A tradition with roots in Japan, forest bathing offers city dwellers an opportunity to reconnect with nature.
Forest Bathing in Berlin is offering a break to city dwellers dealing with the summer heat. It’s a practice originating from Japan, where participants immerse themselves in nature, typically for a few hours.
Unlike hiking, it’s not about going to a particular destination or getting a workout. It’s about connecting with nature in all its elements, from the sights and the sounds to the smells and the textures.
Fiona McDougall is a nature guide who specialises in this practice. She starts excursions by telling participants to walk very slowly and pay attention to everything, awakening their senses.
“I hope that through practices like this, people will feel a stronger connection to the natural world, which is where we’re all from really,” McDougall said.
And so, in feeling that connection, I hope people just feel better, a stronger relationship to nature and, you know, a greater appreciation for it and their place within it.”
Science supports the idea that nature has a positive impact on us. One study in Germany found that a walk in the forest can help the brain process information.
“So essentially, we showed a group of healthy participants or exposed them to bird songs versus traffic noise and we found that those people exposed to bird songs showed a decrease in anxiety, depression and paranoia,” said Simone Kuehn, director of Centre for Environmental Neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.
Forest bathing is centred around relaxation, so McDougall ends the walk with meditation. One of the parks she chooses is in central Berlin. She hopes to convince people that connecting with nature can be convenient and that it has benefits even if done briefly in the city.
A report by the WHO says that green spaces in urban environments, such as parks and trees on streets, have a wide range of positive effects, including protecting against poor mental health.
