A forest bath to cleanse the mind

What associations do you make with the word ‘mindless’?  Chances are, your associations are fairly negative. My brainstorm included; mind numbing, boring, and a chance to tune out.

How about the word ‘mindful’? For me, it was quite the opposite. My associations were conscientious and meditative.

Why is it that we value a full mind so much? 

I just went to an interesting event that completely turned those words around.  Michael Stein-Ross, the owner of Cascade Forest Therapy, is trained in Shinrin Yoku, the Japanese practice of forest bathing.  I attended one of his walks at the Arboretum here, in Seattle.  

“I want you to have a mindless experience” he told us.  “Or, more accurately, an embodied experience!” What he meant was that we would rely on our senses (touch, smell, taste and vision) and not our brain, to experience the outdoor world.

It’s been researched and documented that time outdoors has great physiological benefits. Natureplunge highlights some of those benefits and so does Michael’s website. 

As an example, Michael brought up how trees excrete aromatic oils called phytonicides. Studies suggest that these compounds increase the activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells and reduce cortisol levels.

We bring so much of our mind to every day life, constantly multitasking, juggling reflections on the past with plans for the future. It truly is a mindful.  During our forest bathing session, Michael asked the group to slow down. One of the questions he asked (he called them “invitations”) was for the group to think about “what is in motion around us in the woods?” I found that that the most rapidly moving aspect was my own mind and the speed of my thoughts. 

Of course, we can bring the pace of our daily life with us when we go into nature. But, spending prolonged time outdoors helps to re-pace one’s thoughts with the rhythms of the outdoor world. Everyone who attended Michael’s one and a half hour forest bath reported feeling incredibly relaxed at the end. 

“Imagine you are at a party. Some guests you know and others are new to you. Wander out and find a way to introduce yourself to the forest. Go with the awareness that the forest might have a way of knowing you are here” Michael Stein-Ross, Cascadia Forest Therapy.

A guided meditation from Michael is on its way!