Forest Bathing

In the 1980s, people in Japan began using the term “forest bathing.” It wasn’t just a term but a practice. As people sought to get away from technology and the heart of cities, they would take mindful walks in forests to impact their health and emotional wellbeing.

Yesterday, I took some time to do that. I walked around for a good while in the Scio Woods Preserve, and it felt nourishing to be there. Though fall colors have started where I live, this forest was mainly still green. In fact, there was an abundance of green. I was surrounded by color, oxygen production, and the sounds of birds and rustling animals.

I also found myself thinking about the overwhelming amount of connections in that forest. Some, I could see, but beneath my feet, lie root systems of trees caring for one another. And did you know that every time we take a step, we have about 300 miles of mycelium stretching below the surface? Mycelium are the highly connective, thread-like strands of fungi that help plants communicate and spread nutrients. They transform the ecosystem.

Maybe sometimes, we need to get away, not only from technology and cities, but a sense that we are isolated, dissociated, or disconnected. Maybe we need to be in a place where connections naturally abound, reminding us that that is the true nature and order to things.

— Renee Roederer