If you know anything about forest bathing, you know that this practice is about slowing down and engaging your senses. It’s a mindful practice of bathing in the forest atmosphere. We walk slowly. We sit in sit spots.
Here are some other prompts or invitations to transform your daily walk into a magical, medicinal experience. Try it by yourself or with loved ones:
Look for something you’ve never seen before
Why haven’t you seen it? Did it just show up? Have you missed it before?
Notice all the things of a certain color
Green? Red? Purple? White? Rainbow? What do you see differently when you’re focused on one color?
Find an object that you would like to interview.
And then actually interview it. If you’re alone, ask questions and “hear” what the object has to say. If you’re with someone else, take turns responding on behalf of the object. Have fun and trust what comes up.
Collect sounds
You can do this by pretending to collect sounds or actually recording on your phone if you happen to have it with you. I like to collect sound bites like some people collect photos.
Look for what isn’t there
This one can be heart breaking and bring up some climate grief. But it’s important. What’s missing from this landscape? What was once there that is no longer here? Take a moment to reflect on why.
Find evidence of time passing
Whether it’s the seasons or the years, what has changed over time? What are some things that mark time? In my neighborhood, there are wagon tracks from when the settlers first came West on the Applegate Trail. There’s also an unfinished railroad tunnel.