What is Forest Therapy

 Forest Therapy is a practice that supports health and wellness through guided immersion in  forests and other environments to promote the well-being of both people and the land. It is inspired  by Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of “Forest Bathing.” In Forest Bathing, people spend time in  forested areas to enhance health, wellness, and happiness.  In Forest Therapy, people are guided through a clearly defined sequence of invitations to slow  down, allow the senses to open, and experience the environment to deepen the reciprocal  relationship between participants and the forest. This supports the wholeness and well-being of  both. These Slow Walks in the Forest are typically one- to two-kilometers long and fit for all ages  and physical conditions.  Invitations are open-ended. There is no expectation for what participants should experience or  receive. Rather, participants spend time in silence, listening and feeling with a quiet and accepting  presence. They become reconnected with their senses and their innate creative potential is tapped,  which allows the imagination to awaken.  

Forest Therapy promotes:  

• The improvement of human health. People are more stressed, anxious, and depressed and  have more chronic health conditions. Forest Therapy provides a pathway for people to  remember how to immerse themselves in nature to rest from all that consumes them in  their daily lives.  

• A greater sense of connectedness.  A heartfelt, embodied relationship with nature naturally leads to a love of nature and  recognition that we are nature.   

• A greater sense of compassion. Somatic work with the Earth and our bodies provides  participants the opportunity to remember the nature of relationship and the way we are all  connected. The sense of connectedness leads toward compassion and away from apathy,  greed, and selfishness. This deeper compassion supports the kind of relational values that  will support new solutions for the health of people and the planet.  

 With more than 2500 trained guides  in over 55 countries, the ANFT envisions mobilizing the world’s largest referral network to medical and healthcare systems along  with alternative and complementary healing modalities. A robust body of research demonstrates  what we have always intuitively known: time in nature is good for us. The ANFT’s role is to develop  a solidly grounded practice that supports the well-being of people and, by connecting them with  nature, inspire people to become advocates for healing our relationships with the More Than Human World.   

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