Forest Bathing | A Book Review

This book should probably have been called “the definitive guide to shinrin-yoku” but like us, you’ve probably never heard of shinrin-yoku before.

It’s the Japanese science of how we can use trees to promote our emotional and physical wellbeing and that’s the subject of Forest Bathing by Dr Qing Li.

Shinrin-Yoku Is Forest Bathing

What is forest bathing?

Well, imagine it’s a beautiful sunny day and you’re walking through the park and there’s a tree in front of you.

Think about how it smells, the color of its leaves, the way the bark feels underneath your fingers, then consider how happy and relaxed you are as you appreciate the tree.

That’s forest bathing. Dr Qing Li, the world’s foremost expert on shinrin-yoku says that it’s an incredible experience that brings tangible benefits to practitioners.

What Benefits Does Forest Bathing Bring?

Dr Qing Li says you can dramatically lower stress by interacting with trees and that, in turn, this lowers blood pressure, boosts your immune system, gives you energy, brightens you mood, makes it easier to be creative and helps you concentrate.

He’s even seen that it can potentially help us lose weight and live a longer life!

Surprisingly, there’s some good science underpinning Dr Li’s claims and this is a very nice read which really lays out everything you need to know to get the most out of the connection that humanity has with the natural world.

You can find Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness on Amazon.