A New Wellness Trend - Forest Bathing
When was the last time you got lost in nature without your mobile phone with you and your thoughts in your head? You've never done it, have you?
Throughout his existence and evolution, humans have spent 99% of their time in nature, in a natural environment. However, the results of today's research are thought-provoking and unfortunately sad. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend 93% of their lives indoors. Moreover, it is predicted that 66% of the world's population will live in cities in 2050.
The situation is no different in our country. Education, business etc. The number of people migrating to big cities for various reasons, getting lost in the pace of city life, working long hours, not having time for themselves, spending time at home or in shopping malls, and consuming in some way, is increasing day by day.
However, it is in our nature to be in nature! The Japanese even have a concept for this; "Shinrin-yoku". So, what is this? Let's examine it together.
Shinrin-yoku:Forest Bathing
In Japanese, shinrin means forest and yoku means bathing, showering and sunbathing. Forest bathing means forest therapy :) This concept emerged with a plan put forward by the Japanese Ministry of Forestry in 1982. The main goal is to increase the time the urban population spends in nature and the forest and to make it better. Today, many services under the name of "forest therapy" are still provided in many forests in Japan.
This concept, which we discovered late, is actually the simplest and most inexpensive wellness method of recent years.
So how to do forest bathing?
It is important to decide where to go for your first experience. However, you can do it anywhere after strengthening your ties with nature over time. On your balcony, in your garden, in a park near you, whenever and wherever you want. The important thing is to be as far away as possible from electronic devices that will distract you, such as phones and computers. You don't need anything, everything is available in nature. Maybe you can start with a light walk, our goal is not to engage in physical activities that will tire ourselves, but to embrace nature. Close your eyes and breathe in the fresh air, feel the wind, watch the trees moving with the wind, listen to the sound and feel of the leaves on the ground, listen to the sounds of the birds, smell the flowers if there are any. In short, feel whatever is happening in nature.
Forest bathing has no specific rules or duration. You can determine the most suitable method and the time you need to connect with nature. Maybe sitting among the trees, maybe reading a book, maybe painting - whether you have talent or not - is entirely up to you.
With this spiritual experience, you will activate all your senses, manage to turn within yourself, perform a mental meditation, and perhaps discover talents that you were not even aware of until now.
