Forest bathing was a term I first picked up after the birth of my second child. I used to take him for walks in the woods to cleanse the stress and monotony of life indoors with a newborn. I did not know, at the time, that Forest Bathing was actually based on a structured practice originating in Japan. Shinrin-Yoku is a practice that teaches you to look for invitations from nature that help to stimulate your five senses.
I recently experienced my first guided session when I was invited to join a Forest Bathing workshop led by Cath Wright of Highland Quietlife. We met on the banks of the beautiful Loch Garten within the RSPB Abernethy Forest Reserve on a cold but calm winters morning. We began by walking a short distance to a spot on the waters edge where we were invited to close our eyes and follow the incredibly soft and calming voice of Cath, as she led us through some meditative practice. Immediately my senses became aware of the breeze on my skin, the sounds of birds in the distance and the direction of the sun. I particularly liked the grounding activity where I imagined a whole world of roots and insects beneath my feet, sheltering from the coldness of winter above. We were invited to rotate on the spot to face where we felt most comfortable before opening our eyes. Most of us had turned toward the winter sun but some had moved to face inwards towards the forest. One stopped inches in front of a large tree.
We were then invited to stroll among the forest and look for invitations. The first activity was to look for anything that was moving. As it was winter time, I cynically thought I would only see the the breeze moving the trees. To my astonishment I saw small flies moving, I noticed the shadow of the sun skip across the forest floor as it moved past clouds, I was aware of the difference in the movement from the tops of the trees to the heather on the forest floor, and the finest of ripples on a puddle. We were called back to the group with a “Hoot” from Cath that we each repeated to ensure those nearest to us heard. We each shared out experiences.
The second invitation was to look for textures. During this exercise I soon became fascinated with all the moss and lichen on the forest floor and the huge variance in the colour green which was everywhere, even in winter. I felt the need to photograph them and had an urge to create something artistic out of all the colours and textures. Even though I am the least artistic person. One group member removed his shoes and socks to feel the textures on his bare feet. Hardy in zero degrees. Normally we would have gathered to share some of the textures among the group but COVID restrictions meant that nothing could be handled between participants. It was interesting to hear the different viewpoints from the different participants. One was an artist and so looked for these colours and textures in everyday life but for me, it was a new outlook.
The time flew by and soon it was time to gather for some pine needle tea (surprisingly sweet) to mark the end of our one and a half hours and talk some more about our experience with participants.
I am someone who spends a lot of time outdoors but I found this workshop extremely relaxing as it afforded me the time to simply absorb what is around me. I discovered a completely new side to the forest. For me it was an effective form of meditation as at no point did I feel restless or bored or did thoughts from my daily life try and interrupt my forest bathing.
I would highly recommend it.
Ailsa Villegas
For more information check out: https://www.highlandquietlife.co.uk/
NOTE: Workshop took place in December 2020 within national COVID guidelines at the time.