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How Nature Journaling Amplifies Your Forest Bathing Experience

nature journaling forest bathing

 

If you’ve been around this place for any length of time, you’ll notice nature journaling features quite prominently in our practice and programs.

Nature journaling is the best way to squeeze the most out of your time in nature.

Just like when your teachers encouraged you to take notes in school…

There’s something about “writing it down” that helps your brain process information more fully.

And if you’re a visual person, images help you visualize concepts more clearly in your head.

The same holds true with nature journaling.

When you write down your thoughts or observations, you are able to process information more clearly in your mind.

You’re able to explore thoughts in a more concrete, full way.

A thought that pops up into your mind can float away at any second – and rarely gets processed.

But a thought that’s processed on paper sticks. It expands. It builds traction and substance and builds.

 

And a sketch…

Helps you learn more about an object than you ever could simply glancing at it.

See how this twig bends there, twists a little upward there, and casts a light shadow there?

The sort of attention required to translate form onto paper is the best way to understand the world in all its 3D substance.

 

That’s why we love nature journaling so much around here!

 

Nature journaling enhances your memory

Over half of humans are visual learners. That means, many of us learn better when we can “picture” a process or if we have a visual attached to a concept. Meaningful images help us process and then later remember information.

If you want to remember your experiences in nature, draw them on paper.

And/or write about them.

The more ways you come at an experience – visual, written, auditory, kinesthetic, etc – the more vividly you’ll remember it.

If you want a student to remember a chemistry equation, have them write it out. Then, explain it. Then, have them do an experiment of the concept in action.

In the same way, if you want to have a more expansive experience in nature, you want to explore multiple angles.

That’s why one of the most vital parts of forest bathing is taking in your surroundings with all five senses. You really have to stop and process all the input from different angles to get the full experience.

You can almost picture (see what I did there?) the neurons in your brain firing up and making new connections.

 

>>>[Don’t want to bring your journal? Use the imprinting method instead]<<<

 

nature journaling quote

A nature journal gives you a collection of memories to look back on

I don’t know about you, but I love looking through old journals.

Mine. Someone else’s. Anyone’s.

There’s that feeling that you get.

It’s like a peek into someone’s brain.

Someone’s style of speaking or drawing. The style of their handwriting tells a story.

And of course, the stories themselves transport you.

I love nature journaling for this reason. It’s a way to collect beautiful memories and look back on them again someday.

It’s a way to piece together your story in nature. And preserve it.

Without a nature journal, you have to rely on your memory, which can get fuzzy and leave details out.

Without a nature journal, you won’t remember all the memories, just a select few.

But with a nature journal, you can collect all your memories. Remember them all. Keep them all safe.

 

Nature sketchbook

 

Journaling helps you pick up on subtleties you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise

In the intro, I explained how sketching details, like on a twig, helps you understand nature in 3D.

Written accounts can have a similar effect.

Let’s say you choose to play around with haiku while in the forest.

Writing haiku is a practice in noticing minutia.

You might explain how a droplet of light falls on a piece of fungus.

Or a single strand of grass that stands taller than the others.

In order to try to pen a haiku, you have to pay attention.

Close attention.

The closest attention you’ve probably paid to anything. 

And you know what happens?

You really notice things!

Things you would never have noticed if you didn’t stop to wonder.

Journaling in any way – whether it’s a sketch, a haiku, or a weather record – gives you a keen eye for the details.

And helps you understand the forest in intimate detail.

 

nature journal quote

 

Nature journaling helps you understand the forest better

If you love the forest, you likely want to know more about it.

And one of the best directions I could point you would be to a field guide and journal.

If you want to know about the forest, go there often. Observe it, study it, draw it, and write about it.

The more you go and the closer you pay attention, the more you’ll learn.

Perhaps you might notice that the birds sing differently when it’s about to rain.

You might start to notice which insects are drawn to which type of tree.

You might discover the daily habits of the trees. 

Along the way, the forest becomes like a soulmate friend.

A place you understand and a place that understands you.

 

Are you itching to start nature journaling now?

Good, because I wish these beloved gifts for everyone!

 

 

Start nature journaling today!

forest bathing journal Campy journal Pine tree journal

If you’re looking for a good nature journal to get started, I’ve designed my own collection for just this purpose.

Right now, we have 3 journals available through Amazon.

The inside alternates between lined and unlined pages, so you can write on one side and sketch on the other.

They’re thin and smaller too (125 pages), so you don’t have to commit to an intimidating masterpiece.

Find them here.

 

Otherwise, grab a sketchbook or journal you already have, and meet me in the forest…

 

How about you?

Have you noticed how nature journaling enhances your experience in nature?

Quick Woodburning Gift for the Nature Lover

woodburning gift carve initials

 

Valentine’s Day is on Sunday. Are you ready?

