Your Guide to Forest Bathing (Expanded Edition): Experience the Healing Power of Nature

by M. Amos Clifford

The bestselling guide to forest bathing with a new section of hands-on forest bathing practices and space for journal entries and reflections. Simply being present in the natural world, with all of our senses fully alive, can have a remarkably healing effect. It can also awaken in us our latent but profound connection with all living things. This is “forest bathing,” a practice inspired by the Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku . It is a gentle, meditative approach to being with nature and an antidote to our nature-starved lives that can heal our relationship with the more-than-human world. In Your Guide to Forest Bathing , you'll discover a path that you can use to begin a practice of your own that includes specific activities presented by Amos Clifford, one of the world’s most experienced forest bathing experts. Whether you’re in a forest or woodland, public park, or just your own backyard, this book will be your personal guide as you explore the natural world in a way you may have never thought possible.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Self Help, Spirituality, Health, Audiobook, Environment

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2018

Reviews

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a practical, concise, poetic, guide to practicing Forest Bathing. This is not particularly the traditional Japanese method, but it is rather a hybrid of those techniques combined with the North American style developed in recent years. Clifford gives you a clear layout to begin your practice, but leaves enough flexibility for the reader to bring their own creativity to their experiences. Basically, I find it to be nearly a perfect guide for beginners to Forest Bathing!

I borrowed this book from the library, but I can't wait to purchase my own copy to mark up with notes and highlighter and to take with me into the forest as a companion whom I don't need to worry about keeping immaculately clean. This book is certainly going to be with me for years to come.

Also of note is the size of the physical paperback book. It's only a bit larger than the size of a passport, so it's very portable and convenient to carry around with you!

[Sille · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eestlase jaoks on see raamat liialt lihtsustatud, kirjutatud peamiselt eneseabiõpiku vaimus ning arvatavasti eelkõige suunatud päästmatult urbaniseerunud kodanikule. Eestlase metsakogemus on ilmselt (praegu veel) märksa loomulikum ja intuitiivsem, vähemalt minu põlvkonnas veel küll. Samas tuleb järjest juurde neid inimesi, kes on harjunud rohkem jälgima nutitelefoni ekraani kui üldse kuidagi märkama ümberringi toimuvat, nii et ilmselt muutub see teos ning selles kirjeldatud praktika üha rohkem asjakohaseks ning vajalikuks.

[Abeer Arain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for the writing and sentence structure; otherwise, this book is another Western author's secular view on nature. During forest bathing, the author recommends taking help from stones, talking to the trees, telling secrets to the flowing stream, and so on. What he does not think about is the One who created all these elements of nature. Western concepts of forest bathing are limited to sensory and proprioceptive components, and they have nothing to do with contemplating nature and finding one's purpose in this life.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first shinrin-yoku was a quasi-metaversal event with a web3 community using Twitter Spaces about a year ago. While not a “pure” forest bathing experience, it was still a great experience, one that my son and I really enjoyed together, and one that gave me a strong sense for the good side of technology and online communities as well as the world of possibilities with forest bathing. I’ve not been super active since, but stay intrigued, so when this book was referenced in another book I recently read, I knew I wanted to read it.

This book is a no nonsense guide that gets straight to the point. It has a brief introduction that touches on a few basic points including environmentalism but doesn’t overdo it—instead the author is confident that anyone will agree that spending time in nature is good for you.

Throughout, there are some cute phrases that really give you a sense for the practice like “be guided by the ethic of tenderness” and “notice what you are noticing.”

The majority of the book outlines the Forest Bathing Standard Sequence (2-4 hours): Set a firm intention to forest bathe; Begin with a ‘Threshold of Connection’ to ceremonially step into the practice and separate yourself from other experiences; Stay in place using all senses to explore (15 minutes); Walk slowly & notice what is in motion around you (20 min); Choose 1-3 invitations (kind of like prompts such as talking to a tree, hugging a zephyr of wind, holding a rock, etc) that are a good fit for the place/people around you/mood (up to 2 hr); Sit spot (20 min); Tea ceremony with snacks and conversation; ‘Threshold of Incorporation’ marking your return to ordinary experiences.

