You have to do it, Adrienne. For the blog!
Shinrin-Yoku is a Japanese term that translates to forest bathing or forest therapy. In a nutshell, it's good for us to be in a forest; mentally, emotionally and physically. It's not a nature walk, it's more like a mediation.
I have never really done any kind of meditation before. To be honest, in yoga I tend to be focusing on my muscles, not real good at quieting my mind or letting go. The frugal, practical side of me thought, "do I really have to pay someone to go for a walk in the woods?" This is where my friend came in with her encouraging advice. Do it for the blog!
Since I went to the float tank and wrote about it, I figured it made sense to try lots of different things I have never done before. And write about them. When you mention forest bathing to people, you get a variety of reactions. It sounds a bit risqué to some. Some think you are going to a natural hot spring. Most people just look puzzled. A rare few have heard of it.
So, here I go. With an open mind, I'm driving back into the Cypress Hills after lunch today to meet the facilitator and go Forest Bathing. I will let you know how it goes!
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| A picnic lunch and knitting by the lake before the session helped get me in the right frame of mind. |
After
As luck would have it, being past the end of the Cypress Hills tourist season, I had a private session. The Cypress Hills is quiet, to the point of having only one restaurant (at the hotel) open and only one public bathroom available. There is only a handful of people in the campgrounds and a few cottage residents around. The weather is still beautiful and on some trails I hadn't seen a single other person..
I met with Jacquie, the facilitator, by the gazebo on the lake. We re-convened at a trail-head. We hiked a short distance in to a bit of a clearing where we could leave the trail and have a decent amount of space and not be interrupted too much by other hikers. We were advised to bring a situpon, some water and layers of clothing appropriate to the weather, and to wear runners or hiking shoes.
Not only did they experience a change in people's well-being, they began to scientifically study the biology of forest bathing. Trees, especially coniferous trees, produce terpenes, specifically phytoncides. These reduce stress, depression, blood pressure and cortisol and increase the immune system. These effects can last for weeks. They can also enhance REM sleep.
I was expecting (what I picture as) a guided mediation. You know, like the recordings that tell you to visualize the colour yellow and have it fill you. (I had a client play one during a massage once - it was very distracting). There was a little bit of that, but not much. Or perhaps it would be something similar to a yoga class in the forest. It was different from either of those.
Jacquie called them "Invitations". The session was divided up in to segments, after each one we were had the "Opportunity" to share after each one. No activity was required and sharing out loud was completely optional, so there was no need to feel uncomfortable or pressured. This is where I was lucky that it was just the two of us, it was very easy to be open. However, I can also see that I missed out on part of the experience by not having other people to share their thoughts as well.
The first Invitation was to sit quietly with my eyes closed. This was, for a lack of a better term, the guided mediation part. Forest bathing is about using all your senses to experience the natural world around us. To focus on what we can hear and smell, as well as see and feel. To accept that we are in place where outside noises from the park and other people can be heard and not view it as an intrusion. To become aware of our breathing and our heartrate.
For all the following Invitations, each person would walk a short distance into the forest, on their own, with the exercise. We would spend about 20 minutes just being with that specific thing, and then get called back to the central meeting place (with an owl hoot) with an Opportunity to share.
These Invitations were about emotional feelings, sensory touch and the wisdom we get from nature. By spending 20 minutes with a single thought, you can really develop it. It was time to find metaphors in pine cones and to experience the joy in a simple things like the seed head on fireweed. Listening to the wind, ebb and flow in the trees. It became like a conversation, with give and take.
We ended the session with the sense of taste. Jacquie prepared a wild tea (with ingredients she brought, we were in a Provincial Park) of white spruce and chocolate mint. This was no thermos and paper cups affair. She laid a "table" on the forest floor with a beautiful cloth, tea pot and pottery cups with dried dates and granola to accompany it. We offered a symbolic cup of tea to the forest, which reminded me of the indigenous offering of tobacco to the spirits. (We also carried out any trash we saw on the trail on our way out, a more tangible way to thank the forest!)
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| I don't think it's accidental that we delight in watching ducks swimming. We are innately drawn to graceful things that make us slow down and feel peaceful. |
I'm glad that the forest bathing walk ended up being midway on my trip. My time until now was packed full of adventure, road trips, visiting and simply packing as much into each day as possible. It was good to be encouraged to slow down and find some peace in the process as well. To find balance.
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