What is Shinrin-Yoku? The Beginner's Guide to Forest Bathing

Pause to Play
May 30
3 min read

Updated: Sep 21

There’s a place where time slows down. Where your breath naturally deepens. Where thoughts untangle, and your body remembers a rhythm older than any schedule.

It’s called the forest. And in Japan, they’ve made walking in it a national art of healing.

Welcome to Shinrin-yoku – the practice of forest bathing.

A sunlit forest path with lush green trees and dappled sunlight. The serene setting is calm and inviting, with no people present.

What Is Shinrin-Yoku?

Despite how it sounds, it doesn’t involve water or swimsuits. Shinrin-yoku (森林浴) literally means “bathing in the forest atmosphere”.

It’s the simple yet powerful act of being fully present in nature, especially in forests – with all your senses. No phone. No to-do list. No rush.

You’re not hiking. You’re not tracking steps. You’re just being – with the trees.

Why Shinrin-Yoku/Forest Bathing works

The magic of Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) isn’t just poetic – it’s backed by science.

Researchers in Japan and South Korea have spent decades studying how time in the forest affects the human body and mind.

Here’s what they’ve found:

🟢 Cortisol (stress hormone) levels drop significantly after even 20 minutes in nature

🟢 Blood pressure and heart rate decrease, promoting calm and heart health

🟢 Natural killer cell activity increases, boosting the immune system

🟢 Anxiety and depression symptoms reduce

🟢 Sleep improves, thanks to nervous system regulation

🟢 Focus and creativity go up, especially after time among trees

How?

One key reason: phytoncides.

These are natural essential oils that trees release to protect themselves from insects and germs. When we breathe them in, they stimulate our immune system and lower stress.

How Much Forest Do You Need?

You don’t need to move to a mountain cabin.

According to studies:

2 hours per week in nature is enough to start noticing health improvements

Just 20 minutes a day in a forest-like environment reduces stress hormones

The most therapeutic effect comes from three full forest sessions over three days, often practiced in Japanese Forest Therapy retreats

Even a walk through a city park with trees can trigger benefits.

How to Practice Shinrin-yoku

There’s no one right way – and that’s the point.

But here’s a simple guide to begin:

Find a green space – ideally a forest, but even a quiet park works
Leave your phone behind (or turn it off)
Walk slowly. Really slowly.
Use your senses:
- What do you hear?
- What do you see in the light between the leaves?
- What does the forest smell like today?
Touch the bark. Sit under a tree. Breathe deeply.
Do nothing. Don’t strive for insight. Just allow.

This is your pause. And it’s also where you play again – with your senses, with wonder, with yourself.

My Experience

The first time I practiced Shinrin-yoku consciously was during a weekend in the Black Forest.

I left my phone in the cabin and just walked. At first, I felt restless. No music? No steps to count? But then… something shifted.

I began to notice. The texture of moss. The slow pulse of the wind in the trees. The feeling of not needing to be anything but here.

I came back lighter. Not because I had “done” something – but because I had let go.

Forest as Medicine

In a world of overstimulation, nature invites us to come home. Not to do more. But to feel more. Not to perform. But to belong.

And the best part? It’s free. It’s near. And it’s available today.

Whether you’re in a deep forest, a local park, or even under a tree in your backyard – try slowing down. No need to “achieve” presence. Just allow it to arrive.

Take a walk. Let the forest walk you back to yourself.

Drop a comment and tell me your favorite place to connect with nature.

#Try slow. Try soul. Try you.