Forest Bathing for Beginners

Matthew

6 days ago

A person walks on a trail, beginning a forest bathing experience amongst giant Douglas fir trees. The moss lined trail winds through trees of all sizes, with moss-drenched branches rising up to the gray sky.

Forest bathing for beginners — How to find grounding in Nature like a mystic.

Are you interested in Forest Bathing (known as Shinrin Yoku) but unsure how to begin unlocking a deeper connection to the Natural World? This comprehensive guide, written by a Pacific Northwest mystic, offers simple and proven techniques for leaning into your own wild Nature and enjoying all its healing, wellness, and empowerment benefits.

You understand how valuable a deep, sustaining Nature Connection can be for every aspect of your daily life.

This guide facilitates Forest Bathing for Beginners. It’s best for:

Using simple and proven techniques to engage Nature like a mystic.
Helping you get started unlocking your own wild Nature.
Providing an accessible structure.
Allowing you the flexibility to create an experience that makes sense for your life.

Table of Contents: All the best information to begin Forest Bathing.

The benefits of Forest Bathing.
Why is Matthew Kessi qualified to write about this?
What is Nature’s Intelligence — the Mystic component.
Essential questions to prepare for Forest Bathing.
How to plug in to land sprits.
Questions to ask while Forest Bathing.
How to get an altered state in Nature?
How to integrate forest bathing into daily life.
FAQ
Guided Nature Connection Videos.

Why begin Forest Bathing?

Forest bathing, or Shinrin Yoku, is a concept that originated in Japan in the 1980s as its population migrated from rural to urban living to support a booming economy based on manufacturing and technology. However, in this transition, companies found that their employees were prone to sickness and burnout.

Japan’s government commissioned studies to get to the root problem. They found empirical proof that a mindful re-connection to the Natural World worked well as a remedy against the stress of daily life in a demanding corporate environment.

The concept of “forest bathing” comes from the phytoncides and other essential oils emitted from forest trees. They quite literally rain down. Several studies have shown that the fragrance of phytoncides reduces stress and promotes immunocyte growth, including natural killer (NK) cells.

Furthermore, a growing body of research points to the beneficial effects of exposure to the Natural World on health, reducing stress, and promoting healing. Some studies further clarify that only 20 minutes daily (of immersive Natural experiences) are essential to producing lasting benefits such as lower blood pressure, higher concentration, improved mental health, regulating cortisol levels, neutralizing inflammation, and even higher sexual satisfaction.

What about other Forest Bathing resources?

Why should you listen to Matthew Kessi (that’s me) about Forest Bathing for beginners?

While I’m not Japanese, I’ve spent a lifetime leading myself and others into the Natural World. My gifts as a practical mystic help me guide people to deepen their Nature Connection in ways that can help them quiet their minds, regulate emotions better, and trust their intuition more.

A practical mystic is a person able to bridge the magic between Nature’s Intelligence and daily life. This work uses the mystery to make constructive and tangible changes to daily life scenarios. Consider me a translator of Nature’s energy or a guide to safely engaging an altered state of healing, growing, or awakening to your true purpose in life–also known as high-octane Forest Bathing.

Another tenant of practical mysticism is that we all possess gifts and talents to connect with the mystery of the Natural World. If you don’t feel unique gifts or intuition right now, it could be as simple as learning to “reawaken” that part of your inner self. This is where I’m trained to help you.

“Matthew Kessi is gentle, kind, and compassionate. These three qualities alone make him an excellent guide in the outer and inner worlds. How these virtues become exceptional has to do with what he attracts to him from Nature: the spirits of land and place. If you are seeking something deeper than sightseeing, Matthew is your person. He’ll take you to places on the land and in yourself that are truly remarkable.”

Patrick O’Neill | The Four Directions

For example, part of my practice includes facilitating Nature Connection Retreats on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. These three-day immersions include time on a private beach near Olympic National Park. A high-powered version of Forest Bathing, these experiences allow participants to see themselves (their own wild Nature) more clearly in ways that make lasting changes.

