On a chilly, but peacful Friday evening in mid April, I took myself up to Winchester for an evening out in a forest – not your usual Friday night out, but I was throughly excited about trying something new.
I was on my way to meet Sonya Dibbin – a lover of the outdoors and mindfullness teacher. Sonya leads Forest Bathing experiences for anyone who’s curious to develop a deeper connection with the natural world. She has a multitude of qualifications in teaching mindfulness and ‘Adore your Outdoors’ is her business. I stumbled upon her website when I heard about the term ‘Forest Bathing’ through social media, and I had been googling ‘Forest Bathing near Southampton’. You can find out more about her and her work on her website, adoreyouroutdoors.co.uk
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What is Forest Bathing?
Forest bathing, also known as Shinrin-yoku, is a practice that originated in Japan and has gained popularity around the world. It is a form of nature therapy that involves immersing oneself in a forest or natural environment to experience its healing benefits. The term “forest bathing” does not involve literal bathing but refers to the act of being present in nature and mindfully engaging with the surrounding environment.
The practice of forest bathing aims to promote physical and mental well-being by connecting with nature. It involves slowing down, engaging the senses, and being fully present in the forest. Forest bathing encourages individuals to take in the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the natural surroundings.
Studies have shown that spending time in nature, particularly in forests, can have various positive effects on human health, reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, boosting the immune system, and improving overall mood and well-being. It can also enhance creativity, concentration, and cognitive function.
During a forest bathing session, participants may engage in activities such as walking along forest trails, observing wildlife, listening to bird songs, touching tree bark, or simply sitting and meditating in a peaceful natural setting. The practice encourages a sense of calm, relaxation, and connection with nature, allowing individuals to unplug from the demands of modern life and experience the restorative power of the natural world.
Overall, forest bathing is a gentle and immersive practice that invites people to slow down, be present, and cultivate a deeper connection with nature for the purpose of improving physical and mental well-being.
Before I continue, I apologise for the lack of imagery in this post. We were encouraged to put our phones on flight mode and to not take photos of our surroundings – only to see them with our eyes, and not through a digital screen.
After miandering my way along a series of country lanes in the Hampshire countryside, I turned into the car park of Crab Wood – a nature reserve and a fine example of ancient coppiced woodland.
I left my bright orange vauxhall corsa amongst the earthy green backdrop of the woodland and went to find Sonya and the three other ladies who were joining the experience that evening.
I was excited in anticipation of the experience ahead, but I also felt anxious – not really knowing what to expect, but upon greeting Sonya for the first time, I immediately felt at ease. It felt like she already knew me, like meeting an old friend.
Entering Crab Wood
Once everyone had arrived, we started to stroll slowly into the woodland where we would begin our Forest bathing experience.
April is a special time of year in ancient woodlands across the UK because forest floors come alive with a sea of violet-blue. I learned from Sonya that almost half of the worlds Bluebells are found in the UK. Our native British bluebell is also the rarest in the world. Because of this, the The bluebell is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). We also have Spanish Bluebells in our forests and gardens around the UK, which are an invasive species. Native bluebells are a much deeper blue colour compared with Spanish and hybrid-Spanish bluebells, which are often lighter, more pale blue or sometimes pink. They can also be told apart by their shape. Native bluebell flowers curl back at the petal tips whilst the Spanish and hybrid-Spanish bluebells are splayed. We took extra care not to step on the bluebells whilst mindfully exploring Crab Wood.
As someone who’s always had a facination with the natural world I was already absorbed in Sonya’s words as she explained facts about Bluebells, Beech Trees and the other flora and fauna we might see during the evening.
Invitations to explore mindfully
Every activity that Sonya lead throughout the evening was described as an ‘invitation’. Nothing is ‘right or wrong’ with Sonya’s Forest Bathing experiences. The mindful activities are meant to be deeply personal to each individual and the whole experience felt very non-jugemental and welcomining, which really helped me settle into the experience and embrace it all with an open mind.
Meditation
Our first ‘invitation’ was to take part in a meditation in a small clearing at the edge of the forest. I had packed a tarp in my bag thanks to Sonya’s super useful guide that I recived via email before that included suggestions on what to bring. It had been a pretty wet April so far (the tune of ‘Little April Shower’ from the 1942 animated film Bambi spring to mind!), so I knew I wanted something waterproof to sit on. Each of us lay out our tarps or picnic blankets and lay down on the ground facing up to the sky beyond the tree branches.
I came to an instant realisation that I had never lay on the ground in a forest before. It seemed like I had been missing out on something really rather nice until this moment! Looking up at the interlocking branches above, with their fresh new green leaves filled me with a sense of peace. The branches were still with the lack of wind. If it wasn’t for the bird song and the bark of a dog in the distance it would have been silent.
I closed my eyes and listened to Sonya’s voice as she guided us through the meditation. It took me a while to shut off the chatter of my mind. My mind often feels chaotic with a thousand thoughts at once at any given moment. As a result I find it very hard to relax. Initally I felt frustrated, battling with myself to leave the week behind, trying to force myself to pay attention to the here and now. I also found myself very distratced by biting insects that were determind to land on my face and steal my blood. I swatted them away as much as I could, but they still succeeded in their mission to feast on me, leaving me with a few unsightly and itchy raised bumps on my forehead and chin the next day.
