Forest bathing: slow time among trees

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, means spending slow, unhurried time among trees and paying attention with all five senses. You leave your devices behind, walk more slowly than usual and let the place set the pace. There is no destination and nothing to achieve.

Why people do it

Most people come to forest bathing because they want to feel calmer and less wound up. Others want a break from screens, or simply miss time outdoors. The practice gives you permission to slow down and notice things you usually walk past, like the sound of wind in leaves or the smell of damp earth.

According to accounts of the practice’s history, the term shinrin-yoku was coined in Japan in 1982 by Tomohide Akiyama of the country’s forestry ministry. The idea has since traveled. South Korea had 32 therapeutic forests by 2020, places set aside for this kind of slow visit.

Forest bathing engages several parts of you at once. Your body walks, breathes and moves through uneven ground. Your mind gets a rest from its usual load of tasks and worry, which is where most of the interest in stress and mood comes from. And for many people it touches the soul too, through a quiet sense of connection with the living world around them.

What the evidence says

The research on forest bathing benefits is real but not settled. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis in International Journal of Mental Health Nursing pooled 36 studies with 3,554 participants and found that forest bathing significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, though its effects on blood pressure and heart rate were less clear. A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis in International Journal of Biometeorology found lower levels of salivary cortisol, a stress marker, in forest groups than in urban groups. Its authors judged the effect short-term, noted possible placebo effects and called the data limited. They also noted that the forest groups had lower cortisol before the walks even began. A 2019 systematic review in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine looked at 28 studies and concluded that forest bathing “may” improve health, while calling for better research methods. Critics add that the mechanisms are poorly understood, and that some of the benefit may come from walking and relaxing rather than from the trees themselves.

Variations

• City park or tree-lined street. If there is no forest nearby, a park or a quiet street with mature trees works well. It suits anyone short on time or without a car, and the nature walk practice covers this kind of outing in more detail.
• Sit spot. Instead of walking, choose one place and sit still for the whole visit. This suits people with limited mobility, and anyone who finds that staying put helps them notice more.
• Guided forest-therapy walk. A guide leads a small group at a slow pace and offers simple invitations to notice your senses. This can help if you are new and unsure how to slow down on your own.
• Barefoot moment. Take your shoes off for a few minutes on soft, safe ground such as grass or moss. It adds touch to the experience and fits easily into a shorter visit.

Common mistakes

• Turning it into a hike. A pace, a distance target or a summit to reach works against the point. Leave the fitness tracker at home and let yourself wander slowly instead.
• Taking photos the whole time. Looking through a screen pulls you out of the moment. Keep the phone silent and in your pocket, and if you want a record, take one picture at the end.
• Thinking it needs wilderness. You do not need a remote trail or a weekend away. A local wood or park that you can visit often is more useful than a rare long trip.
• Expecting one walk to change everything. The effects researchers have measured appear to be short-term. Treat forest bathing as something you return to regularly, much like walking meditation.

If a health condition makes walking on uneven ground or spending long stretches outdoors difficult, check with a clinician before you plan longer visits.