BATHING IN NATURE
Rex Burress
An article in the paper about the emerging practice of “Shinrin-yoku” or“forest bathing” got my attention when it discussed “immersing yourself in nature to improve your well-being.”
It would seem that any nature walk, outdoor exposure, or meditation would do the same, but people are grappling for new words to indicate forging ahead into new things. The formal programs take participants into the woods for a slow, mindful walk to contemplate nature with all the senses. I assume they also do some bird-watching, insect assimilation, fungi finding and associated nature pursuits, because that is what 'forest' is all about.
The bathing method is not intended to get you wet, but any saunter into dewy woods is going to bathe you in “bay showers,” as a friend called the soakings from shaken, wet, bay laurel branches. Such a sojourn is liable to expose you to woodland aromas, too, and swampy smells laden with suggestions of primeval animals.
Such a baptism also puts you on intimate terms with the herbal atmosphere that rejuvenates your chemistry. Forest bathing, or “shinrin-yoku,” as it is called in Japan where the idea originated in the 1980's, spread to other countries in the form of programed facilities. The Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary in Freestone, CA, or Trout Point Lodge in Kemptville, Nova Scotia, are examples of guided, mindful walks for people to contemplate and immerse themselves in nature for fees up to $199 at Osmosis Spa, or $30 for a three-hour guided, Zen-like slow walk in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park near Kenwood, CA. , offered by Amos Clifford, who founded the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides.
Clifford says; “the forest is the therapist; the guide opens the doors. We invite people to notice what's in the environment around them: the swaying of trees, the flow of water, butterflies or birds or whatever it might be.” That's not too different from a regular old nature walk such as I have given far before 1980. But I don't call it forest bathing; just a nature hike. It's a good idea in any form, but it helps to have a heap of interpretive information on hand aside from the spiritual aspects.
Euell Gibbons called it “Stalking the Wild Asparagus,” with an emphasis on edible and medicinal wild plants, but the essence of the outdoor flavor is the same.
In fact, at Sugarloaf Ridge in the Mayacamas Mountains west of St. Helena, CA, I was not only naturalist for White Sulphur Springs Camp, but made a map of the region and built a “Come Unto Me” self-guided nature trail into the rugged depths of those forested canyons. I still practice “enticing others to look at nature's loveliness with understanding,” even though I'm no longer able “to physically reach the summit.” Nevertheless, I have paused and absorbed the beauty of nature in many places. Hallelujah.
Along the shores of Spanish Creek before it drops off into the Feather River west of Quincy, CA, there is an original “Pause Place,” nestled under a two-trunked ponderosa pine that creates an idyllic streamside overlook carpeted with pine needles and conducive to contemplation with nature. You can meditate or watch the American Dipper bird feed under water, or amble back to Oakland Family Camp, refreshed with the rapid's chattering music.
The Pause Place was the favorite observation and rest point of famous naturalist Paul Covel, hence “Paul's Place,” where he practiced forest bathing far before the present popularity. Paul was Camp Naturalist after founding the Oakland Lake Merritt naturalist program in 1947. “Nature Hike” was Paul's term then, and right on through my 32 years on the staff, and right on through Oakland Feather River Summer Camp, including the Adult Art Week, unto the present. Artists do a lot of contemplating!
Just above Paul's Place is a monument dedicated to Paul and his self-guiding nature trail. On the plaque is a quotation by John Muir; “Going to the woods is going home.” John advocated nature, too.
“Do what you can with what you've got where you are,” said Theodore Roosevelt.