The Japanese Art Of Forest Bathing

A lovely topic for a guided meditation looking close and connecting to the art of forest bathing. Let's explore this simple yet powerful practice of preventative medicine. Learning to slow down with nature that heals us on many levels includes my personal story of going to the woods for that much needed break and coming back into balance.

Transcript

Welcome to this guided meditation called the Japanese art of forest bathing.

Let's begin.

Please get comfortable,

Seated or lay down if you wish.

Closing the eyes.

Thank you.

Hold the breath still please for 7 seconds now.

Feel the breath smooth and long.

Let's expand that meditative mind.

Let's explore forest bathing.

I love the description of this practice.

Here follows simply encouragement to do it.

Anyone can learn this.

It is in fact a simple practice but has powerful benefits.

Being a preventative medicine for many health conditions of mind and body.

In 1983,

Forest bathing,

Shenren-Yoku,

Was incorporated into Japan's national health program.

The healing effects of forest bathing are scientifically proven.

The levels of stress,

Hormones,

Blood pressure and pulse rate are decreased,

Lowers anxiety and depression related.

The cells of the immune system that protect us from viruses and disease naturally regenerate themselves day by day with Shenren-Yoku practice.

Walking in the woods is good for the cardio,

The heart,

The lung,

The nervous system.

Aids recovery of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,

ADHD.

It increases the desire to express good feelings.

Doctors call it a biological attraction.

The trees that interact with us on an energetic level.

In short,

Walking and exploring a forest reduces negative effects faster.

So the art begins.

It can be done alone or joining an organized forest bath trail.

Some take several hours and can even just cover less than a quarter mile.

And some incorporate poetry,

Yoga,

Guided meditations too.

The more you immerse yourself,

The deeper the effect.

It really is that good for you.

Take only what's necessary.

Safety is always being practical and of importance here.

Resist,

Resist the urge to take pictures until you've completed your bathing experience.

Stay as long as you can,

Building to a recommended two hours for a complete forest bathing experience.

Shenron-Yoku is not a hike,

Not a power walk.

The art of forest bathing is to slow down.

Slow down to a meditated state and let your senses experience what's around you.

Do not be surprised by going slow at first.

It's almost painful through the habit of modern waves.

But it is after we feel calm,

Re-energized and back into balance.

It teaches concentration,

Mindfulness,

Taking a meditated walk,

Often in silence too.

It would be impossible for your inner child not to seek the adventure of nature's playground.

And make memories and simply escape.

Nature's colours are soothing.

Studies show we relax best with the colours green and blue.

Let's take a breath in now of the colour green.

And exhale the colour green.

Let's take another breath in now of blue.

And exhale the colour blue.

Natural green light itself involves less eye muscle movement.

Thus the eyes are having a little therapy too.

And to breathe deeply the special forest air into the abdomen.

But to exhale the air twice as long sends a message to the body it can relax.

Let's explore this.

Breathing in and fill the abdomen.

Exhale all that air.

Empty the abdomen.

And relax.

Sitting down and feeling the earth beneath you is encouraged.

Everything is energy and a vibration.

Finding a place to be still and observe.

Noticing small detail.

When we stop we can pay close attention to detail.

Like the delicate designs of flowers.

And of leaves.

Remember leaves especially enter many colours during autumn.

So as nature changes through time so do we.

Our moods,

Energy levels and personal things week to week.

So with nature we engage time passing.

So nature shows us that change is normal.

So many fear change.

But it is a part of life.

Nature self generates and so do we.

To observe.

Looking up high at the leaf canopy in the forest.

And observe the light coming through.

Getting a good neck stretch of the posture here as well.

Away from the habit of looking down at phones and other gadgets.

Looking into the distance is therapeutic to the eyes.

And here we notice the different plants carpeting the forest floor.

Shades of green can hit 50.

Looking close and examining the patterns of various stones.

Even fallen debris still looks interesting.

A dry dead leaf really can look like a fine piece of delicate lace.

Our lungs can be compared to the vein structure of the leaf.

Nature shows the man made world is great designs.

Helicopters inspired by the dragonfly.

Do you remember the last time you saw a dragonfly manoeuvre around you.

Backwards and forwards and simply hover.

The interesting colours and shapes of the fungi family.

Of fairy like mushrooms growing on decaying sticks and damp places.

With names like scarlet elf cup.

Brimming scarlet red indeed.

To study woodland animals making homes in trees and under them.

Digging extensive burrows camouflaged by nature.

The butterfly that comes to rest near you can travel up to 100 miles in a day.

The furthest recorded monarch butterfly had travelled 265 miles in a single day.

Breathing in now and feel the power of the natural world.

Can you smell the different smells of the forest?

Can you smell the soil?

How do you react to breathing in the earth's muddy aroma?

In the drifting sense from the different plants in bloom.

To listen we often don't notice all the varied sounds birds make.

But to learn to follow the conversation of the forest birds are having all around you.

When did you last hear a dawn chorus begin a new day?

Or the singing at dusk marking the territory right to that last ray of sunlight.

To touch things stop to touch and hug the different tree barks.

