“Are we taking a bath in the forest?” someone joked on one of Gayle Byck’s recent guided walks. “No, please keep your clothes on,” she replied with a smile.
Byck, a certified forest therapy guide, takes groups of people of all ages and abilities on two- hour walks through the forests, woods and beaches of the North Shore and Illinois. The experiences are well-received and often life-changing. And it’s true—the guided meditation leaves people feeling as clean as if they’ve just bathed.
After her father passed away, Byck visited Red Mountain Resort in Ivins, Utah, to recharge. “When I got to my favorite spot and saw all the nature and the beauty, I felt the stress leaving my body from head to toe,” she says. “I felt this total peace come over me. Then I thought, maybe I’ll give this forest bathing a shot.”
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese practice of immersing your senses in nature to help you relax, heighten your awareness, and form a deeper connection to nature.
Studies show spending time in nature can reduce stress, lower heart rate and blood pressure, improve sleep and mood, and boost the immune system.
Byck’s “In Tune with Nature” guided meditation invites people to wander alone and bring back rocks, pinecones or flowers to share with the group. This experience concludes with a tea gathering that focuses on gratitude and reciprocity with nature.
“Forest bathing is about slowing down, noticing your surroundings and being present,” Byck says. “I think we all need more of that in our lives.”
Those with dementia have also reaped the benefits of Byck’s walks. Since they spend most of their days indoors, Byck has brought outdoor items like rocks and flowers into the facilities for sensory stimulation.
“I remember one man with dementia who lit up after he was reminded of the two trees in his backyard, visible from his childhood room’s bedroom window,” she recalls. “As he reminisced about those moments in nature, he was full of joy.”
Another woman found coping strategies to deal with her mental health struggles as a result of the forest walks.
“There was a woman who had severe anxiety and ADHD, by her own admission, who said, ‘I never felt so free in my life’ and started pouring her heart out during the walk,” says Byck. “She felt as though the trees were not judging her, and that she could be whoever she wanted to be.”
Byck hopes that the walks will teach people about mindfulness, and she has recently branched out to work with teens and young adults. “There’s something about being out in nature that helps people open up,” she says.
To learn more, visit intunehealthadvocates.com/intune-with-nature.html.
Forest bathing is about slowing down, noticing your surroundings and being present