Into the woods: What to expect from ‘forest bathing’
Forest bathing. Ever tried it? The activity previously known as “going for a walk in the woods” has been given the “wellness” treatment so that now you can pay upwards of £50 an hour for the privilege of doing something my teenage self viewed as the most boring way to spend a Sunday. Actually, that’s not true. Even as a sulky 14-year-old, I knew how lucky I was to live within walking distance of the countryside.
But how does forest bathing differ from just heading out to look at the trees? Well, disappointingly, it doesn’t involve any nudity. Or animal costumes. That’s furring, which is the bane of many a fancy dress company in the shires. The rather less controversial practice of forest bathing originated in the 1980s in Japan, where it is called shinrin-yoku and can be as simple as a contemplative walk in nature.
Continue reading at: