The Practice
“The Forest is the Therapist - the Guide opens the doors.”
— Amos Clifford
Forest Therapy is an innovative modern health solution that draws on Nature’s ability to calm. It is inspired by Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of “bathing in the atmosphere of the Forest,” or, “Forest Bathing.” It is a research-based practice that supports health and wellness through guided, slow, sensory walks in forests and other natural environments to promote the well-being of both people and the land. The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) approach to Forest Therapy is three-fold:
One is Forest Bathing, or Shinrin-Yoku that was developed in Japan.
Another is the emerging field of ecotherapy, the principle that reconnecting to nature can improve physical and mental health .
The third, is the aim to re-ignite a love for Nature in hopes that people will experience Nature as alive and sentient.
Trained Nature and Forest Therapy guides use a clearly defined sequence of invitations, in partnership with the Forest, which allows participants to slow down, open all the senses, and to experience the environment using the awakened senses. This process deepens the reciprocal relationship between participants and the forest, supporting the wholeness and well-being of both.
The invitations are sensory and open-ended, and there is no expectation for how to participate or what is experienced or received. Rather, you spend time in silence, listening and feeling with a quiet and accepting presence. You become reconnected with your senses and your innate creative potential, allowing the imagination to awaken.
