FOREST BATHING at the Bold Colorful Life Estate

Forest Bathing, or 'taking in the atmosphere of the forest' has been shown to have calming, rejuvenating and restorative benefits for humans.

According to the World Health Organization, stress is the health epidemic of the 21st century
and is responsible for many forms of chronic illnesses.

Shinrin-Yoku, Forest Bathing or Forest Therapy, which was developed in Japan as an ancient tribal practice, became more widely known in the 1980s when the Japanese recognized the physiological and psychological dangers of stress and depression and sought an affordable and effective way to combat it. It is fast spreading globally, as an antidote to today's stresses and strains. South Korea, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia and New Zealand were among the first to embrace Forest Therapy to enhance their fitness levels and reduce health care costs.

We have known, intuitively, that Nature is a soothing and healing connection, but mankind has moved away from Mother Earth
and her powerful healing...and now it's time to reconnect.
Decades of research have demonstrated natural healing mechanisms which derive from time spent in Nature.

From the Shinrin-Yoku organization, the International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance, we find:

These direct scientifically-proven benefits of Shinrin-yoku include:

• Reduced blood pressure and lower pulse rate
• Reduced stress hormone (cortisol) level and reduced anxiety
• Boosted immune system functioning, with an increase in the activity of cancer-and tumor-fighting ('natural killer')cells
• Increased happiness and positive mood; reduced risk of getting depressed
• Increased ability to focus, even in children with ADHD
• Enhanced energy level and improved sleep
• Active exposure to tree and plant-emitted anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-viral substances

Just as impressive are the indirect results that we can experience as we make this part of our regular practice:

• Increased overall fitness level and reduced risk of obesity
• Reduced risk of heart and lung diseases
• Deeper and clearer intuition
• Fewer mood swings; more motivation
• Enhanced ability to focus
• Higher self-confidence; more stable personality and deepening of friendships
• Increased capacity to communicate with the land and its species

For further reading about the benefits of Forest Therapy please see our references.

They recognize that forest therapy approaches such as Shinrin-yoku have roots in many cultures throughout history. John Muir wrote, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home. Wilderness is a necessity.” He is one of many people who we include when we think about the origins of the practice. Another Muir quote: "And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul."

The typical approach to Shinrin Yoku Forest Therapy is to find a guide taught by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs. The guided tour combines leisurely walks on gentle paths under forest canopy with guided activities to help you open your senses, hone your intuition, and experience the forest as you never have before. It draws upon mindfulness meditation practices, and the techniques of deep nature connection mentoring. They also use group discussions at several points along the walk, which helps participants learn from and teach other as they discuss what they are experiencing together. 

This is the course that I took at a nearby Boothbay Region Land Trust preserve...and I followed the guidelines that I experienced in that class when setting up the sites for Forest Bathing on this beautifully natural and inviting property.

So I invite you to lead yourselves on this gentle journey...through forest and woodlands...gardens and lawns...pond and river...earth and sky...by looking through these 32 invitations, courtesy of Monica Schwarz, and find the location on the 15 acre waterfront estate that corresponds to each invitation. Then invite yourself to spend some time 'bathing in the forest'...Enjoy!

Walk slowly. Breathe. Open all your senses and your imagination.
This is the medicine of simply being in Nature.

Here's the best collection of Forest Bathing 'invitations' I've seen...32 opportunities for Natural healing,
thanks to Monica Schwartz, creator of Life Out of Bounds.

Click on the image to learn more about the healing power of nature, and download the complete e-book in PDF format.

And these are the coordinated sites suggested for your self-guided Forest Bathing experience here at the Bold Colorful Life estate.

FOREST BATHING SITE MAP
AT THE BOLD COLORFUL LIFE ESTATE

PLEASE NOTE: Invitations numbered 1, 3, 9, 11, 16, 18 and 19 can be experienced anywhere on the site.

Invitations numbered 20, 28, 29, 30 and 31 are all for specific environments.

For more detail, here's what each of the invitations and possible sites look like.
Numbered medallions with suggested forest bathing sites can be found all over the 15 acre property. Happy hunting!
 

7. 

11.

12.

13.

14.

27.

31.

And after the invitation experience, be sure to share it with friends...

Click here to download the full Shinrin-Yoku Invitations e-book for free!!

For more about
what to do at the Bold Colorful Life estate, press here.

And here are several links to additional articles about Forest Bathing.