If you don’t have a gift for your special someone yet, I’ve got a pretty sweet idea for you.

Quick.

Sentimental.

Special.

With minimal supplies.

 

How about “carving” your initials in a tree?

Well, we’re going to use a wood slab instead of a tree, but the idea is to burn your initials into the wood as a sign of your everlasting connection.

 

 

“Carve Your Initials in a Tree” Woodburning Gift

Supplies:

  • One slab of wood (about 3-4″ diameter)
  • A woodburning tool
  • A frame hanger
  • Hammer

My local Walmart carries all of these supplies. Otherwise, craft and hardware stores should have the rest. I’ve seen the woodburning tools at Dollar General for like $8, so they’re easy to come by.

 

Directions:

  1. Attach a basic pointed tip to your woodburning tool. Turn the tool on the appropriate setting. I set mine to max heat. (Just be careful and follow safety precautions .)
  2. When the tool gets to temperature, burn you and your significant other’s initials into the wood slab. Feel free to get as decorative as you’d like with your handwriting.
  3. When complete, turn the wood slab around and center the frame hanger on the upper back.
  4. Next, hammer the nails into the wood, through the nail holes on the hanger, to secure it in place.
  5. Voila! A quick, sweet little gift for your love interest.

 

More woodburning gift ideas

Initials aren’t the only thing you can burn into the wood. This woodburning gift doesn’t have to be for Valentine’s Day either. Use it for a:

  • Marriage proposal
  • Baby announcement
  • Birthday
  • Anniversary
  • Etc

You could also use your pet names for each other, your wedding date, meaningful symbols, your favorite sayings, or something else of your own design.

 

I just think the idea of initials carved in a tree has such a darling endearing quality to it.

Plus, I love me anything pretty from nature.

Better than a card or flowers, imo;)

 

This is the type of thoughtful gift that galvanizes your bond, that they’ll cherish forever.

But you don’t have to spend much or make any crazy arrangements. Just a few minutes and a piece of your heart.

 

[Enjoyed this project? Find more nature-related DIY projects here]

 

So, tell me…

If you make one of these, I’d love to hear about it! Or tag @forestbathingcentral in a picture on Instagram. It would warm my heart!

Forest Bathing for Anxiety

Forest bathing for anxiety

*Portions of Forest Bathing for Anxiety were originally published on ForestTherapyToday.com, which no longer exists.

 

 

I don’t know about you, but I can feel the collective anxiety right now.

As an empath and already anxious person, it seems to viscerally seep in through my pores.

I tend to internalize it.

So, I’ve had to learn how to manage the nervousness in natural ways.

Forest bathing is one of my favorite ways to combat stress. And it’s so effective!

 

Studies have established the therapeutic benefits of nature for mental health, which I’ll share with you below.

 

Forest bathing is the perfect marriage of nature therapy and mindfulness for anxiety.

 

So, let’s look at how forest bathing can help you if you have anxiety, based on science and personal experience.

 

The Science of Forest Bathing for Anxiety

If you’re familiar with forest bathing, you know the practice of forest bathing involves awareness of the forest using all the senses.

So, at least two major known therapeutic elements come into play when you forest bathe: mindfulness and nature exposure.

 

Mindfulness

First, the element of mindfulness is built into forest bathing. Mindfulness is about tuning into only the present moment as you take the environment in with each sense.

By paying close attention to what’s going on around you, you stop the vicious cycle of negative and ruminative thought patterns that perpetuate anxiety. There’s not much room left over for brooding when you’re concentrating on the details surrounding you. 

Key findings from research: A review of 39 studies and 1,140 participants found that “mindfulness-based therapy is a promising intervention for treating anxiety and mood problems.” 

Therapists often incorporate mindfulness practice into their treatment protocol for anxiety. Since forest bathing involves the benefits of mindfulness, it also provides relief from stress and worry.  

 

Nature exposure

Second, exposure to nature, greenery, and forests, enhances mood and lowers markers of stress. It relaxes the vicious rumination cycle, has a pronounced relaxing effect, and increases a bunch of positive emotions.

Key findings from the research: Participants who went forest bathing in 24 forests across Japan enjoyed lowered cortisol levels, lowered blood pressure, slower heart rates, and lower sympathetic nervous system activity–all physiological signs of anxiety!

Just the sight of the color green, the smell of tree essential oils, or the sounds of nature can calm the nervous system. You put all these effects together, and you have a great source of stress relief.

I mean, the entire field of ecotherapy is built around the therapeutic benefits of being in nature. Forest bathing is a form of ecotherapy that provides emotional and mental health benefits.

 

Forest bathing is the perfect therapeutic mixture of nature exposure and mindfulness.

 

[Related reading: Check out this page for all the studies about the benefits of forest bathing.]

