Raise your hand if you feel like no matter how much you do, you’re still perpetually behind. Add to that the nonstop notifications, natural disasters, wars, political instability, deadly diseases and the ever-increasing costs of living, and it’s no wonder so many of us are overwhelmed and burned out. Being human these days is exhausting!
So recently, after another long week of bad news, back-to-back deadlines, health struggles and 5:30 a.m. meetings (let’s not even talk about all of the messages, calls and emails I haven’t had time to reply to), I was more than ready to run far, far away and hide in the forest where phone calls and notifications couldn’t find me. But then I remembered that while I adore nature, I live in a city and hate camping. My compromise: forest bathing.
I’ve tried forest bathing a handful of times in the past—first in a Costa Rican rainforest, then in the Adirondack Mountains in New York, Banff National Park in Canada and a botanical garden in Hawaii—but always in a small group led by a forest bathing guide. Could I get the same stress relief on a solo trip in a city park? I was down to find out.
Read on to learn what forest bathing is, how it may benefit your mind and body and what happened when I recently set out in my hometown.
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What is forest bathing?
Contrary to what the name implies, you’re not “bathing” in the traditional sense—no soap and water required! Instead, forest bathing involves immersing your senses in the forest environment, without a specific destination or agenda. No, this is not a hardcore hike; in fact, you might not move far from where you start.
So what’s the point? Be present, pay attention and connect with the natural environment. “The practice of forest bathing is inspired by shinrin-yoku [which roughly translates to “forest bathing” in Japanese], a public health initiative in Japan developed to address the stress of living in today’s urban, industrialized society,” explains Phyllis Look, a certified forest therapy guide and the founder of Forest Bathing Hawaiʻi. “On a guided walk, gentle sensory-opening invitations are offered to more fully experience the calming, healing qualities of the natural world. This evidence-based well-being practice restores our relationship to nature, to others and to ourselves.”
Of course, humans have been living in and connecting with nature since ancient times, so what’s all the fuss about now? The term forest bathing was coined in Japan in 1982, and in the 21st century, it evolved into the more structured activity of shinrin-ryoho (forest therapy), with prompts provided by a guide—or a deck of forest bathing cards, if you’re going the DIY route. About a decade or so ago, Look says, mainstream media caught on. (I’m partially to blame; I’ve covered forest bathing for a number of outlets, including National Geographic in 2019 and United Airlines’ Hemispheres magazine in 2020.)
What are the benefits of forest bathing?
Studies have shown that immersing yourself in nature can have positive impacts on physical and mental health. Here are a few of the science-backed benefits of forest bathing.
Boosted immunity
One of the first things I learned and loved about forest bathing was that you may be “showered” with phytoncides (essential oils) while simply spending time with some plants and trees. These naturally occurring compounds protect plants and trees against disease, so their medicinal qualities can also benefit humans.
“Breathing phytoncides increases human natural killer (NK) cells [that protect the body from infections and tumors],” Look says. For example, a phytoncide called α-pinene (found in pine trees and eucalyptus, among other plants) has anti-inflammatory properties that early research has linked to decreased tumor growth in mice.
Reduced stress
Research has shown that walking or sitting in the woods, surrounded by silence, foliage and fresh air (in addition to those phytoncides), naturally reduces stress hormones in the body. And if you’ve ever taken a little timeout in nature, you already know this to be true.
Lowered blood pressure
Another physical benefit, Look points out, is improved cardiovascular function. Research has confirmed that forest bathing can lower your blood pressure and resting heart rate, which supports cardiovascular health.
Better focus
Studies have shown that interacting with nature in an intentional way can have a restorative effect on the mind—especially critical at a time when we are bombarded with digital distractions, infinite-scroll features, and short, fragmented content.
“Forest bathing can improve cognitive function,” Look says. Slowing down and paying attention to the details around you is a good way to disrupt the overstimulation and dopamine-seeking cycles caused by online activities and social media use.
