HAVE YOU TRIED FOREST BATHING?

A central part of my early morning walks is the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing.

Shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, by taking in the forest through the senses. It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through the senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch.

Part mindfulness, part child’s play, it’s a portal into a true understanding of yourself and the world around you. Letting the forest in is the key to unlocking its power - let nature enter through your eyes, ears nose, mouth, hands and feet.

There is real science behind all this. Trees release Phytoncides into the air. They have antibacterial and antifungal qualities, which help plants fight disease. When people breathe in these chemicals, our bodies respond by increasing the number and activity of a type of white blood cell called ‘natural killer’ or NK cells. These NK cells kill tumours and virus-infected cells in our bodies.

A 30-minute forest bath once or twice a week will help you slow down. It will bring you into the present moment and de-stress and relax you.

It is truly a fast route to well-being and happiness.

My book Walking Back To Happiness The Secret To Alcohol-free Living & Well-being shows you how I found happiness and well-being through re connecting with nature and how you can to.

I am launching an on line and on land course in the Spring. You can register your interest here.

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE…

Firstly find a place – this does not have to be a wood or a forest – you can do it anywhere there are trees – so a park or your garden will work.

Here are a few forest bathing activities you can do. Remember it’s all about opening your senses.

1. WALK - aimlessly without a time limit or a plan, just be curious. Follow your senses, you’re not going anywhere. Forest bathing is about being in the forest.

2. LISTEN - find a place to sit down – on the floor or on a fallen branch. Take in all the sounds: Bird song; Bird chatter; Wind blowing; the Rain.

3. TOUCH – touch the bark of a tree. Feel the texture, feel the life running up from the roots through the tree, through the trunk up through the branches right to the top and then out into the sky. Feel yourself becoming part of the tree, becoming part of nature.

4. SMELL - take in the different smells of the forest, smells of the trees, smells of flowers, smells of the soil.

5. OBSERVE - we are hard wired to respond to the fractal patterns in nature - looking at these kind of patterns can reduce our stress by as much as 60 per cent.

BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL

If you are interested in finding out more about forest bathing or of taking a break from alcohol then book a coaching Discovery Call with me. https://calendly.com/9kmby9am/30minchemistrysession

LINKS

You can contact me through:

Website - www.9kmby9am.com

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.9kmby9am.com/latest-news/newsletter/?

Book a Coaching Discovery Call https://calendly.com/9kmby9am/30minchemistrysession

MY BOOK

Author Page - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nigel-Jones/e/B0B7RP6LH6/?

Paperback https://amzn.eu/d/573olDm?

Hardcover https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/191514731X/?

Kindle / eBook https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B7QVJP2M/

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