Introducing Forest Bathing

Programme participants on a trail

Many people are hearing about the concept of ‘Shinrin Yoku’ a Japanese term often translated as ‘Forest Bathing’. Shinrin - Yoku has been seen as a formal activity in Japan since 1982 when it was launched by the Forest Service as a means to encourage the use of forests for health and relaxation. While this term is being used in the national press (see Telegraph link below), there are many other similar examples such as the concept ‘waldeinsamkeit’, the idea of being alone in the woods and at one with nature (Carlile, 2015) and the Kurparks of Germany (De Wit, 2014) which have been in use since the 1850s to encourage walking and sitting in specially created, often municipal forests, some linked to natural springs and spas.

My own work using forests, woodlands and community parks, incorporates mindfulness, sense awareness and a range of other activities such as walking and chi kung. In fact my work in this area is referred to in a report for the UK Forestry Commission (Ambrose - Oji, 2013). Many have benefitted from this approach, one person described going into the forest as having a 'shower of green' that washed away the stress of the day!

Visiting a Forest, a nearby woodland, or simply watching tress in a local park can be a simple way of escaping from the frantic world around us, letting go of the technology which seems to cry out for our non-stop attention and finding a place to stop, to appreciate what is 'real' not 'fake'.

Ambrose-Oji, B. (2013) Mindfulness Practice in Woods and Forests: An Evidence Review., Research Report for The Mersey Forest, Farnham, Forest Research.

Carlile, A. (2015) Nature 365. Richmond, Aus. Hardie Grant Publishing

De Wit, S. I. (2014). Suburbs and super-nature: How the Wasserkrater exposes an invisible landscape.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/japan/articles/forest-therapy-japan-bathing-woods-wellness-relax/

Connections

Connecting flowers, butterflies, pollination, food chains

Connection

There are times when connections may be hard to see, to understand, to value and there are definitely times when many of us may feel disconnected from the world. Our actions can seem like they are of no major consequence, and we may feel like we exist in our own vacuum. Yet, the truth is that our simplest thought or action - the decisions we make each day, and how we see and relate to the world - can be incredibly significant and have a profound impact on the lives of those around us, as well as the world at large. The earth and everything on it is bound by an invisible connection between people, animals, plants, the air, the water, and the soil. Insignificant actions on your part, whether positive or negative, can have an impact on people and the environment that seem entirely separate from your personal realm of existence. Staying conscious of the interconnection between all things can help you think of your choices and your life in terms of the broader effect you may be creating. 

Staying conscious of your connection to all things can help you think of your choices in terms of their impact. We are powerful enough that what we do and say can reverberate through the lives of people we may never meet. Understanding that you are intimately connected with all things and understanding your power to affect our world can be the first step on the road to living more consciously. Maybe think about connections when you are deciding where to invest your energy in the future.

Perspectives

Perspective can be about choice, which viewpoint to adopt

Much of our work is done outside, in forests, on mountains and on the sea shore. One of the things participants learn quickly is the power of recognising that we can choose a viewpoint. We can also choose to look back, look forwards or simply look around us. The key is to look AND to notice, to actually be alert to what we see and to how we respond to it. On the walk pictured we saw a Peregrine falcon take a wood pigeon in flight, feathers everywhere, result - a dead pigeon, or a meal for a partner back on the nest with chicks waiting to fledge? A piece of drama played out in front of our eyes or an example of how suddenly life can change? Perhaps all of these, and in our work we always use reflection and discussion to draw out individual perspectives, examining how what we learn can be applied in our daily lives.

For example a driver overtakes very fast, pulling sharply in front of you to avoid another car. Do you allow rage to develop, shocked at their behaviour or be thankful that you were able to avoid a collision? Do you think they were a bad driver or that they were rushing to the hospital where their partner was giving birth? It is all about perspectives.

Healing Myself - Forest Therapy

We've all heard the phrase 'physician heal thyself' and for me that has been necessary in the last few months. After contracting pneumonia I didn't rest well enough to fully recover and consequently suffered from the viral infection Shingles and at the same time a bacterial infection in my eyes. Typically (and I'm sure this effects most of us) I still didn't rest fully, instead getting bored and frustrated, all adding to low mood, more symptoms and slower recovery.

Then someone asked what as a health professional I would advice my clients to do and that prompted a more relaxed, fulfilling and more mindful journey back to wellbeing. Using the Mindfulness in Nature and Shinrin Yoku (forest therapy) principles I teach to others, I planned to recover rather than rest. This plan did include long and sustained periods of rest and relaxation but now as a scheduled part of the process rather than the 'Bust' part of the Boom and Bust cycle many with an illness are familiar with, one minute getting on with life fully then the next being shattered from doing too much, too soon.

