Seeking respite from global anxieties, including the war in Iran and rising gas prices, Claire Jefferies recently found solace in a practice known as forest bathing. For two hours, the human resources director immersed herself in nature at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina.
"When I’m here, it’s almost like a protective bubble around me,” Jefferies said amidst the oaks and magnolias. "It provides a shield."
The Sunday morning session was guided by certified forest therapy expert Shawn Ramsey. With the gentle jingle of a tiny brass bell, Ramsey gathered her group of a dozen participants for meditation, breathing exercises and a deeper connection with the natural world.
"I invite you to really spend the next 10 minutes just exploring this area," Ramsey instructed, her eyes closed. "Really focusing on your breath, on your footsteps. All the natural sounds around you. Maybe the manmade sounds, too. Thinking about the forest’s natural rhythm and how are part of that here in this urban, forested environment."
Based on the Japanese wellness practice of Shinrin-yoku, the activity has been known to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure and boost the immune system.
Although the arboretum is in a busy section of a growing city, Ramsey said the benefits of tuning out and getting in touch with nature are the same. She led the group of about a dozen through the various gardens, having them crush conifer twigs between their fingers and smell them, or just touch trees.
“You know, in this day and age, there’s a lot of stress and anxiety and chaos," she said. "And people are searching for ways to kind of cope with that.”
Transportation safety researcher Alan Mintz came with a friend. He had to be reminded to leave the talk of news at the entrance.
“I think it’s important for people to take the opportunity to exist in natural spaces, both to unwind and relax, so that it can be easier to interact with other people,” he said as he stood in the dappled light filtering through the trees. “And to take a moment to appreciate beautiful things. That way, hopefully, they can carry that forward and have more of an appreciation for other people and other cultures that they might be less experienced with.”
Jefferies had to remind a friend to stop talking about news as they walked beneath the gently waving canopy.
“That focus back into spending time in nature and the healing power of that, and just remembering that we’re part of something bigger, that we’re all connected,” said the mother of a 9-year-old son. “And that what we do in our actions that we take really matter to the rest of the world. And so there’s no better place to see that than here, where you can see all of the interconnectedness and the ways that this plant life naturally supports one another. Doesn’t take more than they need.”
