Tips for beginners
• Turn off your devices to give yourself the best chance of relaxing, being mindful and enjoying a sensory forest-based experience.
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• Slow down. Move through the forest slowly so you can see and feel more. Take long breaths deep into the abdomen.
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• Extending the exhalation of air to twice the length of the inhalation sends a message to the body that it can relax.
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• Stop, stand or sit, smell what’s around you, what can you smell?
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• Take in your surroundings using all of your senses. How does the forest environment make you feel? Be observant, look at nature’s small details.
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– Sit quietly using mindful observation; try to avoid thinking about your to-do list or issues related to daily life. You might be surprised by the number of wild forest inhabitants you see using this process.
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– Keep your eyes open. The colours of nature are soothing and studies have shown that people relax best while seeing greens and blues.
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– Stay as long as you can, start with a comfortable time limit and build up to the recommended two hours for a complete forest bathing experience.