My activities included daily meditation (for slightly shorter sessions to be less of a 'must do this' activity) initially in the morning and then as a means of preparing to go to bed too. Daily walks, but as mindfulness practice rather than exercise (of course they can be both and as I recovered I could choose to be faster and still notice surroundings, thoughts and body though I find the slower 'Forest Therapy walk more fulfilling).

When with clients we often spend periods in silence and also in joint reflection, so some of my walks included a partner so we could share what we noticed and both have the benefit of time together and in silence. Being in a forest has great therapeutic benefit, there can be stillness and movement, new sights and sounds and I often find being under the green canopy of leaves with dappled sunlight breaking through is almost like a shower washing away depression, fatigue and other symptoms.

Right to Roam

We spend a lot of time in Scotland, working, having fun, simply being in the outdoors. This film illustrates why.

Nature Rx Part 3: Timeless Prescription (PG-13)

Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, or simply naturally real?

Over the weekend I've seen people wandering around holding up their iPads filming the view rather than actually looking at it themselves. This means they only capture what is in front of the lens rather than the whole view. Even if they then watch the film many times, they are still missing something. I also watched as a group of young people sat at a viewpoint looking at their mobiles, one playing a soccer game, one playing a tetris type game, one messaging and another playing Pokemon, all missing what could be seen, the reason for the viewpoint and the effort made to reach it! once they were shown they became enthralled in the real world around them rather than the virtual one created by others.

Golden banded dragonfly

looking across the valley

one of the local red squirrels

Osprey on the nest (in the valley above)

All these were seen in just a small period of time, but you need to open your eyes and look, take in your surroundings. Don't get your nature fix from a screen, it is much more beneficial to experience nature and our place in it than the easy option of virtual space.

Ray Mears and The Path of Grey Owl

In this short film some of the ideas we teach on our courses are highlighted. The beauty of the countryside, our connection to it and our responsibility to protect that which we are part of. A path that is mindful, a path that is healthy for us and the planet.

Nature Is Speaking: Reese Witherspoon is Home | Conservation Internation...

We all know that recognising our connections to the world around us, connecting with the nature we are part of, is good for our sense of wellbeing. But that connection needs to be maintained, strengthened and protected. For all of us.

Nature Rx Part 2: Discover your dose of nature.

Nature is at the heart of everything we do, including fun!

Nature Rx Part 1

A fun way of describing the impact of our work

How deep does your practice go?

Sign on a tree in Grizedale Forest

Being mindful isn't simply about recognising that we are not our thoughts, that these simply come and go, some having more effect than others. It certainly isn't a simple meditation on the breath, learning to be in the present moment, nor is it about learning to respond rather than react, though of course it is all these things and more.

Effectively 'being' mindful rather than 'doing' a mindfulness practice means also recognising the consequences our actions (or inaction) will have, understanding our connectedness to everything (including each other) around us. 

So while mindfulness may help us be less stressed, more in touch with how our minds work, it may also mean we feel guilty when we recognise and understand that we have the ability to change, to influence and to empower ourselves and others but fail to do so.

Practicing mindfulness in and of our natural environments, the very environments we are part of means we will see the need to protect and preserve them. We may feel emotionally vulnerable when we see them being abused and damaged. So practicing mindfulness, being mindful of ourselves and all around us may mean we feel compelled to take more personal responsibility and this is simple to do. We can look at our own effect, practicing leave no trace or minimal impact. We can volunteer to help others learn about the value of our world or to help protect it, volunteering to clean beaches, build fences, count wildlife, whatever is needed to help. We can also contribute time and money to groups trying to do these things overcoming what one commentator described as "smugly sitting on a cushion while the world goes to hell".

Meditation with a great view

So go out, enjoy the world we are part of and think what you can do, no matter how insignificant it may feel, to help preserve the world we are part of, to protect it so that future generations can enjoy it too.

Being Human

Last night I saw the play Everyman, an adaptation by Carol Ann Duffy of the 15th play The Somonyng of Everyman (The Summoning of Everyman). This up to date version, a National Theatre production starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as everyman, who faces the consequences when death comes calling.

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Everyman at the National Theatre

The fact that this play is hundreds of years old, yet is totally relevant to the consumerist, indulgent world of today shows how despite the fantastic progress of technology, health and education, we have made little progress as a truly caring society.

There was a key question that I find particularly thought provoking - 'what does it mean to be a human being'?

There is a new initiative - 'the sustainable human' sustainablehuman.me that I think sets the scene for our thoughts as we attempt to answer this question. Something that needs more thought (and then action!)

