The Joy of Forest Therapy

 

I got a tweet from the local conservation authority advertising an upcoming event which they call Forest Therapy. It's a guided walk in the woods at the Frink Centre, north of Belleville, a lovely spot we visit often. This form of guided meditation is also called Forest Bathing or Shinrin-yoku in Japanese, the country of origin for this movement. In Japan there are Forest Bathing centres and physicians can prescribe time at one for restoration of physical and mental health. 

We went to a Kingston Conservation Area a couple of years ago for a Forest Bathing event and found it soothing and enlivening and well worth our time. Since then there have been more and more venues for variations on this theme, as our society recognizes the value of contemplative time in the natural world. 

Ruth and I agree that we won't attend this upcoming walk because we incorporate aspects of Shinrin-yoku in our walks and paddles, hither and yon. We take a moment to give thanks for the trees and often find a spot to sit and receive what the woods have to offer. We enjoy a brisk walk which gets our heart-rate up, but it's important to savour, and to express gratitude to the Creator. We're convinced that our many forays into the natural world in this tumultuous year have been key to staying spiritually grounded and physically healthy. 

I suppose some would wonder whether this could be Christian, but all we need to do is read the Gospels to realize that Jesus prepared for ministry in the wilderness and spent time on mountain tops and on the water for restoration. And what we call the Sermon on the Mount was offered on a hillside in Galilee. 

You can see, above, that the Quinte Conservation event takes place next Sunday afternoon with a limited number of people to observe distancing protocols. It might be worth a try!