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

A Start Here Guide for Beginners

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.

[Maxine Kossy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise, easy to read and extremely informative book. The entire time while reading I was yearning to get out and walk into the woods among the trees. I was reminded that even a simple visit to a city park can be beneficial. The "how to " section was filled with practical, easy to follow ideas. I especially enjoyed how the author's own personal reflections and experiences were interwoven throughout the book. A great read!

[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.

[Literasi Bumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku ini memberikan sebuah cara pandang baru tentang berkegiatan di alam. Dalam buku ini kegiatan tersebut disebut Forest Bathing. Istilahnya bisa berbeda di tiap daerah, atau sebenarnya memang ada banyak istilah yang selama ini kita ketahui namun pemakanaannya berbeda, seperti hiking, camping, pendakian dll. Esensinya sama yaitu menikmati alam bebas di antara rimbunnya pepohonan.

Cara pandang baru yang kutemukan dalam buku ini adalah bagaimana kita bisa berinteraksi dengan pohon melalui 5 indra kita. Dari buku ini aku baru memahami bahwa pohon memiliki zat bernama phytoncide yang ternyata mereka keluarkan dari batang dan itu membawa aroma khas dan efek obat bagi manusia.

Setelah selesai baca buku ini aku jadi ingin mengetahui lebih dalam lagi bagaimana antar pohon berinteraksi dan fase hidup pohon dan fungsi masing-masing bagian dari pohon secara mendetail. Sangat menarik!

[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.

[Geri chesner · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book's subtitle is "a start here guide for beginners" and it truly is. However, even beginners would appreciate seeing the references Gilbert quotes throughout the book. She does have a "Appendix: Learn More," but this is not enough to show where her sources came from. She does state that there are few large scale studies and that many of the studies she quotes were done in Japan where Shinrin-yoku was coined. I think this book could have been presented in 50 pages to avoid the repetitive nature of her message.

[bookinglibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covering issues beyond forest bathing per se, this useful book touches on other nature-based health modalities, including some activities in other countries which are all fascinating topics for further exploration. However, many of these remain rather general in coverage, and better editing is needed to clarify and focus ideas, including providing more resources for further information.

[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.

[Kayla Heineman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book that could’ve been a blog. Writer was extremely repetitive. Great stats, and I appreciate the transparency, but the author sometimes talked me out of the “science” of forest bathing.

[Dipa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and rich concept, but poorly wrapped.

[Tia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good info but sooo redundant and dry.

[Cristie Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good ideas and work in theory, but the plethora of errors as well as its repetitive nature and lack of source citation leaves a lot to be desired.

[Azalya · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Gilbert's easy and practical guide to begin your own forest bathing"

It seems to me that this book is similar to the previous one I read, which was Wabi Sabi by Beth Kempton. In this book, Gilbert mentions that the method here is adapted from the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, and she did a specific study on how nature can cure people easily. However, walking in the forest by the trees is fresh and soothing, but the way she explained the medication method in this book doesn't seem to fit everyone. In short, it's an easy read, but the introduction is far too long.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Cyndi Gilbert's excellent book highlights the value of Forest Bathing. I recommend this book to patients as a reminder of the healing power of nature.

[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.