What Is Forest Bathing?

Reconnect with Nature, Restore Your Wellbeing

Forest Bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, is a simple yet powerful practice of immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, and sensations of a natural environment—most often a forest or woodland. It’s not hiking, exercising, or even a nature walk—it’s about being, not doing.

Rooted in Japanese wellness traditions, Forest Bathing invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and awaken your senses. You may notice the play of light through the leaves, the texture of bark under your fingertips, or the scent of damp earth after rain.

Scientific studies have shown that time spent mindfully in nature can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, boost immune function, and improve mood.

At Yew in the Wild, we offer gentle, guided Forest Bathing experiences that help you reconnect—with yourself, with others, and with the living world around you.


The Benefits of Forest Bathing

Nature’s Medicine—Backed by Science

Forest Bathing may sound poetic, but its benefits are firmly grounded in research. Here’s how this quiet, mindful practice can support your health and wellbeing:

  • Reduces Stress & Anxiety
    Cortisol levels drop, heart rate slows, and the nervous system shifts from “fight or flight” into “rest and digest.”

  • Boosts Mood & Mental Clarity
    Time in nature helps ease symptoms of depression, improves focus, and increases emotional resilience.

  • Supports Physical Health
    Studies show improved immune function, lower blood pressure, and enhanced sleep after regular nature immersion.

  • Encourages Connection
    Spending time in nature builds a sense of belonging—both to the land and to a community of fellow humans and more-than-human life.

Whether you're looking for quiet reflection, support with mental health, or simply a fresh way to spend time outdoors, Forest Bathing offers a path back to your roots.


What to Expect on a Forest Bathing Walk

Slow. Gentle. Restorative.

A Forest Bathing walk with Yew in the Wild is a carefully held experience—open to everyone, no matter your age or mobility. You don’t need to be fit or experienced in nature. All you need is a willingness to slow down and be present.

Here's what a session might include:

  • A warm welcome and grounding introduction

  • A slow walk through woodland or green space, with time to pause and notice

  • Gentle, sensory invitations: feeling textures, listening closely, smelling the air

  • Quiet moments for reflection or sharing (if you choose)

  • A closing circle with tea and thanks

Each session is adapted to the group, the weather, and the landscape. Sessions typically last 3 hours.

We welcome individuals, small groups, or organisations looking to bring nature into care, education, or wellbeing settings.


Who It’s For

Forest Bathing is for everyone.
Whether you're seeking peace, support, clarity—or just some time to breathe—Forest Bathing can meet you where you are.

You don’t need to be fit, outdoorsy, or experienced in nature. You don’t need to have all the answers, or any of them. All you need is the willingness to slow down, show up, and notice.

Our sessions are especially supportive for:

  • People feeling overwhelmed or burnt out
    Time in nature helps calm the nervous system, quiet busy thoughts, and restore balance.

  • Those living with anxiety, depression or low mood
    Forest Bathing offers gentle structure, sensory grounding, and a chance to reconnect with something bigger.

  • Carers, educators, and frontline workers
    A space to let go of responsibility, recharge, and receive care from the natural world.

  • People recovering from illness, grief or life change
    Being in nature offers comfort, renewal, and a sense of being held—without pressure or expectation.

  • Anyone who feels disconnected—from themselves, others, or the earth
    Forest Bathing helps rebuild trust and relationship with the living world and your own inner landscape.

We also welcome people who:

  • Love nature but rarely make time for it

  • Are curious about mindfulness but find traditional approaches challenging

  • Are looking for meaningful, restorative group experiences

Accessibility matters.
We offer gentle walks with regular pauses, suitable for a range of energy levels and mobility. If you have specific needs or questions, just get in touch—we’re happy to adapt where possible.

You are welcome here.
Whether you come with a friend or on your own, you’ll be met with warmth, care, and a deep respect for your personal experience.


The Proven Benefits of Forest Bathing and Nature Connection

Forest bathing — known in Japan as Shinrin-Yoku — is the practice of slowing down, awakening the senses, and allowing the natural world to support our wellbeing.

It’s not exercise or a nature walk. It’s an intentional, gentle way of being with the land that helps regulate the nervous system, quiet the mind, and bring us back to a felt sense of safety and connection.

And it’s more than just a beautiful idea — decades of research now show what many of us have always felt:

Nature heals and we heal better when we slow down and let ourselves belong to it again.


Evidence-Based Benefits


💚 Supports Mental Health

Forest bathing has been shown to reduce symptoms of:

  • Stress and anxiety

  • Depression

  • Burnout and fatigue

  • Racing thoughts and overactivity

Spending time in nature slows down the stress response and increases levels of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin — the “feel-good” chemicals that support connection and calm.

A 2020 study showed that just 2 hours a week in nature can significantly improve overall mental health and life satisfaction (White et al, 2019).


🌿 Calms the Nervous System

Gentle nature immersion activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the “rest and digest” state — helping to reduce:

  • High blood pressure

  • Cortisol (stress hormone)

  • Heart rate variability

  • Inflammation in the body

It’s particularly supportive for people experiencing trauma, chronic stress, or sensory overwhelm, helping the body learn that it’s safe to rest.


🌳 Improves Focus, Clarity & Mood

Forest bathing can enhance:

  • Cognitive function and attention span

  • Creative thinking and clarity

  • Emotional regulation and resilience

  • Mood and sense of optimism

Natural settings give the mind a chance to gently “reset,” which can be particularly helpful for people navigating recovery, neurodiversity, or emotional overload.


🌸 Boosts Immune Function

Trees release phytoncides — natural chemicals that protect them from pests and disease. When we breathe these in, our own bodies respond by increasing:

  • Natural killer (NK) cell activity, which strengthens immune defences

  • Anti-cancer proteins

  • Overall immune resilience

One study showed increased NK cell activity lasting up to a week after a 2-day forest immersion (Qing Li et al, 2008).


🧭 Reconnection & Meaning

Beyond the science, forest bathing offers something just as essential:

A sense of belonging, awe, and remembrance.
For many people, it’s a way to feel part of something again — especially after grief, isolation, burnout, or emotional disconnection.

Nature becomes a mirror. A companion. A quiet guide.
And for some, it becomes a turning point.