The mediation had two parts. To begin with we were invited to turn our attention to what we could hear, smell and feel. I tuned in and focused on the sounds of birds singing, the cold air on my cheeks and the wet leaves that met my hand as I reached out, reluntantly at first, to the side of me to touch the ground. The second part involved a Sonya describing a visual narative for our imaginations to follow. For me I found the second part more impactful. It comes naturally to me to daydream and lose myself in stories. I often find a lot of meaning in the things I imagine, so I really enjoyed follwing the narative Sonya lead us through.
Finally my body began to relax. I felt myself taking deep breathes of releif, letting go of the stress and anxiety I was feeling and allowing myself to become immersed in the moment. Then, a sense of bliss followed. I suddenly felt very at home in the forest.
I think as humans we often feel like intruders when we enter natural spaces, as if we are not welcome. But we are as much a part of nature as the other animals that make their homes beneath the trees.
The mediation set me up perfectly for the activities that followed, including a mindful slowpaced walk through the forest, a creative activity and finally a ‘tree breathing’ excersise.
Mindful walk
When walking slowly through the forest, you really start to notice things you would otherwise miss. I was especially draw to the emerald ivy leaves that intertwined with the tree trunks; the patches of neon pastel green lichen that dotted the tree bark and the bright lime colours of moss. So many different shades of green. My attention was then captured by a tiny maroon cocoon clinging to a tree, then a simple lone ant on a journey towards the canopy and finally a less appealing half eaten wood pigeion amongst the bluebells. I felt myself contemplating both the beauty and brutality of the natural world, like a metaphor for our human experience in a world full of intensity in both pleasant and disturbing ways.
Creating a new moon intension timeline
At the end of our mindful walk, we found ourselves in another clearing besides a very old tree. Sonya handed each of us a pieace of thread and invited us to go out and find little treasures around the forest that sparked meaning for us. The thread represented a time line and we were encouraged to choose items that represented stages between now (the new moon at the time) and the next full moon. The overaching purpose of the activity was to help us find meaning in nature, which is a powerful way of forming a deep connection with the natural world.
Tree breathing
Finally, as the the sun slipped away behind the trees, we took part in a tree breathing excersise.
First we were encouraged to find a tree that we felt drawn to. I definitely found msyelf overthinking this part of the task. I was actively trying to feel a connection to a particular tree. I’m not sure what I expected to feel. Perhaps I expected to feel an energetic pull towards a particular tree. Eventually I settled on very large beech tree. It was probably the opposite of tree I would usually be drawn to asthetically. I love symmetry, and this tree was far from symmetrical. One half of the tree had seemingly completely collapsed, having fallen to the ground. Its huge discarded branches stretched out across the forest floor. Clinging onto the last glimmer of life it had, it was still sprouting new leaves from its twigs.
We began by greeting our tree in a way that felt comfortable to us. I reached out and placed both my hands on the tree bark. We then turned our attention to our breathing. Sonya led the excersie by asking us to breathe in, while recognising that we were breathing in the oxygen the tree had just exhaled. Then as we breathed out, we were invited to imagine the tree doing the same with the carbon dioxide we expelled from our lungs. I definitely felt a sense of gratitude towards the tree for the fresh air it was providng to me. Part of me hoped that in it’s own way, the tree was aware of my presence, thanking me for the carbon dioxide it was capturing from my lungs.
We finished by thanking the tree for the experience, and then we each stayed with our trees for a while longer. I noticed the tree had a small narrow hollow in it’s trunk. I turned my back towards it and leaned against the cavity – comfy! Looking up at the branches above I felt completely at home and safe. It felt like my tree was my protector, watching over me.
I then proceeded to lay down on one of the large fallen branches beside me. I starred up at the darkening sky beyond the leaves above. By this point in the forest bathing experience I had lost track of time. I actually wouldn’t be able to tell you how long I was there with my tree. Suddenly my ears perked up to the haunting sound of an owl; then another from a different direction, and another! I was completely in aw of the forest at dusk. It felt so special to be there at that time of day, in the presence of the wild creatures that live there. And it too, felt like my home; the animals my companions and the trees my guardians and shelter.
Sonya called us back to the nearby clearing where she had been preparing some hawthron tea for us, along with a basket of dried fruits and nuts to share before we left the forest and headed back home.
I’m so gratful to Sonya, and the other ladies who joined the session, for a truly wonderful and magical experience.
If you’re in the Hampshire area and interested in trying a forest bathing experience, I’d highly recommend Sonya Dibbin. Visit the Adore your Outdoors for more information. (I am not affiliated with her, simply recommending her because I enjoyed the experience so much!).
And for more ways to deepen your connection with the natural world, check out this post for more ways to reconnect with nature.
Thank you for reading, have a beautiful day
~ Faine