Forest therapy

Lee Tulloch explores why forest bathing is trending among nature lovers.

- By Lee Tulloch

It was once considered an insult to be called a “tree hugger”, a derogatory term for an environmental campaigner who attaches themselves to trees to stop them from being felled. These days, though, as more people recognise the importance of forests in keeping the planet healthy, it’s not unusual to come across groups of people hugging and stroking trees in forests, national parks and botanical gardens across the globe.

It’s not some kind of zombie apocalypse, but a new craze for forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature for relaxation and health benefits. The concept is ancient – many Indigenous cultures have a connection to nature – but forest bathing is a modern idea. The name shinrin-yoku was only formalised in 1982, when Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries coined the term for “absorbing the forest atmosphere”.

There is no water involved, contrary to expectations, unless you choose a rainy day for your walk. The idea is that participants “bathe” in the sights and textures of the forest – the leaves, bark, mosses and plants – and in its sounds, from bird calls to the faint buzzing of insects.