A Forest Bathing Experience

This is a brief invitation to experience the sounds, sights, smells, breath, movement and textures of the forest. It represents an opportunity to tune into the senses and begin to notice what you are noticing as you are taken on a walk, or as you sit and contemplate for a while. This meditation was recorded in July 2018 at Fforest Fawr, near Tongwynlais, Cardiff.

Transcript

In this forest bathing experience,

I'm going to invite you to pay attention to what's around you using all of your senses.

Feeling now by bringing your attention to sound.

Sounds that are near,

Sounds that are far.

Noticing the tendency to label sounds,

To know what they are.

Feeling how you find particular sounds pleasant or unpleasant or neutral.

And bringing your attention to what you can see,

As if with fresh eyes.

Seeing all of the colours.

Fifty shades of green or brown.

The shapes.

The patterns.

The light.

The shade.

Noticing when your attention is drawn to something in particular.

Or perhaps quite intentionally looking down at the ground.

Or looking up at the tops of the trees and the sky beyond.

Noticing any smells or aromas.

Not searching for them,

But bringing your attention to the smells of plants.

Maybe the smell of earthiness or the smell of green.

Perhaps stretching up or crouching down to being a particular smell closer.

And noticing that in order to smell we must breathe.

Noticing the movement of your breath.

Just allowing your breath to be exactly as it is.

And this breath.

The entirety of the in-breath and the entirety of the out-breath.

Maybe you'll focus specifically on the movement of your abdomen or the air at your nostrils.

Noticing what else is moving.

Perhaps the shift of your weight or balance.

Your feet.

Your arms.

Your head.

Any movement around you.

Trees.

Water.

Insects.

Birds.

Clubs.

And noticing if you're drawn to any particular objects.

Anything you can touch.

Textures of bark,

Leaves,

Earth.

Noticing that you can also touch with the soles of your feet through your shoes.

Particularly as you walk.

And each time you notice that your mind has wandered away.

Seeing if you can gently bring it back to the sound.

The sight.

The smell.

A breath.

A movement.

Or a touch.

I hope you've enjoyed this brief voice bathing experience.

Thank you for watching.

Reviews

Lovely thanks. I’m even enjoying the feel of the light drizzle 🌧️

“50 shades of green” has to be my favorite phrase ever heard in an Insight meditation!! 👍😁

Amazing

I enjoyed the gentle pace of this piece. It guided me to slow down for a few minutes so I could continue in my day a bit more refreshed. Thank you.

Very relaxing, thank you.

Very soothing and I appreciated the directions to draw my attention to the scenery.

I personally loved the natural forest/water sounds and found the meditation refreshing 🌱

Lovely guidance, thank you! 🙏🏻

Thank you 🙏
I really love your little meditations
It’s so calming and connect me to nature and to myself 🍃🍂

This was awesome, I was able to imagine myself transported to a rainforest whilst sitting at home. A great recording and perfectly paced.

I really liked the background noise. Thank you

A wonderful adventure :)

Lovely. Very relaxing. Shared

I really enjoyed this! Brought back memories of our trips to the forest this past summer. Thank you!

Beautiful & deeply relaxing
Thank You Much

Wonderful, thank you for sharing 🛐🙏

Wonderful reminder even when sitting with eyes closed to be bathing in nature, nature inside and out. That said, like many others, this recording has an abrupt ending. Would be nice to have the sound gradually diminish.

Beautifully relaxing, I could see hear and feel the forest, thank you

Very nice! Just wish it was longer. 🙏💕 Thank you.

Tranquil simplicity.