The program is based on several fundamentals of Nature Connection that I will briefly discuss later in this article. If you’re interested in more details on questions to ask yourself to make a deeper nature connection, check out this article or watch one of my Nature Connection Videos on YouTube, including this experience about finding your true wild Nature in the Rainforest near Lake Quinault in Olympic National Park.

Ultimately, I see consistent results with my retreat participants harnessing Nature’s power to unlock powerful self-clarity in their daily lives. Forever changed, they find practical (and more intimate) ways to include the Natural World daily. A great way to enjoy tangible success with self-clarity is through regular Forest Bathing.

What is Nature’s Intelligence?

You know it when you feel it. Nature’s intelligence is your connection to a technicolor sunset or the comfort of flowers on a challenging day. It can be a divine-like awareness that everything will be okay. Nature’s intelligence is unexplainable in ordinary human language because it encompasses many different planes of intuition and consciousness while inspiring creative and wise parts of you to “wake up.” That’s why you’ve probably heard phrases like, “I need to walk to clear my head.” Another way to look at this “waking up” is learning to see yourself more clearly—what impedes, supports, and transforms you.

Forest Bathing near me in Seattle?

Nature’s Intelligence abounds in the Emerald City. Although we’re known for a variety of attractions, you may not have considered an adventure going Forest Bathing in the rain. Check out this article with my favorite mystic places to go to enjoy Shinrin Yoku in and around Seattle. Don’t worry, these locations are still wonderful without the liquid sunshine!

Do you have more logistical questions about Forest Bathing for beginners?

Since this guide is about deepening a relationship with the Natural World, I’ve limited the other details to get right to the actionable items. If you’d like to brush up on my recommendations for locations, timing, what to wear, etc, please review the sister article “Forest Bathing Near Me” for more practical logistic information.

The two most crucial logistical questions to ask yourself are:

“How (and where) can I set up my Forest Bathing practice to be sustainable and deep?”

“What place, time, clothing, and accessories (or lack thereof) will help me keep present while Forest Bathing?”

Join me for a Mystic Nature Walk in Seattle:

Experience a super-charged version of Forest Bathing.
Two hours with a private mystic guide.
Magical beauty of Seattle’s flagship Arboretum.
Leave with more self-clarity about your daily life.
Learn tools to engage your own Nature Connection.

Essential questions to ask yourself at the beginning of Forest Bathing.

Setting up a plan with your inner self helps you gain traction and deepen your connection with Nature’s intelligence. For best results, work with these questions before you leave home.

1. Do I understand that lasting healing, wellness, and empowerment happen in increments?

When leading people into the wilderness of their own lives, I always stress that this is not a one-and-done experience. Even if they never see me again, I aim to leave the client open to more. It’s also important to remember that, like learning anything new, something transformational might not happen the first time, the next time, or the next time. Look at Forest Bathing as a practice, and keep going!

This said, my mystic Nature Connection experiences provide a more intense path toward transformation, where the mystery unlocks in powerful and surprising ways. Let me know how I can help.

2. How hard am I willing to work to open up the uncomfortable parts of my inner self to Nature’s Intelligence–even if it seems scary?

The rewards of building a deep Nature Connection are life-changing. Imagine a world where you “naturally” can quiet your mind, manage your emotions for better outcomes, and trust your intuition more. Transforming yourself to this balance requires a deep and honest look at your inner self—even the painful and scary parts. And you always get to go at your own pace.

3. Where do my fears get in the way of daily life?

Humans survived the last 30,000 years by balancing fear with their intuitive connection to the Natural World. We’ve always looked behind our backs for something coming to kill us. And Nature’s Intelligence was there to help us stay grounded and well enough to evolve onward. But as humanity advanced, we’ve progressively lost our deep connection to a powerful counterbalance to our natural propensity to fear. By surveying your inner fears, you can better equip your Forest Bathing experience to provide tremendous healing, wellness, and empowerment outcomes—because you’re effectively inviting Nature’s Intelligence back as a counterbalance to your fear.

