Nature Rx: Forest Bathing Fridays

Description

Join a naturalist for some ecotherapy in a county park. Warning: potential side effects may include improved mood, improved circulation, interest in something new, and spontaneous euphoria. This program will not include heavy-duty exercise, or actual bathing. It is simply being in nature and connecting with it through the senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. The practice of forest bathing is called shinrin-yoku in Japanese. Shinrin means “forest,” and yoku means “bath.” So shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses. Through the practice of shinrin-yoku, we may bridge the gap between us and the natural world.