Park in Berkshire. Here Grade II listed historic parkland have been opened up with paths redeveloped along ancient routes and past many mature trees - one chestnut tree is more than 500-years old.

Trees like this are perfect for the mindful activity of tracing tree branches with your eyes from their beginning to their end. “You can do this with just one tree and it would have a benefit,” says Gary. Alternatively, employ your sense of touch and hug a tree. “It works,” he says. “The research proved the hippies right; hugging a tree relaxes the nervous system.”

It’s not just adults, who benefit from forest bathing. Taking children out into nature and encouraging them to slow down and notice different elements will help them to relax, too.

Take a moment to stand by a tree and encourage your child to put their hands behind their ears - “I call it deer’s ears,” says Gary. Even on days when there’s only a light breeze this will amplify the sound, and who doesn’t love the sound of the wind in the trees?