[Raganų kraujo]

Skaitant taip ir norėjosi ištrūkti į gamtą ir pailsėti nuo visko, į medį atsirėmus.
Nesu didelė tokio tipo knygų entuziastė, bet kažką visgi pasiėmiau. Matyt, daugelis mūsų - lietuvių, turi tą trauką miškui ir progai pasitaikius, mielai sudalyvaučiau miško maudynėse. Dalį praktinių patarimų tikrai nesunku bus išbandyti.
Pati knyga labai gero formato, nemeluosiu, kad patogus dydis bei gražus leidimas buvo viena priežasčių, lėmusių tai, kad ją atsiverčiau.
Kaip bebūtų, vertinti man ją atrodo kiek neteisinga, nes knygą priskirčiau savipagalbos kategorijai, o jų tiesiog negaliu vertinti daugiau nei 3 žvaigždutėmis.

[-Vilma- · Rating 3 out of 5]

Per paskutinius pora metų skaičiau nemažai knygų miško/gamtos tema. Ir ši buvo viena iš tų, kuri paliko mažiausią įspūdį. Gal ji tinkamesnė žmonėms, retai būnantiems miške ir kai jiems reikia “nurodymų”, ką ten veikti. O man tikrai nereikia “pasidėti lazdą ant žemės, ir ją perlipus, atsidurti miške” 🙈

Ir dar kelios citatos, kurios mažų mažiausiai erzino:

“Uždėkite ranką ant pėdsako. Ar jaučiate gyvūno buvimą?”

“Kalbėkite į gėlę lyg į telefono ragelį, tarsi skambindami Žemei”.

[Onceinabluemoon · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading some frightening thriller I thought forest bathing looked like my kind of therapy! I was listening while working in the garden, as smitten as I was with the title I have to say this book gave me no joy... I spend 12-14 hours a day in nature, I am very in tune with my surroundings, this was just an overview to my every day life, didn't impress me....

[Jerad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't read it for literature, but as a how-to. As far as how-tos go, this book achieves exactly what it sets out to: the reader walks away having learned more about forest bathing and able to embark upon an individual experience. Sitting in my living room and simply reading some of the "invitations" in the book placed me in a mental space of relaxing in the woods, paying time no mind.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great information about the benefits of forest bathing and ideas about how to do it with intention. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be a certified forest therapy guide? Maybe my next career…

[Nancy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember it’s a guide and maybe not your guide. Diversity in books, like biodiversity is a good thing

[Tzakouzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck yeah 🤘🏻
It’s time to touch some grass and hug some trees.

[Surya · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for how it made me feel and what it asked of me.

[Ieva Lebedytė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viena iš mano gyvenimo taisyklių - kai blogai, eit į mišką. Dabar noriu pabandyti eiti į mišką kitaip, lėčiau, atidžiau, susipažįstant, o ne prasilenkiant su miško gyvybe ir negyvybe.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a comprehensive overview and prescriptive guide to forest bathing, the English term for “shinrin-yoku”, a Japanese practice founded in 1982. According to Clifford, at its essence forest bathing is immersing oneself fully (all 5 senses) in connecting with nature. Done right, you commit to awareness and respect for what nature has to offer, and don’t set lofty expectations or confuse this with exercise. For someone who works at a laptop all day, I appreciated learning about the counterbalance this practice offers and look forward to being more intentional about spending time outdoors.

Per the author, “May we overcome our cleverness and find our wisdom. The trees offer us a bridge to our own wisdom; their listening does not call forth ideas of greed and exploitation, but of beauty and familial membership. For me, forest bathing leads ever deeper toward embodied knowing, beyond doubt, of my inter being with the forest, with all beings, and with the family of all the inhabitants of the more-than-human world. May it be so for you as well.”

[Ashley Wold · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love botanising during hiking, and it turns out I do a lot of what this book suggests for forest bathing. I'm a naturalist at heart and will spend hours hiking without getting terribly far because I have to notice EVERYTHING. The sky, plants, animals, creeks, fungi, and so on. I love the little details that a lot of people miss due to being too busy, or taking the natural world for granted.

I did enjoy reading this even though I do many of these things already. If you're looking to be more in tune with nature during a stroll through the forest, this is a nice guide to peruse.

