Don’t Leave Your Senses Behind

Using all five senses while forest bathing will greatly enhance the experience. With each sense, you can truly experience the forest in a new light. Taste, touch, see, smell, and hear all the woods have to offer. Your senses will feel fresh and new after a walk through the woods.

Start by going outside. Practice in your yard. Note the green grass, feel the light wind, and smell the scent of your neighbor’s barbeque. Taste the rain that’s predicted to come, and hear the kids playing with their new bikes. Close your eyes and relax. Maybe take a seat in the freshly cut lawn. Take it all in.

Treat yourself to a quiet time of reflection, and enjoy the mystery of the forest. The bath will help cleanse and refresh. Take time to use all your senses, smell the rain, listen for songbirds, feel the wind blowing through the trees, touch the ragged bark of a tree, taste the sweetness of the babbling brook, and stay in the moment.

When you head to the forest, you can repeat the steps. You can begin by noticing the new sounds, tastes, smells, and so on. Here is a list of sensory activities to get started:

Sight

• Watch the flow of a river or stream as it travels over rocks.

• Notice birds flying above.

• Observe the milkweeds exploding in the wind.

• Stop and scan the woods. Do a literal 360 around you and capture all that is there.

• Find leaves, study them, and see their similarities.

• Look for acorns, seeds, and branches.

Hear

• Listen for the pitter-patter of small animals running and exploring.

• Hear the woodpecker making his mark.

• Notice the rustle of dried leaves and branches as you walk.

• Listen as the birds and bees identify their presence through song.

Touch

• Feel a soft fern, flower, crunchy leaves, or the bark of a tree.

• Touch different pinecones, and notice the differences.

• Hold some pussy willows, and feel how soft they are.

• Try to find the smoothest stone.

Taste

• Open your mouth, and savor the cool, clean air.

• Make some forest tea with safe items you’ve gathered.

Smell

• Inhale the distinct smell of pine trees and their needles.

• Detect the sweet fragrance of fruit trees and the musty odor after a rain shower.

• Notice the pungent scent of soil.

These are just a few ways to get your senses going. Only your imagination can limit you. Bring a journal and compare what senses you used more or less of, what you noticed, and what you did and didn’t like. Forest bathe in different weather to really trick your mind. Get out and explore the world through your five senses and forest bathing.