SEPTEMBER May the Forest be With you!
PRIZE THIS MONTH!!!
“A walk in nature, walks the soul back home”
~ Mary Davis
“Nature itself is the best physician”
~ Hippocrates
The practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is practiced in Japan. It is basically a technique that activates the parasympathetic nervous system helping us relax, reduces our anxiety, increases our immune system function and improves our happiness and wellbeing. Since we live in an area with such close proximity to forests, I thought this would be an interesting to introduce us all to this practice.
THE CHALLENGE
All levels: Experience one shinrin-yoku (forest bathing). Basically, you will go into an outdoor landscape, ideally a forest. You cannot use electronic devices and you can’t have a specific goal like exercising. You can do this with others but all must go in with the intention of doing the shinrin-yoku. During your forest bathing, you will actively use your senses to experience your surroundings. Watch the light in the leaves, listen to the wind, the animals, inhale the forest smells, feel the forest. When you have relaxed and been present in the forest you can exit whenever you feel the experience is complete. This can be for any duration of time. You need at least 15 min to have a physiologic benefit and most studies use a Shinrin-yoku time of 2 hour…but you can experience as you please.
THE PRIZE
If you complete one shinrin yoku you are eligible to be entered into the draw for this month’s prize.
The prize is a $250 gift certificate to MEC.
ENTERING THE DRAW
you must complete at least 1 shinrin yoku to be eligible
send WHO you are and WHERE you work to yycemhappinesschallenge2021@gmail.com
to be eligible emails must be received by midnight of October 7, 2021
To learn more about the benefits of forest bathing check out this talk by Ronna Schneberger from TEDxCanmore
