The Joy of Forest Bathing: Volume 4
Reconnect With Wild Places & Rejuvenate Your Life
Published on 6. September 2018
Book
Hardback
128 pages
978-1-63106-570-5 (ISBN)
Description
A simple antidote to our nature-starved lives, The Joy of Forest Bathing is an enticing and comprehensive introduction to forest bathing-or Shinrin-yoku, in Japan-the meditative practice of connecting with nature and disconnecting from the distractions of daily life.
Full sensory immersion in the beauty and wonder of nature and trees can produce mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. Research has shown that forest bathing lowers blood pressure, pulse rate, and cortisol levels; improves mood; and may even boost our immunity to cancer and other diseases.
The Joy of Forest Bathing invites you to experience the benefits of this healing practice for yourself. Learn the history and background of forest bathing, followed by detailed instructions for establishing a forest bathing practice in your own adopted "wild home," encompassed in three steps:
1. Disengagement from your daily routine 2. Deep breathing and nature connection through a series of quiet activities or "invitations" 3. Transitioning back to your daily life This restorative activity can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities: children, teenagers, and even senior citizens with limited mobility and people recovering from illness and surgery. And you don't need to travel to the Japanese alps to experience the benefits of forest bathing. All you need is a small patch of untouched (or lightly touched) nature to adopt as your "wild home."
Within, find practical tips and inspiration for forest bathing through the seasons: in the winter, when the leafless trees open up new vistas; in the spring, when you can hear the melodious serenade of song birds as they nest in the newly formed green canopy; in the summer, watching the butterflies nectaring on wildflowers; and in the autumn, when you can catch glimpses of hurried squirrels storing food for the winter.
The Joy of Forest Bathing introduces a variety of activities that can be enhanced with forest bathing elements, such as mindfulness practices, exercise, art and writing, and outdoor celebrations. Learn, too, how surrendering to the mysteries of nature can provide guidance through difficult times.
As you find nourishment in nature, you will instinctively begin to wonder how you can preserve and protect this healing resource. This guide includes suggestions for tending to your "wild home."
Illustrated throughout with enchanting artwork by Dutch illustrator Lieke van der Vorst and stunning nature photography, The Joy of Forest Bathing is the perfect guide to enhancing your life with the wondrous world of nature.
The Live Well series from Rock Point invites you to create a life you love through multiple acts of self-discovery and reinvention. These encouraging gift books touch on fun yet hardworking self-improvement strategies, whether it's learning to value progress over perfection, taking time to meditate and slow down to literally smell the roses, or finding time to show gratitude and develop a personal mantra. From learning how to obtain more restful sleep and creating a healthy work/life balance to developing personal style and your own happy place, the Live Well series encourages you to live your best life.
Other titles in the series include: Progress Over Perfection; Find Your Flow; Be Happy; Seeking Slow; Finding Gratitude; Eff This! Meditation; Find Your Mantra; It Had to be You; Men's Society; Genius Jokes; The Calm and Cozy Book of Sleep; Beating Burnout; Ayurveda for Life; Choose Happy; and You Got This.
Full sensory immersion in the beauty and wonder of nature and trees can produce mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. Research has shown that forest bathing lowers blood pressure, pulse rate, and cortisol levels; improves mood; and may even boost our immunity to cancer and other diseases.
The Joy of Forest Bathing invites you to experience the benefits of this healing practice for yourself. Learn the history and background of forest bathing, followed by detailed instructions for establishing a forest bathing practice in your own adopted "wild home," encompassed in three steps:
1. Disengagement from your daily routine 2. Deep breathing and nature connection through a series of quiet activities or "invitations" 3. Transitioning back to your daily life This restorative activity can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities: children, teenagers, and even senior citizens with limited mobility and people recovering from illness and surgery. And you don't need to travel to the Japanese alps to experience the benefits of forest bathing. All you need is a small patch of untouched (or lightly touched) nature to adopt as your "wild home."
Within, find practical tips and inspiration for forest bathing through the seasons: in the winter, when the leafless trees open up new vistas; in the spring, when you can hear the melodious serenade of song birds as they nest in the newly formed green canopy; in the summer, watching the butterflies nectaring on wildflowers; and in the autumn, when you can catch glimpses of hurried squirrels storing food for the winter.
The Joy of Forest Bathing introduces a variety of activities that can be enhanced with forest bathing elements, such as mindfulness practices, exercise, art and writing, and outdoor celebrations. Learn, too, how surrendering to the mysteries of nature can provide guidance through difficult times.
As you find nourishment in nature, you will instinctively begin to wonder how you can preserve and protect this healing resource. This guide includes suggestions for tending to your "wild home."
