Forest Bathing In Ireland
With an Accredited Forest Therapy Practitioner.
What is Forest Bathing?
Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing), emerged in Japan where a lot of research has been done into its positive impact on physical and mental health. A typical session involves a minimum of two hours spent in woodlands taking part in a series of sensory meditations… sound, smells, sight, touch and even taste to help us reconnect with nature and nurture our bodies and minds.
Sensory Invitations
An important thing to remember about Shinrin Yoku is that it is the forest that is the therapist.
A Forest Therapy practitioner creates a series of invitations to help participants become more aware of their senses and experience their immersion in among the trees in a deeper and more connected way.
And we are not just talking about the five physical senses – sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.
There are four other senses:
Proprioception – how our body feel in the forest, when we move. We do this slowly and mindfully, meditating on how our body reacts as we move from place to place.
Interoception – how does your body feel inside, when standing/sitting still or moving. How is it responding to being in the forest. Though our invitations we bring awareness to it.
Imaginal – awaken imagination, become part of the forest, put down roots and draw nourishment from the earth. This can be a very intense and emotional experience if you allow yourself to experience it fully.
Mirroring – notice how the branches of the trees are moving, the leaves are rustling in the wind, can you allow yourself to sway with the leaves and the gentle motions of the forest?
Locations
The majority of our courses take place in Co. Down in Northern Ireland,
With a wealth of forests in the area, we will take you to discover natural and managed forests that are ideal for forest bathing.
For larger group bookings outside the area, we can arrange to come to your area.
(permissions allowing)
Recommended Reading and Research
Books
Dr Qing Li – Into the Forest
Yoshifumi Miyazaki – Shinrin Toku:
The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing
Links
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6589172/
https://environhealthprevmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12199-019-0822-8
The Benefits
International studies have shown that Forest Bathing and being in nature has direct positive impacts on the central nervous system (CNS) and the Automatic Nervous System (ANS).
Phytoncides are produced by all plants as a defence against decay, infections and against predators.
During Forest Bathing inhaled phytoncides activate natural killer cells which can fight infection and improve the immune system.
Phytoncides cause a reduction in cortisol levels and increase serotonin levels in blood which helps reduce stress and tackle depression.
Studies have found that Forest Bathing lowers blood pressure and the heart rate.
Simply being in or observing nature can help reduce mental fatigue and increase concentration. This is a core finding of attention Restoration Theory which proposes four states of attention.
Clearer head and better concentration; recovery from mental fatigue, soft fascination/interest; and reflection and restoration.
Forest Therapy also draws on the Japanese concept of Yūgen, which has no direct translation into English. It is a deep feeling, or something intuitive that cannot be named, or that by naming it seems to lose its initial intensity.
Trying to use words to describe a sunset, or for many people these days taking a picture of it on their phone, cannot recreate the actual experience of it.
Yūgen is a way of experiencing something that does not exist in a literal sense, there is an otherness to it that impacts in a mysterious or profound way.
It is used to discuss art, the beauty or impact of art, something that we cannot see directly but experience when looking at a sculpture, which is no longer just a piece of stone, or hear in music, which is no longer just a series of sounds.
In Forest Therapy we can use it to describe the mystery and sense of otherness than being in nature can inspire.
About Tony
Tony Bailie is an accredited Forest Therapy practitioner. He completed his training with Light Box, a CPD Group-registered training provider and Complimentary Medical Association-registered training college. He is also a qualified walking guide and has a diploma in Jungian psychology. As well as being a Forest Therapy practitioner, Tony works as an English lecturer and teacher and as a newspaper and online journalist.
He has written widely about environmental issues and nature, including his book Diving Through the Wormhole. He is also a novelist and award winning poet and believes that a deep connection with nature and wilderness can energise the creative process.
More information on his writing can be found at www.tonybailie.com.
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