Eco-Therapy is sometimes referred to as Nature Therapy or even Green Therapy and is the applied practice of the developing field of eco-psychology created by Theodore Roszak.

The core of any Eco-Therapy session is to form a connection with the earth and all its connecting systems to create a combined sense of equilibrium. It is believed that if we learn to synchronise with these systems we can experience improved, mental, emotional & physical health. According to the beliefs of Eco-Therapy, a person’s wellbeing and the earth’s wellbeing are not independent of each other. Both of them together create a greater system of interaction.

Benefits of Ecotherapy.

This practice of shinrin-yoku – literally, forest bath – has the power to counter illnesses including depression, anxiety and stress.  It boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure and aids sleep. And soon it could be prescribed by British doctors.

Recently the Woodland Trust suggested forest bathing – which doesn’t, despite its name, involve getting in water – should be among a range of non-medical therapies and activities recommended by GPs’ surgeries to boost patients’ wellbeing.

Forest bathing is an opportunity for people to take time out, slow down and connect with nature. We think it could be part of the mix of activities for social prescription,” Stuart Dainton of the Woodland Trust told the Observer. “Evidence about its benefits is building.”

Although people have been taking walks in the country’s forests for centuries, new studies show that such activity could reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol levels and improve concentration and memory. A chemical released by trees and plants, called phytoncides, was found to boost the immune system. As more research highlighted the benefits of shinrin-yoku, the Japanese government have incorporated it into the country’s health programme.

It’s a preventative medicine, not a treatment. People spend their lives increasingly indoors. About 80% of the population lives in urban areas, and the average person now spends more than 90% of their time indoors. But we are designed to be connected to the natural world, to “listen to the wind and taste the air”.

So how can we do this?

Make sure you have left your phone and camera behind. You are going to be walking aimlessly and slowly. You don’t need any devices. Let your body be your guide. Listen to where it wants to take you. Follow your nose. And take your time. It doesn’t matter if you don’t get anywhere.

You are not going anywhere.

You are savouring the sounds, smells and sights of nature and letting the forest in.

Tips for beginners:

• Turn off your devices to give yourself the best chance of relaxing, being mindful and enjoying a sensory forest-based experience.
• Slow down. Move through the forest slowly so you can see and feel more.
• Take long breaths deep into the abdomen. Extending the exhalation of air to twice the length of the inhalation sends a message to the body that it can relax.
• Stop, stand or sit, and smell what’s around you, what can you smell?
• 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.
• 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.
• Keep your eyes open. The colours of nature are soothing and studies have shown that people relax best while seeing greens and blues.
• 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.

The main job of a guide is essentially to promote secure gentle walks, offering directions for sensory openings to the participants, encouraging and explaining how to use all of their senses to invite the healing powers of the forest and to fully experience their surroundings. Typically, a whole walk last 2-4 hours and often encompasses no more than a quarter of a mile, with most participants subsequently experiencing contact with nature in a much deeper manner than they ever would have before the walk. Participants have a broad range of experiences as a result of forest bathing; some are extremely meaningful, even profound. Guides are taught to be supportive witnesses of each of these experiences.  Forest bathing sessions usually finish with a tea-sharing ceremony where participants can discuss and share their findings if they so wish. On a Forest Bathing experience, a fully qualified Forest Therapy Guide leads you through a series of activities that use the healing powers of the forest to help you re-balance your mind, body & soul.