Forest bathing: A natural joy prescription

Woodland hotspots for zest and zen

It’s the final countdown! (Does anyone else immediately hear Europe performing in your mind? Do-do-do, do-do-do-doooo!)

T minus 4 weeks until I move back to the UK, and I’ve soooo many things to tick off my list. It’s an ongoing battle between the admin and my Belgian bucket list.

Last Sunday, I’d planned to do a big clear-out ahead of packing up. But my bucket list won the fight. It was a gorgeous day, so I took a joy break instead – a trip to the forest.

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Hi, I’m Holly - certified coach, Breathworks mindfulness facilitator and author of Zestful Zen. My mission is helping you to lead a more mindful, meaningful life, full of zest and energy, complemented by a calm, zen mind. Join the supportive Zestful Zen community today. 💖✨ ¹

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Mindful meandering

I love a spot of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku (森林浴) as it’s known in Japan, where this mindfulness practice originated.

Spending time in nature soothes my soul. There’s something about being in the woods that helps me to slow down and be more aware of the present moment.

I find the little details utterly absorbing – rugged bark, miniature petals, colourful lichen, spiders weaving webs. There are so many small signs of life to entrance me.

I can happily spend hours exploring the woods, examining trees and flowers, without needing the distraction of a podcast or playlist.

Just me and nature, breathing the same clean air.

I feel calm and refreshed after forest-bathing, sometimes energised and invigorated. Forest-bathing just feels good for my physical and mental health.

Woodland wellbeing

Science backs me up on this. Studies have shown that:

Forest-bathing reduces stress hormones like cortisol; lowers anxiety levels; reduces depression; lowers blood pressure; and boosts our immune systems, among other benefits.²

Seems like a pretty good incentive for taking a woodland stroll!

Hallerbos national forest, Belgium. Photo by author

Blooming bluebells

So off I went on Sunday. Instead of my usual haunt (Bois de la Cambre), I hopped on the train for an outing to Hallerbos, to see the bluebells blooming.

This was my last chance to experience one of Belgium’s famous sights, as I missed the previous two seasons.

The flowers were a little past their peak (another great mindfulness opportunity, reminding me of the impermanence of life).

But still plenty of beauty to admire, with their divine scent wafting through the trees.

The birds were singing around me, a breeze whispered through the branches, and sunshine streamed down between the leaves. All in all, it was delightful.

Bluebells of Hallerbos. Photo by author

Snapshots of joy

As well as bluebells, there were lots of other natural sights and sounds to enjoy while I explored the woods. Here are a few I want to share with you.

Wildflowers. Photo by author.

Sparkling spider web. Photo by author

Dandelion. Photo by author.

Hallerbos woodland. Photo by author.

Never before have I seen soooo many tadpoles concentrated in one spot. I was fascinated watching them squirming over and around each other.

I made numerous little beetle friends during my wandering!

Overall, I’d say this trip was an afternoon well-spent. I might be further behind on my to-do-list now, but that’s far outweighed by the joy I experienced admiring the bluebells, with the bonus of some forest-bathing thrown in for good measure.

If you haven’t tried it before, why not give forest bathing a go this weekend?

Questions for self-reflection or journalling ✍️

• How do you feel when you spend time in nature?

• What’s your favourite local nature spot? Why?

• What simple activities bring you joy?

• When did you last take a joy break? How can you take them more often?

Now take action 🎯

• Find a nearby forest, woodland, or a park with some trees.

• Set aside time for a joy break in the woods. You could start with as little as five minutes of forest bathing, going for longer when you can.

• Slow down and focus on nature. What sounds and sights do you notice?

• Inhale the fresh air and aromas around you. Take your time.

• Pay attention to the little details - the colours, textures, small creatures.

• Notice how you feel after forest bathing and use this as motivation to make it part of your routine. Be kind towards yourself as you build a forest bathing practice.

Share your perspective ✨

I’d love to hear your reflections on nature, forest bathing and joy breaks. Do you practice forest bathing? Where are your favourite woodlands? Let’s have a conversation in the comments or subscriber chat. 💬

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1. Disclosure: To support my solopreneurship dreams, posts may contain affiliate links, where I get a small commission at no cost to you. I only share items I genuinely believe you’ll enjoy.

2. Wen, Y., Yan, Q., Pan, Y. et al. Medical empirical research on forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku): a systematic review. Environ Health Prev Med 24, 70 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12199-019-0822-8

Qiu, Q., Yang, L., He, M., Gao, W., Mar, H., Li, J., & Wang, G. (2022). The Effects of Forest Therapy on the Blood Pressure and Salivary Cortisol Levels of Urban Residents: A Meta-Analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(1), 458. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010458

Li Q. (2022). Effects of forest environment (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing) on health promotion and disease prevention - the Establishment of "Forest Medicine". Environmental health and preventive medicine, 27, 43. https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.22-00160

Li Q. (2010). Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental health and preventive medicine, 15(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-008-0068-3