A few hundred years ago, when colonizers set out to civilize the planet, they discovered that many of us were residing in forests close to our flora and species. Ancient tribes had figured out how to live, heal, eat, and invent near nature without damaging the environment that gave rise to them; this acted as outdoor therapy in the lap of mother nature.
These societies recognized the profound spiritual and psychological significance of forests and nature. To protect them, they anthropomorphized various components, transforming them into deities and places of worship.The so-called “civilization” caused this nature to become distant from us and to be destroyed. The forest and its inhabitants were no longer one cohesive entity but divided by civility, barbed wire, conservation laws, and animal and pest control.And even though technology and industry have advanced dramatically, humanity has been deprived of its ancestry and magnificent mother.
The Japanese were among the first to analyze and research the gaps in human healthcare because they understood that well-being required active prevention of these diseases. The absence of nature was perceived, among other things, as a significant loss of human life.
Researchers established the idea of Shirin-Yoku, literally translated as “Forest-Bathing,” in 1982 to eliminate this loss and start actively preventing sickness, disorder, and death. It had two purposes: first, it offered an ecotherapy approach to therapy that would serve as an antidote and respite from the stresses of the modern, neurotic world; second, it encouraged people to rediscover and, as a result, urged them to maintain their native forests.
Researchers expanded on the idea by saying that Shirin-Yoku may be performed in any place there is vegetation, such as parks, backyards, or terraces, as long as one actively and intentionally engages with and reflects on nature.
Shirin-Yoku is still heavily used in contemporary ecotherapy, nature therapy, or forest therapy, but it has also found support in various somatic, experiential, and alternative therapies.
To create a unique blend of forest experiences tailored to the needs of the clients, many nature therapy programs by therapists like Centre of Nature Informed Therapy include
- Psychodrama or Theatre based therapy,
- Acupressure,
- Yoga,
- Breathwork,
- Adventure Therapy,
- Earthing,
- Food based Therapies,
- Permaculture,
- Animal Assisted Therapies and many more..
To get the most out of contact the trusted therapist ASAP!
Life Heal 