Latest news with #PinnacleForestTherapy
Economic Times
11-08-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
Forest bathing: how shinrin-yoku improves focus and lowers stress, according to experts
Synopsis Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese mindfulness practice involving immersion in nature to enhance focus and reduce stress. Certified guide Mark Ellison explains how using all five senses during nature walks can improve mental health, restore attention capacity, and support emotional well-being, even in small, accessible settings TIL Creatives Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, involves spending intentional time in nature to improve focus, reduce stress, and restore attention capacity (AI generated image) Forest bathing, known in Japanese as shinrin-yoku, is a mindfulness activity that involves spending uninterrupted time in nature while engaging the senses. Research indicates that the practice can help lower stress and improve Ellison, a certified forest therapy guide and founder of Pinnacle Forest Therapy, describes forest bathing as 'slowing down… connecting to nature with all your senses… being in a natural setting and being present.' He recommends choosing a quiet location, noticing surrounding details, and disconnecting from technology when possible. Also read: 6 ways walking improves your mental and physical healthEllison co-founded the first certified forest therapy trail in North Carolina at Pinnacle Park. Sessions typically last 90 minutes, include minimal talking, and focus on observation, reflection, and meditation. Some participants use forest bathing as a way to process grief or honor the memory of a loved one who valued states that forest bathing supports mental health by reducing stress and restoring attention span. This aligns with 'attention restoration theory,' introduced by University of Michigan researchers Stephen and Rachel Kaplan, which proposes that time in nature allows daily-use attention capacities to recover. 'We're always in a hurry, and we're always connected to technology… [forest bathing is] disconnecting from that,' Ellison says. He encourages participants to turn off or silence phones and resist the urge to take photos, instead engaging fully with the environment. While 90-minute sessions are common, Ellison notes that forest bathing can be practiced in shorter intervals. 'You could just go out in your backyard… for 15 minutes. And then… continue on with longer periods of time out in nature,' he says. Keeping a journal to record observations may help reinforce the experience. Also read: Forget cold plunges, pricey pills, and IV drips: These simple biohacks can boost your healthspan naturally Forest bathing does not require remote locations. It can be done in local parks, gardens, or backyards. For those without easy access to green spaces, Ellison suggests integrating nature into indoor environments by adding plants, displaying landscape images, or listening to natural soundscapes such as ocean waves.
Time of India
11-08-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Forest bathing: how shinrin-yoku improves focus and lowers stress, according to experts
Forest bathing , known in Japanese as shinrin-yoku , is a mindfulness activity that involves spending uninterrupted time in nature while engaging the senses. Research indicates that the practice can help lower stress and improve focus. Mark Ellison, a certified forest therapy guide and founder of Pinnacle Forest Therapy, describes forest bathing as 'slowing down… connecting to nature with all your senses… being in a natural setting and being present.' He recommends choosing a quiet location, noticing surrounding details, and disconnecting from technology when possible. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Also read: 6 ways walking improves your mental and physical health Ellison co-founded the first certified forest therapy trail in North Carolina at Pinnacle Park. Sessions typically last 90 minutes, include minimal talking, and focus on observation, reflection, and meditation. Some participants use forest bathing as a way to process grief or honor the memory of a loved one who valued nature. Benefits of forest bathing and tips for practice Ellison states that forest bathing supports mental health by reducing stress and restoring attention span. This aligns with 'attention restoration theory,' introduced by University of Michigan researchers Stephen and Rachel Kaplan, which proposes that time in nature allows daily-use attention capacities to recover. Live Events 'We're always in a hurry, and we're always connected to technology… [forest bathing is] disconnecting from that,' Ellison says. He encourages participants to turn off or silence phones and resist the urge to take photos, instead engaging fully with the environment. While 90-minute sessions are common, Ellison notes that forest bathing can be practiced in shorter intervals. 'You could just go out in your backyard… for 15 minutes. And then… continue on with longer periods of time out in nature,' he says. Keeping a journal to record observations may help reinforce the experience. Also read: Forget cold plunges, pricey pills, and IV drips: These simple biohacks can boost your healthspan naturally Forest bathing does not require remote locations. It can be done in local parks, gardens, or backyards. For those without easy access to green spaces, Ellison suggests integrating nature into indoor environments by adding plants, displaying landscape images, or listening to natural soundscapes such as ocean waves.
CNBC
10-08-2025
- Health
- CNBC
The Japanese art of 'forest bathing' can improve focus, lower stress: What it is and how to get the most benefit
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku in its original Japanese, is a mindfulness practice that involves immersing oneself in nature. The decades-old practice pulls from research that shows that spending time in nature can help lower stress levels and improve focus. Recently, forest bathing is growing in popularity, thanks in part to social media where people are sharing their experiences exploring forests and other green spaces and taking in all that they have to offer. Over 45,000 videos have been shared on TikTok with the tag #forestbathing. Users says they've seen an improvement to their mental health. "It's slowing down. It's connecting to nature with all your senses. It's just being in a natural setting and being present," says Mark Ellison, a certified forest therapy guide and trail consultant, and founder of Pinnacle Forest Therapy. "The key things are to find a place where you can spend some time uninterrupted, and then notice the things that are around you." Forest bathing can be done solo, or with a guide like Ellison. He helped found the first certified forest therapy trail in North Carolina at Pinnacle Park. There, Ellison guides people along the trail and encourages them to notice what they hear, see, smell and feel along the journey. The experiences Ellison leads usually last about an hour and a half, and involve minimal talking to prioritize periods of reflection and meditation. It can sometimes be an emotional experience, he says, with some people crying during the walks. "It's really a contrast to how we typically spend our days, which are usually distracting and usually in stressful environments," Ellison tells CNBC Make It. "Some people seek that out as a way to deal with grief. I've guided a number of individuals and families who specifically came to go on the forest bathing experience, to remember someone who passed who was very connected to nature." When people spend more time in nature, it can have great benefits on how they feel, Ellison says. "One of the key things about forest bathing and how it supports our mental health is that through using our senses, it helps us to really calm down," he says. "We're always in a hurry, and we're always connected to technology in our homes, and so [it's] disconnecting from that." Ellison encourages people who forest bathe to turn their phones off or put them on silent if they feel comfortable doing so. Avoid "the temptation to take pictures and check social media and those sorts of things. Be fully engaged with what nature offers," he says. When you forest bathe, it can also enhance your attention span, he explains. This aligns with "attention restoration theory," which was introduced by Stephen and Rachel Kaplan at the University of Michigan. The theory suggests that "spending time in nature helps our attention capacities that we use on a daily basis, relax," Ellison says. "It keeps us engaged enough to be interested and not bored. But it lets our primary attention capacities rest. And so they're like a muscle. When they get fatigued, they're not as effective." To reap the benefits of forest bathing, you don't have to head to a trail if you aren't comfortable. Ellison emphasizes that it can even be done in your backyard or a local garden, and bringing a pal along could make the experience less scary. The practice also doesn't have to be 90 minutes to be beneficial, he adds. "You could just go out in your backyard and just sit by a tree and just do 15 minutes. And then if you feel comfortable with that, continue on with longer periods of time out in nature," Ellison says. "Start in small doses and maybe keep a journal and just write down some of the things that you experience and notice while you're out there." If you don't have easy access to green spaces, Ellison recommends surrounding yourself with nature by getting plants for your space, hanging photos of beautiful landscapes on your walls or using them as screensavers and listening to nature-inspired sounds like ocean waves.
