loader image
Guides...click here!
Your forest bathing experience begins here.

Find a Walk

Find a Guide

Find a Venue

Give the gift of nature!

Buy a Gift Card

Forest Bathing. Shinrin-Yoku

Take a moment to let go of all of your worries and the busy world around you – start to soak in the beauty of nature and the forest. Soon, you will find an abundance of joy and healing. Forest bathing is translated from the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, which means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses. It is simply being in nature and connecting with it through our sense of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Experience a Forest Bathing walk first hand and enjoy its multitude of potential health benefits, including reduced stress, boosted immune system, improved mood and lowered blood pressure. Just to name a few!

Health Benefits of Forest Bathing. 

Shinrin-Yoku is considered standard preventative care in many countries around the world. Studies have shown that visiting a forest has real, quantifiable, physical and mental health benefits.

These benefits are derived from the essential oils given off by trees and plants into the forest atmosphere. These oils are called phytoncides and have antimicrobial and antifungal properties.

The phytoncides not only protect the trees from harmful germs and insects, they also protect humans. Studies have shown that these oils can boost immune system functions, fight disease and reduce stress – the effects can last for more than 30 days.

Some of the benefits you can expect may include…

Placeholder
Reduces Stress

Extensive research has proven that phytoncides increase the Natural Killer (NK) cells in the body. These are white blood cells that bind to tumor cells and virus-infected cells and kill them. Increased NK cells have been shown to enhance your body’s immune system.

Under stress the body releases the hormone cortisol which dampens the immune system and makes us prone to heart and metabolic diseases. Studies have shown a decrease in the level of cortisol after a walk in the forest.

Boosts Immune System

Phytoncides increase the balance between the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) that lowers blood pressure and heart rate.

Studies conducted after a Forest Bathing walk have also shown a decrease on scores for anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue and an increase in scores for short term memory attention and problem solving.

Improves Your Mood
Academics at Derby University have conducted a meta study of existing research which concludes that connecting to nature can be linked to happiness and mental well-being. Spending time in nature releases hormones that relate to the pursuit of joy, connecting to calm and avoiding threats.
Frees Up Your Creativity

David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, showed in a research study that participants saw a 50% improvement in creative problem solving after three days immersed in nature with all access to modern technology removed.

Reduces High Blood Pressure
Forest Bathing has been proven to reduce blood pressure, a crucial factor in maintaining a healthy heart. A recent meta study in Japan reviewed 20 trials, involving 732 participants, which demonstrated that blood pressure levels in the forest environment were significantly lower than those in the non-forest environment.
Accelerates Your Recovery From Illness
Nature can be a powerful catalyst in the recovery process. The most well-known study in this area by Dr Roger Ulrich, an architect specialising in healthcare building design, showed that even a natural view from a window reduced convalescence time by a day, compared to an urban view.

From our users . . . 

"Forest Bathing Finder has truly been a gift. I don’t have to worry about building a website, taking money when walkers sign up or marketing – now I can just concentrate on guiding my walks!"

- Jane S.

"As a guide I didn’t know how I was going to afford a website of my own – I saved so much money by joining Forest Bathing Finder. This website solved all my problems."

- John R.

"I was traveling to San Diego with five of my girlfriends and we wanted to go on a guided walk – we were able to easily find one, right near our hotel, by using Forest Bathing Finder."

- Suzanne A.

"I was looking for a spa that offered Forest Bathing and this is the only website that had all of my options in one place. Forest Bathing Finder made the search a piece of cake!"

- Suzanne A.

 Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Contact Us

Languages »