4. What is my plan to keep present?

There doesn’t need to be a lot written about this question. I think you get it. Turn off (or don’t have) electronic devices. But I will add a few suggestions that prove effective with the clients I guide into the wilderness of their own lives:

Allow distractions to flow through your consciousness like clouds in the sky—drifting away.
Keep a rock or other small item of personal value close at hand (I use a broach from a special loved one who passed away). When you feel distracted, touch this item to keep your focus.
Begin your experience by making a friend in Nature, like a particular leaf or flower. Imprint this in your mind as a helper and refer back when you need grounding.
Imagine distractions as a spring in your mind that you can slowly unravel to a place without tension. Then, let them fall out of focus.

What are the fundamentals for beginners embarking on forest bathing?

Congratulations on taking the time to commit to deepening your relationship with the Natural World! Let’s say you’ve used my article, “Forest Bathing Near Me,” to find a great place to delve into this remarkable work. You’ve also spent some time at home preparing the questions in the section above. It’s time to embark on the hands-on experience. Are you excited?

Look at your forest bathing adventure in three parts:

How do I begin well and, indeed, opt into Nature?
What do I notice when I’m present to my wild Nature in this outdoor setting?
How can I reflect and integrate this practice into my daily life?

How to Begin Well: Forest Bathing for Beginners key questions to ask:

The beginning is your best chance to steer your Nature Connection to new and exciting levels of wisdom. Clear your mind ahead of time by removing external distractions. Then, start strong by considering these questions:

Am I doing all I can to plug my inner self into the scene?
How can I opt into this Shinrin Yoku opportunity as best as possible? What do I want my entry ritual to look like?
What is my plan to keep present?
What is my natural pace to get the benefits of Nature’s Intelligence?

Beginning forest bathing by saying YES to the land spirits?

When visiting a friend’s home, you might remove your shoes at the entry as a gesture of respect. Consider entering Nature the same way as an honored guest. What does this look like, and what is appropriate for where you plan to immerse yourself? Here are a few examples I offer my Nature Meditation Retreat participants:

Make a simple offering to the land. I use hair because it’s literally from my being, and the slight prick to pull it from my body symbolizes how much I appreciate the land spirits. This could also be a biodegradable item from your home, like a flower or crumble of dirt (if in a similar environment–e.g., don’t do this if you’re visiting Hawai’i).
Say, or feel, the notion, “I come with an open heart. I come to not harm.”
Imagine stepping over a threshold as if entering a portal to another realm (you are doing this, by the way!) when you officially begin your Shinrin Yoku experience.

Whatever you choose to do, be sure it’s authentic!

Creating a special gesture that shows your openness to connecting with the land enhances your experience. What might this ceremony look like for you?

In my earlier days of delving into an altered state in the forest, I would write a note on a biodegradable piece of tissue to the land and offer it at the start of the trail. With my next steps, as the paper disintegrated, I imagined my words (and, by extension, my heart) integrating into the forest floor to become part of the land story. This ceremony helped my body, mind, heart, and spirit align with the notion that I agreed to be part of a unique experience.

How do I accept I’m part of this scene rather than a tourist?

Whether you live nearby or are across the globe, for this amount of time, you are part of the story of this land. What do you want this story to be? How do you want your activity to reflect your partnership with all the seen and unseen intelligence? How can you say “Yes” to opt into a more magical and, therefore, rewarding Forest Bathing delight?

Here are a few suggestions for beginning to form your land story. Although you don’t need to take this order literally, it benefits you to try to do some of these within the first 10-15 minutes of a forest bathing experience:

Review your plan to keep present. Did you bring a unique rock? If not, make a friend nearby (like a leaf or flower) that you can use to help you.
Stretch your body like before other physical exercises, but try to mimic Nature. Raise your arms up to the sky and sway back and forth like the trees that might be above you. Gently tap your feet into the soil, simulating and securing your roots to the ground. Move your head back and forth like a squirrel looking for nuts. Dance with the forest in this way without a timeline.
Imagine you’re entering a group of loved ones, represented by the land’s flora. How would you introduce yourself to each plant, shrub, tree, flower, rock, or stream? Allow them to acknowledge you back in return. What does that feel like?
As you enter, consider how you’d create art that depicts your relationship to this space. What features stand out? Would you paint them? Would you take a photograph (I don’t recommend taking one until later in the experience)? Would you pan into the tiny details or pull out for a broad panorama? What colors, textures, and temperatures draw you in?
Take slow and mindful steps, imagining a new root grows into the ground with each.
Cup a handful of dirt and smell it with big breaths. Imagine what it tastes like.
After ten slow and mindful steps, stop and listen. What do you hear? Even in the nothingness of a forest, there is wisdom. Take ten more steps and see how the sound may differ.