Note the roughness for example of the maple bark and then the sheer smoothness of the birch.

And the patterns that create that texture.

Get physically close and embrace being a tree hugger.

For it boosts the energy level and depletes negative energies.

By opening our arms and chest area the extension of the heart itself wrapped around giant trees.

Does the emotion rise or feeling grounded?

The feet planted to the ground.

It is estimated that 8 million trees removes over 2000 tons of pollution on a yearly basis.

Trees storing over 2.

4 million tons of CO2.

This is equivalent of 2.

6 billion vehicle miles.

Breathe in deeply now with the power of trees that clean the air we rely on.

Finding a good place to sit and take off those shoes.

Feeling the earth under your feet with those 10 individual tones.

That often lay dormant in shoes.

The feet are a map of our well being too.

Engage your sense of taste.

Guided forest walks can include drinking tea prepared from forest plants.

This part requires caution,

Knowledge of your surroundings.

Mint leaves,

Nettle and fruit teas are tasty and healthy.

Opening your mouth to taste the air that passes you.

Or to catch raindrops engages the sense of taste as well.

This is a positive element of playfulness.

Being the explorer with adding knowledge at the same time.

Even on days when you do not have time to forest bathe.

On a daily basis could be to stop to look closely at plants,

Insects and smell deeply the flowers you pass.

On busy streets.

If you have a choice,

Finding a route to your destination that has nature.

Also the practice of place tending.

Which encourages frequent visits with intimate knowledge of a place near where you live or work.

Even the back garden or the nearby park.

With the place tending practice,

Visiting often is the key.

And touching the trees and plants and noticing how nature changes through the year.

Can create a strong positive effect in other parts of your life.

Now the following couple of minutes.

I would like to share a personal emotional description of myself going to the woods.

A poetic story of connecting wellbeing to nature.

Going to the woods.

I need to get out.

But it's got to be to the woods.

I need upliftment.

I need to feel good.

And bring my body and mind back into brilliant balance.

The heavenly home is turning into a box.

All four walls.

North,

South,

East and west have sealed me in.

And it feels stagnant and the air is thin.

I need a break for my mind and body bring a voice together ringing loud and clear.

They're both telling me to get the hell out of here.

All my chores have become a bar.

It's all lacking satisfaction.

No matter how much I complete.

For I need to put soil and earth under my feet.

I need to trip over stones and slide in mud.

Press new grass and leave a print.

I need to walk away from this man-made world.

I can't breathe deeply enough.

And the eyes to my soul have lost their sparkle.

I need to connect to the woods.

To the seasons that are pushing forth.

I want to see flowers wild and free.

Patterns of leaves.

I need to walk amongst the tallest trees.

I need to walk without time.

And whistle a piece of grass.

A trick I learnt as a tomboy last.

I need high pitched sounds of only the birds in song.

Under the biggest umbrella of trees.

No sound of traffic at last.

It fell off the shoulders when I left that concrete path.

I need to forget about the treadmill of life.

I need a break as I'm not feeling right.

I need deep earthy oxygen filling up my veins.

Pumping in all my limbs and be simply born again.

I want rosy cheeks that I had as a child.

I want to pick a nice long dry straw and stick it in my mouth.

I want to get excited at finding the perfect walking stick.

And snap it to a desired height striding from the feet.

I need to catch sight of the woodland birds.

Or see a rabbit truly bouncing about.

Gaze long into the distance the chance of seeing a deer.

And feel its peace.

I want to suddenly hear cuckoos penetrate the air.

With that unmistakable sound that causes my ears to bend a little more.

I want mud on my shoes like a dirty dog.

I want to wash out grass stains and twigs out of my hair.

I want to see ten shades of green as far as the eye can see.

I want a sky that's going to seduce me.

I know the patterns of nature are easy,

Therapeutic to the eye.

And green is my heart chakra colour for all of us.

And my eyes fall heavy on millions of heart shaped leaves of green.

I want to put my index finger under a stagnant raindrop.

Suspended from a desired leaf because it's clear and pure and good enough to drink.

I want to stare into a spider's web.

Let my eyes get hypnotised by its brilliant deadly patterns.

And let out a sigh and cause it to quiver.

I want to squash fallen berries under my feet.

Kick a crabapple and watch it roll with speed down a long muddy lane.

But most of all,

I want to rest my back against a nice solid tree.

One that will outlive me.

And run my hand and fingers through blades of soft grass.

Rest my head fully back and roll my eyes high and show only the sky.

I need to see the sunshine put on a display with sparkle rays.

Exciting my eyes and watch the shadows run away.

I want to hold sunshine in the palm of my hands.

I want to smell the good herb.

I want to smell the plants.

I want to open my ears to every nature's sound.

And weigh myself checking in.

That mind and body have returned to pure balance.

And have I come back to my roots?

Before I leave here,

I've already booked in again as I should.

My subconscious mind will tell me in time.

I need to get out,

But it's got to be to the woods.

Let's meditate here a couple of minutes.

Tuning into nature with the sound healing music of earth and heart vibration.

And picture yourself with any nature memories.

Our intentions to do Shenren Yoko,

Forest Baby.

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