How does this work, exactly?
If you’re ready to give forest bathing a try, here’s how to get started.
- Consult your health care provider. Consider your personal needs and limitations and check with your health care provider before embarking on a forest bathing activity.
- Choose your destination. If you’re going on your own, pick a safe place and let someone know where you’ll be and when to expect you back. For added safety, turn Life360 or a similar location service on, or as Look recommends, bring a friend or family member.
- Sign up for a guided session. If that’s too expensive, gather some prompts, like the ones in the forest bathing deck I took on my self-directed experiment.
- Set aside a couple of hours. “In that time,” Look says, “one can really slow down and relax enough into a state of being that poet Mary Oliver calls ‘not-thinking, not-remembering, not-wanting.’” But if you don’t have that much time to spare, you can still reap some benefits with shorter sessions. “If you’re forest bathing on your own, experts recommend two hours per week in 20-minute sessions for greatest physical and mental health benefits,” she says.
- Pack smart. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, a picnic blanket or a beach towel, your fully charged cellphone, a pen and a notepad. When you arrive at your destination, put your phone in Do Not Disturb mode.
- Dive in. Take a deep breath and tune into your senses and surroundings. Pull out your forest bathing prompts (or follow your guide’s invitations), and be open to whatever unfolds. You may find yourself drawn to a certain sound, sight or texture, or feel compelled to journal or draw. “Whether you stroll a short distance or just rest in a single spot, don’t worry about ‘doing it right,’” Look says. “Just listen to your body.”
What if you live in the city?
The good news: You don’t need to go all the way to the woods to practice or benefit from forest bathing. And honestly, if you live in a city like I do, you’re probably in desperate need of a nature fix—stat! Find a green space, such as a park or botanical garden, where you feel safe to forest bathe with minimal distractions.
What if you need a little guidance?
Depending on your location and budget, hiring a certified guide may not be feasible, but it does have its perks. “A guide will relieve you of having to think about where to go, what to do and how long to do it for,” Look says. “Your guide will support being still, quiet, slow and ‘nonproductive’—states we don’t often practice in our 21st-century lives but which our overstimulated nervous system craves.”
As a solo female traveler, I like having a guide for safety and local knowledge. On my first forest bathing experience in Costa Rica, I could close my eyes and tune into the sounds and scents. Given the diversity of creatures in the rainforest (some of which are highly venomous), I wouldn’t have felt comfortable doing so without a local guide by my side.
Another thing to consider is that forest therapy guides aren’t the only people who can provide support. There may be other experts or facilitators suited to your identity or the culture of the place. For example, when I went on a mindful wilderness walk in Tasmania, it was important to be led by Aboriginal guides who knew the land best.
So what was my forest bathing experience like?
I planned to try out a deck of forest bathing cards (An Invitation to Forest Bathing by certified nature and forest therapy guides Lissa Kennedy and Roxanne Côté) near a grove of royal palm trees within walking distance of my Honolulu apartment. Confession: I’ve never done forest bathing in a city park and never tried a self-directed forest bathing session, so I wasn’t even sure this would work! But barely a few steps out the door, when the pale petals of a white hibiscus fluttering in the breeze caught my eye, I realized the intention was enough. I hadn’t even reached the royal palm grove, and already my senses were eager and activated.
Passing between two plumeria trees, I plucked up a fallen flower from the sidewalk. As I brought it to my nose to inhale its sweet scent, I heard a birdcall and excitedly opened the Merlin app (Confession No. 2: I’m a bit of a bird nerd!) to help me identify it and any others I might hear en route. Continuing to the park, I paused to snap a photo of a beautiful banyan tree I’ve walked by hundreds of times but have never stopped to photograph.