Just watch

Just Stop

Simply sitting, noticing the view and our senses

Over a hundred years ago, J.A. Thompson, Regus Professor of Zoology at the University of Aberdeen told the doctors assembled for the British Medical Association (BMA) annual conference that 

"Nature ministers to our minds, all more or less diseased by the rush and racket of civilisation, and helps to steady and enrich our lives".

He went on to point out that this was achieved through mindful contact with all around us, animate and inanimate.

Today, we can argue that there is even more 'rush and racket' and that more and more people are affected by by it, by trying to work the hours, use the technology, keep ahead. What happened to the idea that technology helped make our lives easier? How often have you been frustrated, stressed or hassled by the inability to achieve what seem like simple tasks using the technology available to you?

The good news is that mindful contact with nature doesn't need anything except your desire to make such contact. No technology, no outside assistance, simply a determination to stop, to breathe and to notice what is around you by engaging with all your senses. Notice how warm the sun feels, while at the same time you can feel the cool breeze on your face. Notice the multitude of sounds, birds calling, trees creaking even the sound of a motorbike racing down the road. The key is to notice the sound, welcome it as part of your symphony of the moment. There is no need to tell a story, to wonder what the sound is or where it came from, where it is going. Simply notice it and move on, find another sound. 

Notice the colours you can see, the shapes, feel the textures. Whatever you are doing you can stop and notice. You can focus on your breathing, again no stories, no wondering why it is how it is, simply watch the breath come and go. Allow yourself just a few minutes, not to stop but to generate the ability to continue, to rejuvenate the mind, simply to be.

Changing times

The moon, a reminder of the natural process of change and
renewal and showing that even a dark time can bring light

It's been a while since the last posting, for a number of reasons. To start with settling into a new pattern of academic writing, data analysis and teaching following the completion of research into the benefits of a nature focus on the integration of mindfulness in daily life. The results of which will be available on this site before Easter. 

Also finding a new 'hideaway' in Scotland which provides superb access to the forests, hills and coastline and all the flora and fauna that experience opens to us. It's been great to start exploring from a new base.

Yet at the same time the last few months have contained a very different exploration experience, accompanying a friend through his diagnosis of cancer in July, treatment, slow and debilitating increase in pain and finally (December) sudden and rapid deterioration including admission to the local hospice for the last few days (January). Leading the memorial service was a particular challenge, wanting it to reflect his Buddhist values and personal wishes and at the same time being open to all friends, family and colleagues.

One of the traditional offerings made by Buddhists is that of a flower. This is a natural reminder that things grow, evolve, change, and fade away. This process is apparent wherever we look in nature, the phases of the moon, the tides and seasons, the changes in colour from spring to autumn, and the period of winter when we all pause, some species hibernating, others making sure they are warm and have enough food, preparing for the next change.

Watching my friend was a reminder of this natural process. In fact after his own diagnosis he moved on to include more awareness and activity in and around nature as he prepared himself for the inevitable. He spent time walking locally, photographing the bird life on the local canal and seashore and sharing this increased awareness with others through writing and his Facebook page. He made changes at home to prepare for stages that would be difficult not only in terms of his ability to cope but to prepare things for his son taking over. Together we reflected on his achievements, on his experiences and talked about a growing sense of completion, that his life was what it was, nothing left to do or to prove, acceptance of what was to come. He became truly 'in the moment', savouring each experience without judgement, it was simply what it was.

Nature is invaluable to a mindfulness practice. To fully appreciate our place in the world, in nature, we must be aware, and simply getting outdoors or watching something growing at home helps us develop awareness. Watching as we walk, understanding our connection to everything around us and the impact we have on ourselves and others. Learn about what is around us, explore it, your life will be richer as a result.

Working with Children

Working with children is great, they are receptive, keen to learn, to explore, to understand. They love identifying new things and to understand our connection to the world around us.

On the butterfly mound at Ford Park, Ulverston

They ask great questions too, including why as adults we do things the way we do. When did you last ask yourself that question? Working on a project with the Gardening Team at Ford Park in Ulverston has involved children from local schools and older adults who can share their knowledge. But it's not a one way transfer we all learn from each other. A key lesson based on the questioning of the children is to challenge ourselves. Ask why we accept certain things the way they are, is there a better way?

In our mindfulness practice we can learn to still the intrusion of old habits, old ways of thinking, and to connect more with the natural world we are after all part of as a means of recognising the consequences of our actions. With practice we learn to be calmer, less stressed yet more thoughtful and caring not only of each other but our wider environment. 

A short breath awareness meditation in the garden,
the children noticing where they most feel their breath

International Day of Mountains

Mindfulness, weathering the storm

The beach at Walney

After a few days of training mindfulness teachers in a city it was good to get out and have bigger views, more space. The forecast was for gale force winds with a band of rain, hail and snow passing through, and the forecast was spot on! Walking along the beach with the wind and rain allowed me to make some connections with our ability to manage what we all face.

