Welcome to Forest bathing / Shinrin-Yoku: Nature is Medicine

Forest bathing, also known as Shinrin-Yoku, is an excellent way to connect to Nature and improve your health. The benefits of Nature can be enjoyed by all, individually and collectively, as well as in a private or corporate setting.

Calendar of events

Shinrin-Yoku, or forest bathing, came to light officially during the 1980s and is an increasingly important approach to preventative healthcare in Japan. Today, there are many scientific studies that demonstrate its wide range of mental and physical health benefits. It is not only an established, recognized practice in Japan, but also increasingly worldwide as well.

As a practice, it is straightforward. By walking slowly in, as well as consciously interacting and connecting with all aspects of Nature our minds and bodies are restored and rejuvenated.

Therefore, the key to Shinrin-Yoku is one’s mindset, meaning the intention as well as the mental and physical space created before and during the experience determine the outcome. Combined with different mindfulness approaches the mental and physical health benefits are considerable, making it a powerful healing practice.

It boosts immune system functioning, with an increase in the count of the body's Natural Killer (NK) cells, reduces blood pressure, reduces stress, improves mood, increases ability to focus, accelerates recovery from surgery or illness, increases energy level and improves sleep.

Studies demonstrate that oxytocin (feelings of love and empathy), dopamine (pleasure) and serotonin (happiness) production increase while spending time in nature.

Besides the impact on health, forest bathing, like meditation, allows one to expand one’s self-awareness and hence intuition. Participants find that it opens the flow of creativity and insight. It is also an opportunity to share an experience with like-minded individuals and create a deeper relationship with nature. Some even experience awe, a state of transcendence.

Therefore, it is more than simply taking a walk in the forest.

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Individuals

Private coaching sessions

Being in nature is associated with an increase in the production of serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine, all of which boosts our positive affect, motivation and optimism. We are able to more easily tap our creativity, states of flow, as well as generate more insight.

Whereas our stressful urban environments trigger fear, anxiety, anger and impulsiveness, leading to short-term thinking and decision-making. Optimal outcomes are unlikely in such contexts.

Nature enables us to enter a state of calm and reflection, thereby freeing our mind and spirit to see the bigger picture and clearly grasp our long-term goals.

This is why I place Nature at the center of our coaching sessions. You will achieve more than what is possible in a traditional coaching session.

I call it coaching².

Companies

Reinforced collective intelligence

Nature is intelligent. She knows how to help us identify the best path to take. Scientific studies show that regular contact with Nature promotes concentration, creativity and cooperation. Once a relationship with Nature is established, individual and collective intelligence manifests itself naturally and spontaneously. By creating a bond with Nature our creativity and potential are unleashed, enabling us to make the right decisions with confidence.

Powerful and effective leadership

Today's leadership is often focused on competition, hierarchy, discipline and order. These approaches have their use. However, in order to achieve enhanced leadership, it is necessary to develop a new vision, as found in Nature’s balance. By strengthening our listening skills, connecting to one's intuition, cooperation, creativity and flexibility, we can perfect the leadership of tomorrow. The objective of this coaching program is to allow this new management style come to light.

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health benefits

Many recent scientific studies have been conducted on the health benefits of spending time in nature, especially with a mindful approach.

When individuals ruminate, they activate the subgenual prefrontal cortex, which is linked to sadness, withdrawal and grumpiness. When they are in nature, there is a significant reduction of blood flow to this part of the brain. After spending time in nature, we are quicker to recognize happiness, slower to perceive negative emotions and ruminated less.

Forest bathing boosts so-called Natural Killer (NK) cells, which help stave off disease but decline with age, stress and pesticides. In one study, men who took two-hour walks in the woods once a day for two days had a 50% increase in the activity of NK cells, a type of white blood cell that helps fight off infections and cancer. A three-day forest bathing outing has proven to provide an NK cell count boost that lasts 7 days.

Research conducted by the Universities of Utah and Kansas examined the effect on creative reasoning skills of being immersed in nature for a number of days [...] and found that spending time in nature boosts problem-solving ability and creativity by 50%.

Studies show connecting with wood or a tree can help decrease anxiety and stress, and connecting with the Earth’s soil helps increase the production of serotonin, which helps regulate one’s mood, in the body.

Leisurely forest walks, compared with urban walks, show a 12.4% decrease in the stress hormone cortisol, a 7% decrease in sympathetic nerve activity, a 1.4% decrease in blood pressure, and a 5.8% decrease in heart rate.

I am an avid nature lover and passionate about spiritual and personal development topics. I have undertaken many workshops and retreats in these fields, and I believe human and environmental wellness should be our key priorities, which is why I have decided to devote my time to these efforts.

I am a certified Shinrin Yoku / Forest Bathing guide and an Erickson International Coach (ICF certification 2021 - Erickson Coaching International). I am also a proud member of En Chemin Vers, the Forest Bathing and Shinrin- Yoku Francophone Federation, that strives to help re-establish a deep connection with forests.

In 2019, I participated in Shinrin-Yoku outings with certified guides in Okutama Forest and Yoshino-Kumano National Park, both certified Forest Therapy bases in Japan. I also had the opportunity to meet leading Shinrin-Yoku specialists during my stay, including Dr. Qing Li.

Originally from Chicago, I am French-American and have been living in Europe for several years. With a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science, I have worked in many fields, including journalism, communications, marketing and translation. I have lived and worked in six countries as well as speak three languages.

Finally, I love animals, especially Breizh (below).

My forest bathing journey began spontaneously in 2018 upon returning to Paris after an 8-month break abroad. Once back in the grind the need to connect deeply with nature and maintain my mental and physical well-being was of paramount importance. Living in Paris is mentally tough and for those who love nature, our hearts ache.

Within a few weeks, I launched the Forest bathing / Shinrin-Yoku: Nature is medicine outings because I wanted to share a common experience and set of beliefs and values: Spending time with like-minded people concerned about the environment and humanity, as well as those who seek to connect with nature to feel better physically and to fulfill an even deeper need.

The group’s success was far beyond what I expected. It clearly struck a chord. In the end we all share the need to feel happier, healthier and to feel connected to the source of all existence.

I am profoundly happy and proud to share Shinrin-Yoku with you. I hope our outings together in the beautiful forests of France and elsewhere will bring you peace and happiness - and of course better health.

- Christopher Le Coq

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Aired in Octobre 2022. Listen here (in French).

Aired in September 2022. Listen here (in French).

Published in July 2022.

Published in July 2022.

Listen to this interview, broadcast in March 2020, on Shinrin-Yoku with the radio channel la Fréquence Protestante. I share information about the health benefits of forest bathing and how it is practiced.

La Fréquence Protestante

The City of Vincennes Office of Tourism

The Marne & Gondoire Office of Tourism

Vawanda, Paris-based, international wellness travel agency

Utile. Experiences to reconnect to oneself and to get back to what is essential: connecting to the earth, taking action and holistic practices. Tailor-made courses over three months to come back to one’s feeling and essence.

Based on the Forest Schools model, l'Appel de la forêt offers you the opportunity to take your children to the forests within the Ile-de-France region.

Pascale d’Erm - Shinin-Yoku guide, environment and ecology journalist for 25 years, author and director of "Natura", a documentary and a book on the benefits of nature on general health. Consultant to the United Nations Harmony with Nature Initiative.