 

 

Personal experience

I’ve had my own lifelong relationship with anxiety. I’d describe it as a long-lost cousin that’s related to me and co-exists in the world with me, but doesn’t interact with me very often and I forget he’s there most of the time. 

Part of the reason it’s not prevalent most of the time is because I take daily actions to keep it suppressed and manageable. One of those things? Ah, you guessed it. Forest bathing.

Now, first off, let me just say, forest bathing isn’t a “cure” for anxiety. Anxiety requires daily ongoing maintenance and forest bathing is one tool that can be incorporated into the repertoire. (Along with pharmaceuticals, CBD, meditation, relaxation, and more).

I’m no doctor or therapist. I’m just a girl who has a distant cousin named Anxiety that knocks at the front door unexpectedly from time to time.

I can spout out all the different studies and measurable effects of forest bathing like above, but it doesn’t fully explain the feelings shinrin-yoku invokes, does it?

Think about how you feel after spending time outdoors.

We might not know how all the science works at a fundamental level, but you can feel it, right?

It relaxes, yes, but not just the muscles. It relaxes the mind, body, and thought patterns. It captures attention and releases you in a way that TV, reading, and other engrossing indoor activities can’t.

I can tell you that forest bathing makes me “feel” different. I can be tied in knots at home or work. But, the moment I step into the woods, some other mechanism takes over and smothers the anxiety.

I see the same in my kids. Even when they were tiny newborns, they could be crying all day, and the moment we stepped outside with them, they were fine. Instantly.

That response to nature is likely buried in our DNA from our ancestors.

I can tell you that a routine forest bathing practice is far more powerful than simply meditation or mindfulness alone. The addition of nature exposure takes the benefits of meditation and mindfulness up a notch, or six.

I usually return home from a forest bathing experience changed. As in, my disposition changes, my feelings about my troubles changes, my sense of livelihood changes. 

As though an entirely new sense of tranquility and okay-ness has washed over me.

Do you feel that too?

I don’t always have the right words for it.

 

And that’s probably the best place to leave you. With your own thoughts. With your own considerations, where the words end…

 

I hope this article has given you a new appreciation for forest bathing as an anti-anxiety tool. If you have anxiety, you too know that anxiety management is an ongoing process and requires you to be kind to yourself daily.

 

How about you?

Do you use forest bathing for anxiety? How has it helped?

Phytoncides: The Science Behind Forest Bathing Benefits

phytoncide forest bathing

 

If you’ve been in the forest bathing community for long, you’ve probably heard the term phytoncides.

Many forest bathers boast the phytoncide exposure as one the main benefits of forest bathing. And for good reason.

Essentially, phytoncides are tree essential oils that have many medicinal properties.

They’re the chemicals that encourage natural killer (NK) cell activity in the human body. NK cells are cancer-fighting proteins that literally seek and destroy tumor and virus-ridden cells. (More, please!)

These substances do so much more too!

Phytoncides are one of the greatest treasures of the forest.

 

If you’re here, you’re interested in learning more about phytoncides. So, let’s take a closer look.

 

What are phytoncides?

Phytoncides are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or “essential oils” given off by trees. These chemicals have natural antimicrobial and insecticidal qualities that protect the tree from germs and parasites.

So, a tree emits these active substances to create a field of protection around itself against harmful bugs, bacteria, and disease. Other green plants, like vegetables, do this too.

There are thousands of phytoncides, but the most common forest-related compounds are listed here.

 

Types of phytoncides

  • α-pinene
  • d-limonene
  • β-pinene
  • sabinene
  • myrcene
  • camphene

 

phytoncides forest bathing

[Check out our newest phytoncide tear sheet]

 

Phytoncides not only protect trees from attack, but they benefit forest visitors too.

 

Benefits of Phytoncides

When humans breathe phytoncides in, they can produce many fabulous benefits inside the body. Some of the responses discovered by science include:

  • Immune response: a 2-hour walk in the forest increases NK cell activity that can last for days
  • Anti-inflammatory: common forest terpenes temper inflammation and reduce oxidative stress
  • Nervous system: forest air creates a relaxation response and lowers nervous system activity
  • Mood enhancing: exposure to forest air reduces cortisol levels and β-pinene has antidepressive properties
  • Sleep: phytoncides like α-pinene enhance sleep
  • Blood glucose: exposure to VOCs can reduce blood glucose levels

The authors of an in-depth research review* sum up the benefits this way:

Visiting forests on a relatively regular basis can be a good health-promoting practice, since, by reducing stress levels and boosting immune function, it seems capable of diminishing the incidence of stress-related and lifestyle-induced illnesses, varying from cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic diseases to neuropsychiatric conditions and, possibly, even cancer.

 

Makes ya wanna jump up and go forest bathing right this minute, doesn’t it?