[Tiina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Metsakümblust ei pea tegema ainult metsas, kirjutab autor. Niisiis tegin ma seda töökoha parklas, imetledes lõppeva päeva päikesekiirte peegeldust sügistel lehtedel. Iga päev ahmin endasse seda elujõulist Jaapani loodust (ja kõik need lopsakad taimed mõjuvad nii rahustavalt!). Iga õhtu igatsen kodumaa metsade järele. Kas keegi oskab soovitada häid fotoraamatuid Eesti loodusest?

Paar päeva tagasi alustas kolleeg minu ga vestlust, sõnades: "Ma kuulsin, et Eestis võid sa metsast ande korjata... seeni ja marju ja..." Minge metsa, sõbrad! Pange end soojalt riide ja minge! Nautige seda natuke vastikut, natuke armast ilma!

Kui ma marsruudi selgeks saan, siis ma lähen vaatan Akasawa ravimetsa ka oma silmaga üle. Teen seal shinrin-yokut ja õpin ka lõõgastuma.

[Tola · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Dowiedzialam się o nowych pojęciach itp. Ale ogólnie to głównie wypisane różne cwiczenia i praktyki. I to że np 20 min z zegarkiem w ręku rób to, a potem 5 min to nie jest dla mnie. Ale ogólnie ksiazka stworzona dobrze wszystko jasno wytłumaczone. Mam całą kartkę nowych informacji do przyswojenia

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Polecam każdemu, świetna praktyka

[Leigh Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book about getting the most out of forest walks.

[Michael Lafreniere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book's ability to share the idea and practice of Forest Bathing. With a mix of meditation, yoga practice, and nature - it was a helpful read into the practice of shinrin-yoku.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

If trees are the answer, we need to know the question.

This book is a good starting place.

[Aingeal Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept. It's a good book for anyone just trying to learn the basics of forest bathing.

[Agnė Mačiūnė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daug naudingos informacijos apie miško maudynes. Šiek tiek kartojasi informacija kai kur , bet visumoje naudingas vadovas, pradmenys, įvadas į miško terapiją žaliems.

[Tracey Burks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely approachable for a beginning framework in forest bathing. I expected to walk away feeling more incapable due to a possible overly esoteric writing. Not at all and I’m more excited to study this subject deeper and more likely to share what I’ve learned along the way.
For those who need a very rigid step by step approach, this may not be a 5-star read but I would encourage you to read it anyway!

[Simona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esu draugei sakius, kad aš ne visai netikiu ąžuolų šventumo idėja. Manau, kad jei netikėčiau Dievu, medžiai ir miškai lengvai man galėtų atrodyt garbinimo verti. O dabar, aš žaviuosi ir mėgaujuosi jais kaip kūriniais. Nuostabiausiais, kartais žadą atimančiais.

Knygoje man kliuvo miškų ir medžių sudvasinimas, kvietimas kalbėtis su jais, klausti jų, atsakyti į jų kvietimus. Ir visko apgaubimas tokia šventų švenčiausia aura. Nors, iš esmės, aš pritariu visiems įrodymams, kad pabuvus miške nuskraidrėja protas, pasikraunama gerų emocijų, nurimstame, kitaip dirba smegenys. Ir gairės miškinėjimo, tikrai geros, bet man noris laisvės ir pasakymo, kad galiu būt miške taip, kaip man patinka. 😀

Patiko mintis, kad geriausiai atsipalaiduojame, kai neturime tikslų ir lūkesčių. 💛

Autorius knygoje aprašo asmeninius suvokimus, mokslininkų tyrimus ir savitą miško maudynių filosofiją. Jeigu norisi pamiškinėt jo būdais, tai vadovas puikus. Praktiškas. Nuo - ką ir kaip tame miške veikti, iki - kokiu tempu, kiek laiko ir ką pasiimti.

Man asmeniškai noris laisvės, net jeigu daugeliui minčių iš dalies pritariu. Įdomus ir pastebėjimas, kad miško maudynėse svarbus lėtumas, būvimas čia ir dabar, ne nužygiuotų žingsnių skaičius, ar įveiktas tikslas. Nors man ir nužygiuot būna smagu.

Esu gamtos mylėtoja, bet knygoje man pakiša koja nurodymai, ką joje veikti ir sudvasinimas. O daugiau, tarsi daugeliui minčių galėčiau pritarti. Turbūt skirtingais keliais atrandame gamtos nuostabumą ir būdus būti darnoje su ja.

