This story was originally published in April 2019. A form of wilderness therapy developed in Japan, Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing” has caught on in the United States in recent years as more people are turning to the outdoors to bolster their health and overall well being. To clarify, forest bathing has nothing to do with soaking in water.
(Though you certainly can add that to your experience if you want.) In general, the practice involves walking slowly or sitting in the forest, opening your senses to your surroundings and consciously seeking connections to nature. In Maine, the most forested state in the country, this practice is especially easy to pursue.
“It’s really just reconnecting with your natural environment in a very personal way,” said Jeff Brogan, who guides forest bathing excursions throughout Maine . “It’s going into nature with the purpose of improving health and wellbeing and also rekindling your relationship with the natural world.” A Registered Maine Guide, Brogan is also a certified Forest Therapy Guide through the California-based Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, which involved a week of intensive training followed by a six-month practicum guided by a curriculum and mentor.
When Brogan guides forest bathing walks, he typically covers less than 1 mile in the woods and ends with a ceremony of sharing tea made from foraged local plants. “For a lot of people, just the basic step of slowing down is extremely chal.