As I neared the grove of royal palms, I noticed sunlight glinting through the foliage of a mini forest lining the park’s edge. Instead of making a left toward the royal palms, I was drawn to a patch of grass on the right, tucked between some monkeypod trees, traveler’s palms and a cockspur coral tree. It looked like a good place to sit and pull my first card from the deck. I had every intention of getting up and exploring, assuming the card would prompt me to do so. But the deck had other plans: “Sit Spot,” read the first card I pulled. Already seated, I laughed and exclaimed, “No way! What are the chances?” to absolutely no one.
The back of the card invited me to “find a spot in nature where you can comfortably sit, tap into your senses and notice what emerges around you.” I took some time to breathe in the earthy aromas from the damp grass I was seated on and the floral scent of nearby plumeria flowers twirling to the ground. I watched the royal palm fronds bending in the breeze while cotton-ball clouds cruised against the true-blue sky behind them. I heard multiple birdcalls and then spent the next 40 minutes or more wandering—within just a few steps of my “Sit Spot”—and observing various birds and butterflies, including rose-ringed parakeets, common mynahs, house finches and white terns called manu o Kū here in Hawaii.
I imagined I’d try a few cards during this forest bathing session. Instead, I used just one and then let my curiosity lead the way—what a welcome reprieve from an overscheduled life! I was amused to find that while I was standing still, some of the birds seemed equally curious about me, walking to the ends of the lowest tree branches to get eye level and even swooping by within reach.
So often here in the city, where much of the earth is covered in concrete and I work long hours indoors, I feel overwhelmed, uneasy and disconnected. But in that moment, my heart rate was slow, my stomachache was gone, and I felt anchored to the earth rather than separated from it.
Is forest bathing actually worth it?
Absolutely! Whether you have 20 minutes or two hours, the mental and physical benefits are worth the effort to slow down and connect with the natural world.
As I was packing up my bag to head home, I read the last invitation on the “Sit Spot” card: “Consider coming back to this spot regularly, spending longer periods of time and cultivating a relationship with the land.” Confession No. 3: This brought tears to my eyes. I grew up running barefoot in the forest. Now I’m more often walking in heels on city sidewalks. We know instinctively that nature is healing. We know how important our connection with the ʻāina (land) is. Yet under the pressure of our fast-paced, modern lives, we lose sight of this simple but powerful medicine—exactly when we actually need it most.
So here’s my invitation to you: Forest bathing is for everyone. Hire a guide the first time if it’s in your budget. Or grab a book or deck of forest bathing prompts (and a friend or two if you’d rather not go solo). Download some bird and plant identifying apps if those things interest you. Bring a journal or watercolors to capture some of the beautiful things you notice. Whatever you decide, go with an open mind, be respectful of the place you visit and allow the experience to be uniquely your own.
And who knows? Maybe forest bathing will become your new favorite hobby. I think it might be mine.
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Sources:
- Phyllis Look, certified forest therapy guide and the founder of Forest Bathing Hawaiʻi; interviewed, May 2026
- American Psychological Association: “Speaking of Psychology: Why our attention spans are shrinking, with Gloria Mark, PhD”
- Biomedical Research: “Fragrant environment with α-pinene decreases tumor growth in mice”
- Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: “Effects of Forest Bathing on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Parameters in Middle-Aged Males”
- Forests: “Preventive Effects of Forest Bathing/Shinrin-Yoku on Cardiovascular Diseases: A Review of Mechanistic Evidence”
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: “Forest Volatile Organic Compounds and Their Effects on Human Health: A State-of-the-Art Review”
- National Geographic: “The secret to mindful travel? A walk in the woods.”
- Pharmacological Research – Natural Products: “Phytoncides and immunity from forest to facility: A systematic review and meta-analysis”
- Psychological Science: The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature
- Science Advances: “Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective”
- Scientific Reports: “Immersion in nature enhances neural indices of executive attention”
- Scientific Research Publishing: “Impact of Social Media Usage on Attention Spans”
- Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine: “Effects of forest environment (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing) on health promotion and disease prevention—the Establishment of ‘Forest Medicine'”
- Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine: “Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function”
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