[Raminta Jocienė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eiti... sustoti...išjausti.
Miškas traukia nuo pat mažumės, gal todėl, kad mūsų DNR pamatas iš to paties. Galima stebėtis, bet žmogus ir medis yra panašesni, nei atrodo išoriškai. Ir kai pamačiau Miško terapijos knygą lentynoje, tiesiog apsėdo mintis ją įsigyti. Dar vienas puikus buvimo miške draugas, rodos, kažkas užrašė tai, kuo intuityviai kvėpavau. Nuklysti nuo tako, perlipti virtuolį, prisėsti ant kelmo, apabinti kamieną, basomis braidyti samanose ar spyglių kilimais, rasti savo šaką, akmenį, žievės fragmentą, žemės grumstą, gyvūno pėdsaką.. visi tie miško kvietimai 💚

🌳"Labai seniai mūsų kūnai išmoko kvėpuoti tuo, ką iškvepia medžiai,- sodriu šviežiai išskirto deguonies ir kitų junginių mišiniu <...> šie santykiai visada abipusiai: mes iškvepiame anglies dioksidą, o medžiai jį įkvepia"

🌳 "Miško maudynės nėra žygis. Miško maudynių paskirties taškas "čia", o ne "ten". Tempas lėtas. Svarbiausia miško maudynėse- ryšys ir santykis"

🌳"Žmonės saugo tai, ką myli",- yra pasakęs Jacques'as Yves'as Cousteau. Per miško maudynes įsimylėjau mišką. Noriu, kad ir kiti patirtų šį jausmą"

🌳 "Miško kvietimą išgirsti pajėgus kiekvienas, net vaikas - net ir tas vaikas, kuris gyvena jumyse!"

🌳 "Nebūkite rimti suaugusieji, leiskite vyrauti vaiko protui. Atsiduokite vaizdų ir jų sukeltų jausmų tėkmei"

[Madli Allikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raamatuni jõudsin üldse läbi selle, et joogaõpetajana viia taastava jooga praktikat sügavamaks.

"Kui tempot maha võtame, siis ajataju muutub. See on aga uus proovikivi."

Minu üllatuseks sain aru, et nagu ka taastaval joogal on metsakümbluse tulemus samade sõnadega kirjeldatud, protsess selleks aga mõneti erinev ja kohati väga sarnane nagu nt eesmärkidest lahti laskmine. Mõlema põhimõte on jõuda tagasi loomulikku. Kui võibolla otsisin miskit uut, siis sain hoopis kinnitust, et loomulik ongi kõige õigem.

Kõigil on erinevaid viise jõudmaks tagasi rahu ja ühenduseni ja nagu siin ka varasemalt kommenteeritud, siis eestlasena tuleb metsakümblus intuitiivselt ja raamatu sisu saab kanda lihtsasti igasuguste tegevuste külge, mida juba väiksest peale iseenesestmõistetavana teinud. Pilvede jälgimisest pisidetailide märkamise, käed mullas kuni paljajalu käimiseni jne.

küll aga julgen öelda, et puudulikum on loomulik olemus ja lõõgastuse säilitamine seinte vahel ja pikalt metsast eemal olles. Tuua teatud kümbluse osa ka kohtadesse kaasa, kus ei olegi võimalust, et ukse taga on mets toetamas. Vot seda sain raamatust mõtteaineks juurde.

[Kay Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short simple guide to being more aware of your surroundings while walking in the forest. it has nothing to do with real bathing in water. I do agree that most of the time while walking I am engaged in conversation and ptrobably miss a lot of what nature has to offer. The books gives many ideas on how to use your 5 senses while walking, how not to hurry and focus on the destination, but in stead to take in all that a walk has to offer. I have read 2 great books this year about deforestation and how life would be without trees - The Overstory and Greenwood - so this was more a practical handbook to making the most of a walk in the woods

[Vanessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got through 3 pages of this book and decided it was going to ruin forest bathing for me. The authors tone came off as egotistical and narrow minded. I do not want to feel judged in how I interact with the forest, so this book is going right back to the library.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short book. And very hippie dippy. I do a lot of the things he recommends but when he says it, it feels like I should have a collection of crystals in a blessing altar in my house and regularly attend drum circles.