Forest Bathing
At camp, boys are surrounded by nature for weeks at a time, savoring time outdoors and soaking up the sunshine. We all know that spending time outside is healthy, but did you know there’s research on how just spending time in the forest can be preventative medicine?
In Japan, they call this shinrin-yoku (which roughly translates to forest bathing), and have been studying the benefits for years. This study describes how “the term Shinrin-yoku was coined by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 1982, and can be defined as making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest.” In this study, the physiological and psychological benefits of immersion in nature were reviewed, showing how practicing “forest bathing” is therapeutic.
What does this have to do with camp?
When boys come to Falling Creek, many of them are from big cities or busy neighborhoods, and they don’t often have the chance to enjoy the sounds and smells of nature for long periods of time. At camp, they live and play in nature, sleep in open-air cabins, and walk to each activity outdoors. If brief periods in a forest environment can lower cortisol levels, lower pulse rate and blood pressure, and lower sympathetic nerve activity more than when in an urban environment, imagine the benefits of living outdoors for a full month!
This NPR article continues the discussion on how “forest bathing” can help you be more mindful and present, while boosting your immune system and mood. Maybe that is part of the reason why many people say that camp is their “happy place.” With yesterday being the first day of activities in our final week, we had several more opportunities for trips to some beautiful places. Nearby, campers signed up for fly fishing in the Green River, sailing on Lake Summit, and riding horses to practice for the upcoming horse show. Other boys signed up to go farther into the woods, like our 2-day backpacking trip to Panthertown, our 3-day paddling lake trip, or the bi-venture combination with biking and rock climbing. For maximum fun on the trails, the mountain bikers also left for a “Dupont Downhill Day” yesterday, hoping to shuttle the long climb so they could enjoy the fast descent sooner. We know there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the beauty of nature this week, both in and out of camp.
Forest bathing is a little different from hiking or biking with a specific route in mind - it is less about structure or a destination, and more about simply enjoying nature and immersing yourself in the sights, smells, and sounds of the outdoors. Forest bathing happens on trips when you get to the top of a climb and just take in the view, or when you’ve set up camp and you’re just enjoying the sounds of the crickets around the campfire. It also happens in camp, when you’re walking on the trails to your next activity and you notice how blue the sky is, when you’re catching fireflies around your cabin at night, or during free choice time when you’re exploring in the creek with no real agenda. Each morning we also begin camp with Morning Watch, where everyone gathers on the benches by the lake in silence, taking in the sounds and smells of nature before doing anything else.
On Sunday for one of the special signup activities, one of our campers Henry G. announced that he was going “brisk walking” around camp if anyone wanted to join him. He didn’t have a destination, just that he and anyone who joined would be walking around and enjoying eachothers company outside. This is certainly the mood going into this final week, where no matter what we’re doing, we’ll be savoring every moment spent outdoors with friends.