iv: Nature Therapy
A self-led forest bathing walk Nathalie Moriarty Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods. John Muir (1938)
The first thing to note about a self-led Forest Bathing Walk is that you are in the driver’s seat— so to speak. You get to choose your own pace, where you go, what you do, and how long for. There are no hard and fast rules, no one saying you must. The only thing you should aim to do is to slow down, focus on your senses and relax into the experience. When choosing a route, consider the following: Forest Bathing should be an enjoyable, relaxing experience. A simple circular route of 1-2 kilometres will suffice for your walk, and less is fine too. A minimum duration of one hour is recommended; however, more time spent in a woodland will have longer lasting benefits. A place where there is a stream or running water is beneficial. Your woodland should include coniferous species, as these are known to release more phytoncides. More phytoncides are released on warm days, so take the opportunity on a warm day if you can. Above all, do not feel pushed into anything you do not feel comfortable and safe doing. Sensory Invitations In Forest Bathing we follow sensory invitations as they are offered to us in Nature. There are benefits to focusing on each of our senses in turn. With time you may naturally combine these sensory inputs to home in on certain things in the forest, or to enjoy the multisensory landscape that is being offered to you. For this self-guided walk I will focus on each sense in turn to provide you with some examples of sensory invitations. With some practice you will easily see and follow the sensory invitations that are offered to you in the forest. The hardest thing may be to lose your selfconsciousness about what are appropriate ways to behave as an adult. Try to let go of this. Forest Bathing can be seen as a sensory exploration of the world as we experienced it as children, when we did not think twice about taking off our shoes or picking up worms. I invite you to find your inner child and let them explore freely, leaving the rules of the adult world behind. 21
