Member Reviews
A small, but information packed book on forest bathing. The book contained personal experiences, how to, and information about the benefits of forest bathing as well as information about the trees and eco-system. It made me want to get out to the woods and spend some time.
A good introduction for beginners to the concept of "forest bathing," a spiritual/meditative practice that began in Japan. Essentially spending time among trees and nature, it sounds simple but is in fact a complex relationship between modern humans and the natural world.
"Imagine a therapy that is completely free, readily available, and virtually without side effects that can radically transform your health by improving your mental health, brain health, heart health, stress resiliency, immune system, and more. It exists, and it’s called nature exposure or forest bathing."
Dr. Cyndi Gilbert is an expert in forest bathing. But more than that, she's passionate about the therapeutic benefits of nature. "Forest Bathing" offers scientific and practical reasons for her passion and is based on her research, forest bathing experiences around the globe, and her work with patients in her natural medicine practice.
While the book does motivate readers to consider the benefits of spending time in nature every day, some of the information is repeated in different sections of the book, and I skimmed the repeated info. However, I settled into chapter 3 "How to forest bathe" and read every word. It offers new and different methods for forest bathing, and I'm excited to try them in my wooded backyard and local mountain trails.
This book is indeed a starting guide to forest bathing. It's a fairly quick read with solid information that helps newbies learn more about what forest bathing is and why it matters.