Shinrin-yoku is Japanese for ‘forest-bathing’. This refers to a practise where you are bathing in the forest environment through your senses, without having to take your clothes off!

For almost 40 years, the Japanese have been discovering the powerful effects of being in the forest environment. ‘Forest-bathing’ is now a standard practice in Japan to relieve stress and as a natural solution to prevent disease. We instantly feel a sense of comfort when we are in nature and this is an instinctive and intuitive response. Nature is vital to our well- being just as regular exercise and a healthy diet. Our holistic health improves when we are in nature and it dis-improves when we are separated from it.

Shinrin-yoku bridges the gap between us and the natural world. When we open all of our senses to the forest atmosphere we are aligning our natural rhythms with the nature around us. This results in those wonderful feelings of peace, contentment and connection.