 

[Read more studies about the benefits of forest bathing here]

 

Phytoncides and forest bathing

Forest bathing is the best way to get your weekly dose of phytoncides.

These substances are part of the reason why forest bathing is so therapeutic. Evidence (and intuition) shows the chemicals support physical and psychological wellbeing.

Of course, the benefits don’t stop at phytoncides. Other factors like the visual stimulation, sunlight, grounding elements, microbiome, and more add to the forests’ therapeutic value.

But it’s so cool when you can see these measurable, tangible components of the forest broken down in studies. They confirm what your heart has always told you.

The authors put it this way:

The type of activities performed outside, possibly ranging from static relaxation to intense physical exercises, along with the subjective perception of safety and connectedness to nature while visiting the natural environment, can influence the magnitude of beneficial effects exerted by the exposure to green areas.

Yassssss!

Getting outside and breathing in the fresh phytoncide-filled air is an exceptional practice to promote your health.

But, if you can’t make it to the forest, you can use essential oils or your Christmas tree to get some of the lovely benefits.

Aren’t phytoncides fascinating?

 

The more you know…

 

Hey, I love hearing from you…

Drop a comment and let me know:

Does the science demystify the magic of forest bathing for you? Or make it stronger?

 

 

*Antonelli, Michele; Donelli, Davide; Barbieri, Grazia; Valussi, Maro; Maggini, Valentina; Fabio Firenzuoli, Fabio. Forest Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Effects on Human Health: A State-of-the-Art Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; 2020, 17, 6506.

Sound Bathing + Forest Bathing

sound forest bathing

*This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through the link, I make a small commission to keep this platform running. The cost to you doesn’t change, and I appreciate the support.

 

Sound bathing is the perfect complement to forest bathing.

Both practices are therapeutic in nature and work synergistically to change the entire energy state of your body.

The same way greenscapes can change your mood, certain musical notes can change your brainwaves. Think about this: You walk out of the forest and the concert hall feeling different than when you went in.

The same mechanisms are at work here.

There’s a lot of science behind both sound bathing and forest bathing that comingle.

We’ll talk about those next.

(And some things just make more sense outside the science lab.)

Sound and forest bathing just fit nicely together. They create a pleasant, nourishing experience.

 

Benefits of forest bathing

We have an entire page dedicated to the (known and measured) benefits of forest bathing. From mood to productivity, shinrin-yoku can give you major physical and psychological boosts.

Some of the major benefits include:

If you’re a nature lover, you just sort of intuitively know the intrinsic value of being in nature. You don’t need studies to tell you. But science is starting to unravel a deeper picture here.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what else research uncovers about the forest!

 

Benefits of sound therapy

In the same way, certain sounds seems to have a beneficial effect on the body. Data is starting to build around the effects of sound therapy as well.

Binaural beats are kind of a buzzword right now. Certain tones can change your brainwaves and help you get into the right headspace for certain tasks. Some help you concentrate, some energize your body, and some help you fall asleep.

Cool research findings are also showing that sound therapy can help with:

Some of the benefits are similar to the benefits of forest bathing. And actually, nature sounds are therapeutic in and of themselves too. The sounds of critters and wind through the trees have a more relaxing quality than meditation apps.

Forest and sound bathing have a rich medicinal synchronicity.

Both practices soothe our souls.

And I don’t know about you, but I want more of that^^^^

steel tongue drum music therapy

[For further reading, this article has a cool explanation about the Solfeggio Frequencies and this article goes deeper into music as medicine.]

 

So, let’s talk more about how to bring both practices together.

 

How to incorporate sound therapy with forest bathing

As you’ve read, the sounds of nature have an inherent therapeutic effect. So simply sitting among and becoming aware of the sounds of nature while you’re forest bathing gives you those benefits automatically.

But, you can also take a sound bath along with your forest bath.

You can take singing bowls, a flute, drums, or a finger piano along with you to the forest.

I recently grabbed a mini steel tongue drum from Amazon that came with a carrying case. It’s the perfect size to take into the forest for a little mesmerizing riff.

 


Here’s a short video about that.

 

You can incorporate music into your opening or closing ceremony or into your forest bathing practice itself.

Some other ideas for incorporating music include:

  • Striking a note during your threshold exercise to signify entering the forest
  • Playing a tune during your sensory work, adding an auditory layer to your sense of hearing
  • Signaling your companions to come back together after group sessions
  • Integrating music into your closing ceremony

However you use it, use music in a way that brings more joy to your life.

 

I love bringing integrating the artistries of haiku, poetry, cacao, music, journaling, and dance with forest bathing. These beautiful practices enrich one another and enliven your spirit, which is what it’s all about!

 

I want to know…

What is your experience with sound therapy? When have you felt the impact of music completely change your state of mind?