What is my Natural Pace?

Imagine walking down a forest trail and noticing a loved one you miss dearly. Would you stop and reach out to this person for a hug? How much time would you invest in an engaging conversation, especially if they had essential wisdom for you to receive? Ponder the pace required to make and keep this valuable connection.

Now imagine that–just like your loved one–Nature’s medicine awaits you in every tree, shrub, and mushroom on the forest floor. What pace is required to reach out and engage adequately in a healing, wellness, or empowerment exchange?

It’s essential to consider both your physical and inner pace.

Think of movements in the outdoors that feel particularly captivating. They can be invaluable in resetting your pace. Things like the flow of waves crashing on a beach, your resting heart rate (about a beat per second), or the motion of koi in a Japanese-themed garden. In general, Nature moves from slow to medium.

How do I plug into this scene?

The significant benefits of Nature’s healing, wellness, and empowerment come by opening up your inner self to the power of the land spirits. Imagine they are all around you, eager to help. But you must opt in and engage them.

The best way to engage Nature spirits in Forest Batting is to report the condition of your inner self as authentically as possible. They always know the difference. You can re-read the entry above about acknowledging your fears for a great lead-in to having this plugging-in conversation.

The best way to “plugin” is to imagine your mind, heart, and spirit opening up and sending a cord, beam of light, or other connective device into the forest, like throwing an anchor down in the harbor. This can be done individually (as three separate anchors) or as one huge one.

Try asking these questions:

How can I best describe the state of my inner self right now?
(If you don’t know) Can I handle not fully understanding the state of my inner self right now? Am I open to doing my best to learn along the way?
Are my mind (ideas), heart (emotions), and spirit (intuition) balanced? If not, which one seems to be most prominent, and why?
How can I realign the three parts of my inner self without judgment? For example, can I ask my mind to take a break so my emotions and feelings have more space? Do I want to ask my spirit to light up more?

Once you’ve completed an assessment, asked questions, and listened to feedback, connect your inner self to the land spirits. These questions can help you envision a magical exchange with the land.

What around me feels most connected to my thoughts, ideas, and creativity, and how can I make a line from my mind to this Natural feature? (e.g., “When I say mind and thoughts, I keep looking at the giant Rhododendron bush. How can I send a beam of light or anchor my mind to this shrub?”)
What around me feels most connected to my heart, feelings, and emotions, and how can I make a line from my heart to this Natural feature?
What around me feels most connected to my spirit, intuition, and gut instinct, and how can I make a line from my spirit to this Natural feature?
What around me feels most connected to my inner self, and how can I make a line from this entity to this natural feature?

Then, go to these particular natural features and try to make an appropriate literal connection. Remember to employ the leave no trace and take nothing but memories principles.

Forest Bathing for Beginners: What do I notice?

You’ve entered your magical Shinrin Yoku realm with respect and authenticity. When you get distracted, you have a plan and a way to return to grounding. Your heart rate aligns with the forest vibe, and you feel plugged into the scene. Ideally, this would take twenty minutes or more.

Congratulations! You’re ready to enjoy the next level of the magic of Forest Bathing.

The more you practice, the easier and more intuitive the answers to the questions become. And the faster you form bonds with the Nature Spirits, the quicker you’ll start to feel an altered state of being.

What is an altered state?

Communing with Nature has abundant rewards that humans sense on a primal level. For example, the marvel of sunset seems to cast a “spell,” if only fleeting, of understanding we’re interdependent with something more significant. This “spell” could also be considered an altered state. Think of it as advanced intuition.

Advanced intuition in Forest Bathing allows you to see yourself in more precise and fulfilling ways because you naturally align with feelings of belonging, resilience, and purpose. This self-clarity is essential for reliably quieting your mind, managing emotions for better outcomes, and trusting your intuition more in daily life.

