Forest bathing participants engage in mindfulness while overlooking the Mississippi River. The Center for Well-Being hosted Forest Bathing events every Tuesday in October as part of Sustainability Month celebrations. (Abigail Peters/The Crest) 
The practice of forest bathing was popularized in the 1980s when the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture incorporated the term “shinrin-yoku,” which translates to “forest well.” (Abigail Peters/The Crest) 
orest bathing utilizes mindfulness and mediation practices in a natural setting. (Abigail Peters/The Crest)
At first glance, the name “forest bathing” can be deceiving.
The St. Thomas office of sustainability introduced the event as a way to celebrate campus sustainability month with forest bathing sessions held every Tuesday in October. I decided to attend to see what forest bathing entailed.
Some students said they were confused by the title. Junior Carly Setter, a student sustainability leader and attendee of the first forest bathing event, said that forest bathing is not actually bathing in a forest.
“It’s not really like its title. This was like an immersive way to experience nature and really just get in tune with it,” Setter said.
Sam Courtright, a behavior change specialist for the Center for Well-Being, said the practice of forest bathing was popularized in the 1980s when the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture incorporated the term “shinrin-yoku,” which translates to “forest well.” to a public health campaign. However, Courtright said that the concept of forest bathing has been around for much longer.
Courtright said that forest bathing is a mindfulness practice with an emphasis on immersing oneself in nature.
“In many mindful or meditative practices, we do that by using an anchor. In forest bathing, we use our sensory experiences of the natural surrounding as our anchor. Our anchors give us something to bring our attention back to when we notice it start to wander to other worries, tasks, anxieties or daydreams,” Courtright said.
Courtright said that specific anchors in forest bathing can be found through sight, like observing patterns in leaves or tree bark; sound, like that of rustling leaves or running water; or smell, like of the earth or decaying leaves.
Courtright said that he decided to bring forest bathing to St. Thomas’ campus because it is an extension of the mindfulness programming he conducts at the Center for Well-Being.
“Mindfulness programming, whether in workshop form, yoga classes or individual skill building in Wellness Coaching sessions have a host of benefits and have been part of the Center for Well-Being’s services for some time. In the context of forest bathing, there are a couple additional benefits,” Courtright said.
Courtright said these benefits include allowing students to experience St. Paul’s developed park system and raise awareness for these local amenities as well as providing spiritual engagement to the Mississippi River, a waterway that has been shaping the land around St. Thomas for about 70 million years.
During the forest bathing excursion on Oct. 7, the group ventured out to Shadow Falls Park, located just west of campus, and students strolled down the trail and took in the nature around them. Forest bathing is more akin to a nature walk, with a focus on reconnecting with nature.
My forest bathing experience started with a tranquil walk down a wooded path, where I took time to notice the trees surrounding me. However, my favorite part about this location was the babbling stream that ran through the area. The water sounds helped center my focus and ground me to the land I stood on.
Forest bathing quieted my mind and allowed me to focus on something other than work. It is a great calming exercise, especially when stressed. It also reminded me of my connection to the land — how humans are one with nature, not separate from it.
Other students also enjoyed the experience. Setter said that forest bathing allowed her to take a pause during a stressful day.
“It was relaxing. It just like, let me take a moment out of my day to appreciate what’s around me … So it was a good little mind break,” Setter said.
UST junior Asher Kraabel, another student sustainability leader and fellow forest bather, said he enjoys immersing himself in nature and observing the forest.
“I like when I look up and just kind of check out the canopy of the trees. I find that particularly calming,” Kraabel said. “I like to notice the little details, like especially the stems of the leaves, the little tiny minor details of the bark, the different types of rocks around me, what the water’s doing.”
Courtright said that forest bathing can help immune system function, nervous system regulation, sleep and mental health.
Kraabel said that forest bathing is especially important for college students because it allows students to think outside of their academics.
“It is just this really high stress experience and I think getting out in nature, just realizing that there’s a bigger picture and that, you know, failing a test isn’t the end of your life,” Kraabel said. “You can go outside, you can experience things that are actually real, and there’s things that are more important than what we’re doing right now.”
Lucy Troester can be reached at troe4853@stthomas.edu.
