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The Daily Dharma – July 4, 2021

What is Forest Bathing? (continued)

Oil painting of Twin Sisters Mountain in Estes Park, Colorado with evergreen trees and a dirt road in the foreground.

In the practice of forest bathing we immerse our senses in the special qualities of the fluid, oceanic ambience of the woodlands. We walk slowly so we can focus our senses on the myriad ways the living forest surrounds and touches us. Feel the breeze on your skin, hear the gurgling voices of the brook and the calls of birds, see the movement of trees in the wind. By giving attention to your senses, you turn down the volume on the cacophony of inner thoughts. Your senses bring you into the present moment, where you can take in all the forest has to offer, welcoming it, letting it settle inside you. When the forest is allowed its place within you, it supports your body’s natural capacity for wellness and healing.

M. Amos Clifford
from Forest Bathing

Twin Sisters Painting Seamus Berkeley