I gave ‘forest bathing’ a go and it instantly helped my mental health

Living in London For eight years, I have always appreciated that the city’s great Victorian parks have a functional beauty: open spaces with abundant trees, playgrounds and cafes to entertain my two young children.

But I have never considered urban parks as a place to immerse myself in nature or disconnect.

After all, a walk in the local park is not the same as a nature walk. I’m usually chasing my running toddler, or going for a quick run; neither is my first choice for a little time for me.

So I was intrigued to discover a new community project, ParkBathe, on Instagram, which was teaching londoners japanese welfare forest bathing technique crystal Palace Park: the local park that I visit every week.

I assumed forest bathing was a new wellness trend, but it turns out which was originally launched in the 1980s by the Japanese government to encourage exhausted workers to spend time in old-growth forests, in an attempt to prevent burnout.

I was skeptical, though: I’m sure it’s possible to reap the anti-stress benefits of forest bathing in remote forests. But could it fit a busy park in Zone 3?

Still, I was curious. Turns out she wasn’t alone.

At my first ParkBathe session earlier this month (May 2022) there were about 12 other people, some newbies like me and some experienced ParkBathers who kept coming back for more. Described as a one-hour slow guided walk through the park, the sessions are free, with the option to donate.

ParkBathe takes place in the wooded area along the edge of Crystal Palace Park which was once part of the Great North Woods, one of the last remaining ancient woodlands in the UK.

I hadn’t even realized there was an ancient forest in the park, having forever attached to well traveled public paths and lawns.

Before the session, everyone completed a private online survey about how they felt.

My answers revealed how anxious I was; excited with the jittery feeling I always get before starting any new and unfamiliar activity.

So it was a relief to discover that there would be no small talk or use of the phone once ParkBathe started; we were asked to walk in silence to truly appreciate our surroundings.

ParkBathe founder Vanessa Potter explained that we would only be walking about 500m, so the glacial pace might be frustrating at first.

And it was, at some points it seemed like we were barely moving. But after about five minutes of walking slowly down a deserted forest path, I noticed that my heart rate had slowed. It also meant that I really had no choice but to look around me, and not just fleetingly, to really see everything that was going on.

I found myself doing things that I used to do as a child, like trying to identify different trees from their leaves. Something I would never think about on my regular trips to the park, keeping an eye on my phone.

The silence meant I wasn’t distracted either. There was no pressure to make small talk, so I couldn’t help but tune in to the rustling of leaves and the chirping of evening birds.

It was incredibly peaceful, but it wasn’t an isolating experience: I was aware throughout that I was appreciating the moment with others.

I also realized that I probably wouldn’t have felt safe venturing off the beaten path alone at my local park. But ParkBathe was giving me the opportunity to do just that, in a safe and supportive environment.

From time to time we were asked to take a break, covering our ears for listening to the leaves, looking up at the tree trunks. Or breathe deeply and slowly, smell the wild garlic and the damp earth.

He was also encouraged to look into the middle distance and close-up, focusing on differences in the landscape around us at various points during the shoot.

I was a little excited to realize that the things I was noticing in nature were there every time I go to the park, but my mind is always on whatever I do next, so I don’t I often pay close attention to my natural surroundings.

It was the quietest hour I’ve had in a long time.

When the session ended, completing the questionnaire again, my responses were completely different than they had been 60 minutes earlier: I felt unexpectedly clear-headed and relaxed.

Vanessa later explained that for most people, three ParkBathe sessions are enough to teach them forest bathing skills that they can then use independently whenever they are in a green space, even if only for a few minutes. .

But many participants keep coming back to guided sessions because they appreciate the lasting wellness benefits they feel afterward.

And it works, too: Extensive research shows that spending time in nature, ideally around two hours a week, can help reduce stress levels and improve well-being.

I can understand why people keep coming back too. Usually, after turning off my phone for an hour, I frantically check my emails.

But after ParkBathe, I didn’t feel that urge, so I didn’t do it. Instead, I wanted to hold on to the peace I’d experienced a while longer as I walked home through the park, noting the dappled sunlight and the tiny mosquitoes buzzing over the lake.

I am looking forward to going back to ParkBathe; he encouraged me to pay more attention to the nature that I see in my daily life. I found myself slowing down on the school run to admire the purple wisteria above a door I walk through every day, when usually I would have kept walking.

Taking little breaks like this to appreciate my surroundings allows me a few moments of calm in my day, and that’s a mindset I want to encourage.

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