Welcome to Forest Bathing in Petts Woods.
Forest Bathing or Shinrin Yoku originated in Japan in the 1980’s, as a tool to help Japanese citizens manage stress in their lives through spending mindful time in nature.
The health benefits they discovered were so positive that Japan's health service now offers Forest Bathing as an optional treatment for managing things like blood pressure and anxiety. Unsurprisingly Forest Bathing as a powerful tool for healing has resonated deeply with people worldwide and today Shrin Yuko is practised in many different countries.
How do you bathe in a forest? By slowing down and moving through the forest in a mindful and considered way, using gentle exercises combined with a mindfulness approach to breathing we will aim to stimulate all 5 senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. We will use our hands, eyes and ears to explore and focus on our environment in a detailed way.
How and why is it good for us? Studies from Japan have shown numerous health benefits of forest bathing, including lowering stress, reducing blood pressure, managing anxiety and depression and helping improve concentration.
By stepping into nature and slowing down we are able to move from the Sympathetic nervous system to the Parasympathetic nervous system. These nervous systems might be familiar to you as our fight or flight response and our rest and digest function.
By slowing down and connecting with the forest, through all our senses we are able to bathe in the airborne essential oils released by the trees - and all the natural elements of the forest. These boost our immune system and bring us all the health benefits we mentioned before.
Why we are different? Forest Bathing + offers a more considered approach than other forest bathing activities, because of our unique emphasis on mindfulness as a tool to enhance sensory experience and facilitate a transformative experience for our participants.
FB + was developed with input from the NHS, leading universities, mental health charities, landowners and the government. Enabling us to deliver a practice that has benefited from the input of many experts.
“A walk in nature walks the soul back home.” — Mary Davis
Times: Meeting 9.45am. Prompt start 10am. End time, 12pm.
Meeting point: Outside Petts Wood train station. We will walk to the woods together.
Parking: Paid parking can be found at Petts Wood Station Car Park. Station Square, Petts Wood, Orpington BR5 1NA.