Illustrated throughout with enchanting artwork by Dutch illustrator Lieke van der Vorst and stunning nature photography, The Joy of Forest Bathing is the perfect guide to enhancing your life with the wondrous world of nature.
The Live Well series from Rock Point invites you to create a life you love through multiple acts of self-discovery and reinvention. These encouraging gift books touch on fun yet hardworking self-improvement strategies, whether it's learning to value progress over perfection, taking time to meditate and slow down to literally smell the roses, or finding time to show gratitude and develop a personal mantra. From learning how to obtain more restful sleep and creating a healthy work/life balance to developing personal style and your own happy place, the Live Well series encourages you to live your best life.
Other titles in the series include: Progress Over Perfection; Find Your Flow; Be Happy; Seeking Slow; Finding Gratitude; Eff This! Meditation; Find Your Mantra; It Had to be You; Men's Society; Genius Jokes; The Calm and Cozy Book of Sleep; Beating Burnout; Ayurveda for Life; Choose Happy; and You Got This.
Reviews / Votes
"Feeling stressed? Of course you are. The news in this very paper probably raises your blood pressure daily. Wait, don't stop reading. There's another solution: forest bathing. This trendy new way to chill comes from Japan, where it's known as 'shinrin-yoku' and has long been prescribed for a variety of ills - and for good reason. Studies suggest forest bathing might lower the risk for Type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Best of all, it's easy to do. Just find some woodsy area and take a walk - but not a fast walk. Stop and sit at the foot of a tree, or lie down in a pile of newly fallen leaves...My favorite local naturalist, Melanie Choukas-Bradley, leads regular forest bathing walks...Check out her new book, The Joy of Forest Bathing: Reconnect With Wild Places & Rejuvenate Your Life, which offers simple, practical ways to try forest bathing on your own." -- Sadie Dingfelder * Washington Post Express * "The practice of Shinrin-yoku-forest bathing-is a much-loved ritual in the Japanese calendar. In this guide, sweetly illustrated by Lieke van der Vorst, Choukas-Bradley explains how ditching the demands of daily life for a couple of hours and letting ourselves fully engage with the sights and sounds of nature can leave us refreshed and rejuvenated. All that's needed is a small patch of untamed wildness-the aim is not to stomp for miles, but to savour the treasures of the season slowly-and let a world of falling leaves, oaks and acorns, remind us of 'the excitement of migration and the pull of hearth and home.'" * PressReader * "Last summer, when a friend tipped us off to a new book called 'The Joy of Forest Bathing: Reconnect with Wild Places & Rejuvenate Your Life' by Melanie Choukas-Bradley, we knew that we had to get a copy. When it arrived it felt like a handcrafted gift from a dear friend. The book's cover, and interior illustrations (by Lieke van der Vorst) are absolutely charming and delightful, and they entice you to make a pot of tea, pull on a warm blanket, and dive into its pages. More importantly, the book's lovely and delicate prose will inspire you to go on your own forest bathing walk." -- Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi * RV Family Travel Atlas Blog and Podcast * "-This read takes you through the history of forest bathing along with practical tips, inspiration and activities." -- Christine Copelan * Parade * "In all her years of leading traditional nature walks, [Author and Naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley] writes in The Joy of Forest Bathing, the moments that meant the most to her 'were the times of collective reverence, when everyone grew quiet, surrendering to the beauty and wonder of the moment. On a traditional nature walk, such moments may occur occasionally. On a forest bathing walk, however, quiet surrender to beauty and wonder is the essence of the experience.' That surrender isn't just pleasurable, it is good for people's mental and physical health, according to Choukas-Bradley. Research shows 'that forest bathing lowers your blood pressure, pulse rate, and cortisol levels; increases heart rate variability (a good thing); and improves mood,' she writes." -- April Witt * Bethesda Magazine *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc
Product notice
Paper over boards
Illustrations
50 color photos
Dimensions
Height: 208 mm
Width: 149 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-63106-570-5 (9781631065705)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Melanie Choukas-Bradley grew up in rural Vermont wandering the woods and fields from an early age. She brought her love of nature to metropolitan Washington, D.C., where she lives with her husband, Jim. They have two adult children. Melanie is the award-winning author of several nature books, including A Year in Rock Creek Park, Finding Solace at Theodore Roosevelt Island, City of Trees and Resilience-Connecting with Nature in a Time of Crisis. Melanie leads forest bathing walks, nature and history field trips, and tree tours in Washington, DC and the American West. She is a nature and forest therapy guide with certification from the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides and Programs. She has traveled in Japan where she participated in forest bathing walks led by shinrin-yoku guides.