Imagine the universe being divided into frequencies or vibrations from 1 to 10. The lower vibrations (1-2) could be considered the feelings of frenetic daily life — like walking through mud that makes moving more difficult. On the other hand, frequencies in the 8-10 range are wholly aligned with self-clarity in Nature’s Intelligence — like effortlessly gliding on a flat open road with a bicycle.

Suppose most of society lives daily life in the 1-4 zone. In that case, raising your vibration to a 6, 7, and way up to 9 or 10 can feel uncomfortable. With some practice, asking the questions and doing the work to get through at least twenty minutes of a Forest Bathing experience helps you sustain enough grounding to get you to a 6, 7 — where life might begin to feel balanced.

Suppose you want to stretch into the transformative places of healing nature spirits. Raising your energy to an eight frequency might be necessary. Deepening into an altered state can help you sustain these higher vibrations, begetting even more benefits for the body, mind, heart, and spirit.

This is the zone where my mystic gifts can help you become more comfortable unlocking the power of Nature’s Intelligence. My Nature Meditation Retreats are especially effective in safely offering a high-octane Forest Bathing immersion over three days on the Olympic Peninsula or a two-hour intensive Nature Connection walk in a beloved Seattle park.

Essential Questions for Beginners to Ask While in the Depths of Forest Bathing.

In the deep end of a Shinrin Yoku journey, ask these questions (for starters) to evaluate all the sensations you notice:

Can I fold a twenty-minute meditation in this Forest Bathing experience?
What do I notice?
How does my body feel moving in this environment?
What ideas are available in my mind? Is there creativity bubbling? Are there any physical Nature items (e.g. a tree or rock) that are helping me with this?
What feelings, emotions, or other sensations are present within me? Are there any physical Nature items that are helping me with this?
Do I sense any advanced intuition or spiritual awareness? Are there any physical Nature items that are helping me with this?
Where is the best place and position to deepen this experience?

Can I fold a twenty-minute meditation in this Forest Bathing experience?

The answer is YES! By this point in your Nature Connection journey, you should be ready to sit, lie, or stand still for twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes is the estimated time for your energetic field to calm down–think like ripples in a bathtub–to equilibrium. When your energetic field balances, animals become curious, as do land spirits. This is where Nature’s Intelligence begins to serve you more powerful experiences that engage you in magical and surprising ways. It usually involves a nudging (or a more assertive push) by the mystery toward a new version of self-clarity.

But back to the animals, this is where a coyote will walk by, three feet away, and look at you with curiosity. Or birds land next to you on the bench. Nature’s wonder will appear all around.

How can I reflect and integrate this Forest Bathing practice into my daily life?

Congratulations on making your way, as a Forest Bathing beginner, to completing your session deepening in the Natural World. As you wind down the experience, consider these questions:

What is the best way to end this experience well?
Is there a closing ritual that makes sense to me?
How can I be mindful in saying thank you to the land?

There is usually a tea ceremony at the end of a traditional Japanese-style Shinrin Yoku experience. Consider bringing a few snacks or even tea to honor your curiosity and persistence to connect to the Natural World in new, exciting ways.

What surprised me about this Shinrin Yoku experience?

Keeping curious about your recent adventure, ask a few questions like these:

What were the highlights of my time in Nature?
Did I ever feel uncomfortable or scared?
What can I do next time to feel more connected or comfortable?
Was I able to stay present? What might help next time?
Am I the same as when I entered? What’s changed?
What did I learn about myself?
What surprised me?
What’s one thing I learned today that I can use daily?

Give virtual Forest Bathing a try with the three-part series working with the land spirits around Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park.

This Guided Nature Connection experience, “How the Forest Empowers Metamorphosis,” takes place on the Spruce Railroad linear trail along the banks of Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. It represents a Natural World conversation about transforming your life by acknowledging your inner courage, letting go of the past, and embracing your creativity, trust, and passion to write the next chapter of your life. Using brooding footage of a winter forest scene, we ask questions and ponder the answers.