Forest bathing. No, it's not diving into a bog lake in your swimsuit. Forest bathing is done with your clothes on and no water involved. We copied it from the Japanese, who are all too happy to take a dip in the forest in their wooded country. Shinrin Yoku is what they call it there. It is said to make them healthier, fitter and happier. Forester Marijke Barhorst (48) knows all about it. In the cold months, when it is quiet on her island of Schiermonnikoog, she takes people into the forest to experience the phenomenon for themselves.
In her own words, forest bathing is primarily “immersion in the atmosphere of the forest.” Marijke, laughing, “Sometimes there is still a misunderstanding and people think there is a bath, but that is not the case. We just dive into the forest.” She discovered the phenomenon by accident, thanks to a walk with a forest bathing expert. “She told me about how you start to slow down, how differently you experience the forest and use your senses. And that's also how I naturally wander through the woods. How nice it is to share something like that with other people!”
Marijke does not do this sharing in the summer, but rather in the colder months, when it is quiet and people can really experience the silence and peace among the pine and deciduous trees on the island. A session always begins in a clearing in the forest. “And then I ask them right away to put the phone on airplane mode and especially resist the temptation to take pictures. Because seeing for yourself is really much better.”
Then the trek gets moving at a snail's pace, she explains. “Walking excessively slow, looking down, feeling your foot roll off ... That's how you get totally into the moment. We smell pine trees and if we are somewhere where there are a lot of birds, we start listening extra carefully. Standing still for a moment. I actually tell pretty little and mainly let people experience a lot.”
“We also look at the environment in a different way. More precisely. For example, have you ever noticed how crazy it looks when a broken-off branch gets stuck between other branches? You don't see things like that when you 'just' hike, but you do when you really look around.”
The fresh dive always ends on a really fresh note. “It's so much fun to challenge people at the end to walk a little bit barefoot. Preferably over moss, like lichen that crackles so nicely. How often do you do that, walking barefoot through the woods in the cold?”
All those elements of slowing down and being outside in the woods, by the way, are proven healthy. There is a whole science behind it. Japanese scientists even got their PhD on research into the health benefits of being in the woods. The bright minds could confirm it: visiting the forest reduces stress, lowers your blood pressure and combats depression and anxiety. “That's what I love about it, too. It may sound vague, but it's just heart-healthy.”
