People living in Central Oregon are no strangers to spending time outdoors. With the rivers, mountains and lively outdoor events, being outside is a part of living here. Sure, existing outside is good for you, but taking the time to slow down, connect with the Earth below your feet and feel one with nature can provide many health benefits. It's called forest bathing.
This ancient Japanese practice (shinrin yoku) is a process of relaxation and calming sensory connection to nature — observing, deep breathing, feeling, smelling, existing in harmony. Forest bathing studies have shown that the practice reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels after just one immersion, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Missie Wilker is a certified forest therapy guide and owns a yoga studio in Bend, R'oming Yoga. Wilker hosts two-hour guided forest bathing sessions in Central Oregon, mainly at Shevlin Park. She defines forest bathing as "slowing down to cultivate an intentional relationship with the natural world through sensory practices." After her first guided forest bathing session, she was hooked.
"I left the [my first forest bath] feeling so incredibly connected," Wilker told the Source Weekly. "I felt this deep relational connection with nature that I've never had felt before."
Wilker immediately searched for a program to become a forest therapy guide after her meaningful experience. Her forest bathing sessions start with an introduction and lead into a sensory connection practice, Wilker calls it "forest immersion." The introductory practice is about grounding participants into the environment and opening them up to the experience—touching bark on trees, breathing in natural aromas, listening to the wind or noticing small organisms in the nature around them.
The guided sessions continue with invitations to walk slowly and lie/sit on the Earth as well as time for individual connection. At the end of the session, the group sits for a tea ceremony to connect and reflect on the experience. Wilker's next forest bathing session is Sunday, May 7 at Shevlin Park.
People interested in forest bathing don't need a guide to practice. All you need is a space in nature, an intentional mind and a slow moment to connect. Central Oregonians have ample options to forest bathing locations — such as the Deschutes National Forest, Shevlin Park or the Deschutes River Trail, to name a few.