Sometimes we sail through life without any problems, other times life can be really stormy, just like today's weather with conditions strong enough to impede progress, to cause damage.

Yet I knew it would be stormy today, just like we all know life has its ups and downs. I was prepared for the conditions, just as we can be prepared for whatever we face. When I went out I had the right equipment, warm, waterproof clothes, hat, gloves, even a phone for emergencies, all the tools I needed. I chose the route to go and while out, yes there were times when I had to stand still and lean with with wind, but the wind also aided progress at times.

Our mindfulness practices can be like this, giving us the tools and techniques to cope, to bend with the conditions, rather than breaking in the face of them, to make choices. They help us recognise that the conditions are constantly changing, understand the sometimes subtle changes than can help us or throw us off balance.  The great value of nature based mindfulness practice is exactly this, it is easier to see and make connections, to learn lessons and apply them in our daily lives than may be the case simply meditating on a cushion.

The walk was great today, the unpleasant sting of hail transformed to a pleasant warm glow, the gusts that caused me to stop also helped when I changed direction. Now the sun is out the rain has gone, nothing in life stays the same for long, everything changes. Be mindful, get on with life and when facing difficult conditions choose your direction, choose how to respond - mindfully!

Mindfulness and the Real World

Driving home after a week walking and kayaking in Scotland we came over a hill and in front of us was a view of Dumbarton, the Erskine Bridge and in the distance, the City of Glasgow. My partner commented "back to the real world". I experienced an instant sense of rejection. "No, that isn't the real world, the real world is what we're leaving behind".

After all we'd spent a week where our activities were governed by the weather, the wind and rain, the cold, the tides and available daylight. A week where we'd had no internet connection, no mobile or other telephone connection. In the week we'd been walking and seen a sea otter feeding, spotted a beaver dam, watched a red squirrel leap from branch to branch. From our kayaks we'd gazed at terrific views of mountains, lochs and the sea. We'd been able to slowly approach bird colonies and enjoy their intrigue of us, their watching carefully to see if we were predators. We'd sourced local food and visited places recording communities with over 5000 years of connection to the land around us. Isn't this the real world?

Yet we too create our environment, so isn't it just as real? The fact that we have lights, Skype, high speed broadband and smart phones and all the other accoutrements of modern life doesn't make it less real, or does it?

On the train recently I watched as everyone in the carriage seemed to be working on their laptop or using their phone, how people seemed to be working (outside normal work hours) instead of using the journey to relax, to observe, to regenerate. I listened to someone in the hotel reception demanding to know how many TV channels there were, watched others in the gym setting their treadmill so it felt like they were running up hill. How many channels can you watch? Why not run up a hill or at least run outside?

Maybe our everyday life, at home, at work, whether in the city or elsewhere is real, but surely only if we are aware of it. How aware are we of the constant bombardment of advertising, branding, the pressure to comply with a world designed by others? The artificiality of much that surrounds us. How much attention do we pay to the world we would like to have? The world that seems less cluttered, more spacious, where we feel in control of our own lives, manage our own time?

Maybe it is time to use mindfulness practice as a means of viewing what is real in our lives.

Autumnal awareness - find a sit spot

Heron demonstrating patient awareness at Leighton Moss, RSPB reserve

As Autumn makes its blustery presence felt we can either think it's time to 'batten down the  hatches', retreating into our homes, turning the heating up and thinking of sustaining food, stews, puddings and the like; or we can remember that we don't hibernate and start thinking of how to get the most from the conditions.

Walks that include picking fruit growing wild in hedgerows, watching the migration of birds, some leaving, others coming to stay over the winter. Changing the coats hanging in the hallway from lightweight to heavy duty waterproofs and warm layers, hats and gloves to go underneath. Getting out in daylight rather than sitting behind screens in rooms lit with artificial light. Putting bird feeders out so that the birds learn where to feed before the winter sets in.

Feeding wild birds is a great opportunity for moments of delight

Instead of, or in addition to getting the 'SAD' Lamp out (an artificial light source sometimes used by those with Seasonal Affective Disorder 'SAD') plan to get outdoors more. Grey days feel very different if you are out in them rather than being trapped inside. Find a 'sit spot', probably somewhere with some shelter from the wind and rain where, well wrapped up against the cold you can engage fully with your senses, listening, seeing feeling, and aim to visit your 'spot' every day, making it place of peace and safety in the hustle and bustle of the working day. A place where simply by remembering our place in nature we can shrug off the stresses and strains of the day for even just a few minutes.