Forest Bathing in Bryce Canyon

As tiny babies in 2012, my husband and I traveled to a few truly unbelievable National Parks in Utah for our 5-year anniversary. My favorite park from that trip (and possibly of all time) was Bryce Canyon. It was the first time I visited a National Park where I felt there’d been some sort of mistake and we’d landed on another planet instead. The overwhelming beauty of this surreal landscape completely altered my view of our purpose on Earth. What am I saying? Honestly, this is what happens each and every time I step foot in nature. It’s a much needed reminder that we all flow from the same borrowed energy that streams through the fabric of the Universe. We have to vehemently protect these sacred spaces as if we are protecting ourselves and our own kin - because that’s precisely what we’re doing! To truly connect and do your part, consider these steps:

• join others in trail/beach cleanups

• vote for representatives who believe in Climate Change and promise to protect our green spaces

• use your wallet to support companies with eco-friendly practices.

• demand change from the highest polluting companies through boycott and accountability. Did you know that just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions? These 10 companies are responsible for the most plastic waste.

• advocate for National Parks when their existence is threatened - write your representatives, protest, share information

• recycle, reduce, reuse

Aside from the inherent value of altruism, being an active ally is beneficial for your own personal well-being. Keeping our 8 dimensions of well-being in balance helps ensure a more intentional and joyful life. Helping others - that includes nature - strengthens our environmental, social and emotional facets. To more mindfully use the power of nature to refresh your soul, consider forest bathing.

Forest bathing/shinrin-yoku, nature therapy, ecotherapy - it goes by many names, but it is the best medicine. Here’s how to intentionally practice forest bathing and use tenets from ecotherapy next time you’re lucky enough to find yourself in the presence of Mother Nature:

• Open all of your senses.

  • Bring awareness to how nature impacts your hearing, vision, taste, touch and smell. Tune into the sounds of local birds or the crashing of waves flowing through your ears. Taste the salt or earth in the air. Smell the aroma of wildflowers or brine in a breeze. Feel the sturdy support of the root system beneath your feet, the way the sand gently gives way to your step or the layer of dust or sand on your palms. Soak in the nuanced greens of a single leaf or the blue sky surrounding you. Pay attention to the contentment that swells within you as you truly connect and commune with the pulse of nature.

• Choose a space and practice calm.

  • Root into the earth in a space that speaks to you while disconnecting from modern devices. Turn off your phone and put your camera away. Practice mindfulness without distraction.

• Participate in your favorite activity.

  • To exponentially increase the impact of your yoga, running, tai-chi, hiking, meditation or lifting practice, bring it to the outdoors with you.

• Get creative!

  • Picnic with an art project, a guitar, crystals, your pet snake (I saw this in a forest in Pacifica and it was the best) - anything that you love will be amplified.

I’ll continue elaborating on forest bathing practices in future posts, but hope this is a good start to get you thriving!

PS My husband returned to Bryce Canyon a few years later with his best friends to see the park at night. As an International Dark-Sky Sanctuary, the night skies at Bryce are some of the darkest in the West and allow for incredibly clear views of the Milky Way. The dream!

Where is your favorite place to forest bathe? What do you do to support Mother Nature? Share with us in the comments.

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Thank you,

🌞 Niki

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