Forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, began in Japan in the 1980s as a government initiative to help reduce stress among citizens. There was even had a name for it - Karoshi, or “death by overwork”. Since then, research has demonstrated the benefits of being in nature on physical and mental health and forest bathing (or forest therapy) has become more mainstream.
Students today are spending less and less time outdoors and forest bathing is a way to help bring them into the natural environment they so desperately need. This session will describe the practice of forest bathing and its benefits. It will also include easy-to-implement strategies for the classroom, including ways to enjoy the benefits of forest bathing when getting outdoors isn’t practical or possible. Come prepared to participate and learn about this wellness practice for yourself and your students!
Here is a link to follow along with the resources:
https://tinyurl.com/fbathinghandouts
