Forest Bathing

Immerse yourself into the beautiful forest surrounding Little Moran Creek, and take the opportunity to breathe deeply, de-stress, and enjoy the wonders of a Forest Holiday.

Forest Bathing is a powerful antidote to the pressures of today, proven to deliver benefits to your physical and mental wellbeing, and creating within you a profound connection to nature. On a Forest Bathing experience, we will lead you through a series of activities that use the healing powers of the forest to help you re-balance your mind and body.

Originating in Japan – you may have seen it called shinrin yoku – Forest Bathing is an accepted part of Japanese preventative health care because of the mental, physical, and spiritual health benefits it delivers.

Forest Bathing began in the early 1980’s and scientists in Japan continue to conduct a large amount of research into its benefits, concluding that it deserves its place in the Japanese health-care system. More general research into the area of nature connections suggests that the real and long-term benefits include, among other things, reduced stress, improved immunity, lower blood pressure and accelerated recovery from illness or trauma.

Reduces your stresses.

Yoshifumi Miyazaki, a professor at Chiba University in Japan, has been researching the benefits of Forest Bathing since 2004 and has found that leisurely forest walks yield a 12.4 per cent decrease in the stress hormone, cortisol, compared with urban walks. Participants in his studies have also anecdotally reported better moods and lower anxiety.

Improves your mood.

Academics at Derby University have conducted a meta study of existing research which concludes that connecting to nature can be linked to happiness and mental wellbeing. Spending time in nature releases hormones that relate to the pursuit of joy, connecting to calm and avoiding threats.

Frees up your creativity.

In one study by David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, participants saw a 50% improvement in creative problem solving after three days immersed in nature with all access to modern technology removed.

Boosts your immune system.

Trees and plants emit ‘phytoncides’ which we breathe in when we spend time in the forest. These have been proven in studies by Qing Li, a Japanese shinrin yoku researcher, to enhance the activity of Natural Killer cells that help our bodies to fight disease.

Reduces high blood pressure.

Forest Bathing has been proven to reduce blood pressure, a crucial factor in maintaining a healthy heart. A recent meta study in Japan reviewed 20 trials, involving 732 participants, which demonstrated that blood pressure levels in the forest environment were significantly lower than those in the non-forest environment.

Accelerates your recovery from illness.

Nature can be a powerful catalyst in the recovery process. The most well-known study in this area by Dr Roger Ulrich, an architect specializing in healthcare building design, showed that even a natural view from a window reduced convalescence time by a day, compared to an urban view.

Forest Bathing draws on the therapeutic powers of nature and connects people with the natural environment. With guidance, you can learn to make the experience truly immersive and bring all your senses into play, leaving you feeling calmer and happier.  It is simply a return to our original state of being.

The Forest Bathing taster experience lasts for 1 hour and includes a guided walk through the forest, with invitations to open your senses to the world around you. You will not walk far but you will appreciate the forest in a deeper and more meaningful way than ever have before. The experience ends with a shared tea ceremony using foraged plants.

The Forest Bathing experience begins with a 30-minute introduction to the process of being present and utilizing all your senses.  After that, each participant receives a backpack for the short walk into the Forest.  Once at the designated Forest Bathing location, a guide will lead you through the experience of slowing down, letting go, and appreciating the Forest.  This lasts for approximately 30 minutes.  Participants are then encouraged to spend the next hour in the Presence of the Forest, bathing in its smells, sounds, and touch.   A lunch in the Forest finished off the experience in the Forest.

Returning to the Lodge, participants will reflect on their experience and share what they felt, what they saw, what they heard.   Following this, participants are welcome to Bathe in an authentic Red Wood tub (swimwear is required) in the meadow near the Forest. 

The rest of the day is open for many activities such as golf, canoeing the Crow Wing River, shopping at near buy communities.

The finale is a dinner at the Lodge where, once again, participants slow down and savor the moment of the beauty of the Pond, the Forest, and the Peace that Little Moran Creek offers.

Rooms are available in a quaint village of Staples, Minnesota if guests would like to stay over. 

The cost per person is $150.00.