Forest Bathing: Discovering Health and Happiness Through the Japanese Practice of Shinrin Yoku (A Start Here Guide)

by Cyndi Gilbert

Author and naturopathic physician Dr. Cyndi Gilbert introduces readers to the art and science of forest bathing, the deceptively simple Japanese practice of spending time in the forest as a way to find peace, rejuvenation, and to promote health.

Dr. Gilbert shares her own personal history with the practice--how in the midst of an urban sprawl she lost touch with nature, only to rediscover it through the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing. In Forest Bathing, you'll discover the health benefits of Shinrin Yoku, from restoring Vitamin D to balancing your microbiome, along with the rich mental and emotional rewards that spending time surrounded by trees can offer.

Most importantly, the book offers an easy and practical guide to begin your own forest bathing practice along with a resources section to help you further explore the topic. Learn to tap more deeply into your five senses, practice true mindfulness in sacred woodland spaces, and experience the healing impact of nature wherever you are.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Nature, Ecology

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2019

About the author

Dr. Cyndi Gilbert, ND is a naturopathic doctor who has been studying natural and herbal medicine since she first ate red clover flowers out of her yard as a child. She has been teaching and supervising naturopathic medical interns at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine for over 10 years.
She has a thriving clinical practice with a special focus in mental wellness, trauma, addiction, and reproductive/sexual health. Cyndi lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Imagine a therapy that is completely free, readily available, and virtually without side effects that can radically transform your health by improving your mental health, brain health, heart health, stress resiliency, immune system, and more. It exists, and it’s called nature exposure or forest bathing."
Dr. Cyndi Gilbert is an expert in forest bathing. But more than that, she's passionate about the therapeutic benefits of nature. "Forest Bathing" offers scientific and practical reasons for her passion and is based on her research, forest bathing experiences around the globe, and her work with patients in her natural medicine practice.
While the book does motivate readers to consider the benefits of spending time in nature every day, some of the information is repeated in different sections of the book, and I skimmed the repeated info. However, I settled into chapter 3 "How to forest bathe" and read every word. It offers new and different methods for forest bathing, and I'm excited to try them in my wooded backyard and local mountain trails.
This book is indeed a starting guide to forest bathing. It's a fairly quick read with solid information that helps newbies learn more about what forest bathing is and why it matters.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. It discusses many topics like the impact being in the forest/nature can have on our physical and mental well being (decreases blood pressure, anxiety, stress hormones). It can positively affect people who are dealing with depression, ADHD, etc. Since we are so hooked on technology and looking at things close up, being in nature and looking far away is good for the eyes which you do in a forest. She suggests the 20-20-20 rule - every 20 minutes look at something twenty feet away for twenty seconds. The author not only describes the benefits of forest bathing but also describes how trees communicate with each other through scent signals into the air and release chemicals through their roots through the soil with the help of fungal networks (Trees allow fungi to grow on the soft hairs of their roots and connect to other trees' fungi through the forest floor. Their fungal webs can grow for more than 2000 years and cover 2000 acres which allow for water and nutrient distribution and communication). Finally she offers some ways to experience forest bathing. My favourite is that in the spring you can hear sap and water move up and down the tree which would be great to try with children.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the general idea of this book. I've been very intrigued about Forest Bathing and this gave a lot of information to satisfy my curiosity. With actually implementing more nature based activities and trips into my life as well as my families I have seen first-hand the benefits of being outside more especially in the trees. Reading about that in more detail was really great. I think she got a lot more into scientific detail near the middle of the book then needed. I really appreciate the Forest Bathing activities that were suggested as well. Hoping to implement some of them when I need it.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been listening to several audio books about forest bathing and this one has been the most informative. Dr. Gilbert really invites readers to part take in the highly rewarding and rejuvenating practice within nature. With scientific evidence and anecdotal family stories this book was astounding.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and quick read for anyone interested in the therapeutic basics of forest bathing. I appreciated the science and research behind the health claims. It helped to buttress what I already intrinsically knew-being in nature is medicinal.

[Dipa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and rich concept, but poorly wrapped.

[Shelley Quezada]

Dr. Gilbert's book on Forest Bathing reflects her years of practice as a naturopathic physician. Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing is a world trend as evidenced by the number of books on the subject that have been published in recent years. The term was coined in Japan where contact with nature has long been an essential part of the culture. What sets Dr. Gilbert's work apart for me is the quality of her writing. Just reading the preface to the book was the equivalent of experiencing a consultation that slowed down my heart rate and made me feel better. The book is filled with excellent exercises and suggestions to reconnect with nature. It is a reminder of how essential it is for all of us to value and support what is increasingly our most tenuous and endangered resource.