Shinrin-yoku

Sometimes we receive gifts from unexpected sources. Two years ago our autumn was suddenly interrupted by a frightening health scare. One day my wife was feeling a bit ill and decided to have her doctor check it out. She was admitted to the hospital in atrial fibrillation and a racing heartbeat. A week later she was in the intensive care unit on a ventilator. Her recovery from that point has been steady and we are delighted that she no longer needs to take medication for her heart and her full health has returned.

At the time she was in the hospital, I was not able to see the benefits of the situation, though they were obvious, had I focused my attention. Our family and friends rushed to our support. On the same day that she was admitted to the ICU our son arrived from Washington. In the wee hours of that night my sister and Susan’s sister arrived. Friends came to visit and offer support. Prayer chains were activated. Colleagues did my work o I could be with my wife.

As she recovered, we asked the doctors what we could do to help maintain her health. “Exercise” was the answer. “30 minutes, 5 times a week will make a world of difference. It doesn’t have to be overly strenuous. Just walking for a half hour a day is a great way to promote your health.” So we started walking every day. Now it is a routine that we have built into our life. We walk from our home when we are home. We walk on paths and sidewalks when we are traveling. We find places to walk every day.

Now that we are somewhat settled here in the Pacific Northwest, we have identified several favorite places to walk. We still love to explore new places and walk in places we haven’t been, but there are some favorites to which we return time after time. One of those places is a 2 1/2 mile walk around a lake. There is a good gravel path all the way. There are a few ups and downs, but the terrain isn’t too steep. There are lots of good views of the lake. But what keeps us coming back over and over again are the trees. The path takes us into a forest of Cedar, and Douglas Fir. The trees tower 150 feet and more above our heads. Their massive trunks are much too wide to reach our arms around. The forest floor is covered in ferns and other vegetation. The trees muffle the sounds of the highway so the birdsong is easy to hear. They provide cool shade on hot summer days. They provide a dry place to walk when mists and light rain fall. They smell wonderful. If you enjoy the aroma of opening a cedar chest or a closet lined with cedar, you would love walking in these woods.

The Japanese term for a special walk in the words is shinrin-yoku. Shinrin means “forest,” and you means “bath.” The term is most frequently translated “forest bathing.” It is an ancient practice. Like many other parts of Japanese life, there are specific rituals that practitioners of shinrin-yoku repeat as they take in the forest with all of their senses. The practice is a kind of intentional bridging of the gap between humans and the natural world. Just as one immerses oneself in a bath, immersing oneself in the forest cleanses and renews.

Although we have an appreciation for Japanese culture, have long-term relationships with friends in Japan and have ourselves traveled to Japan twice, we do not know all of the specific rituals of shinrin-yoku. We simply enjoy taking a walk in the woods. Our walks carry us away from the constant pressure of technology. Sometimes I pause to take a picture, but photography isn’t the focus of our walks. Most days I simply enjoy the walk without feeling the need to make photographs. We tend to keep up a healthy pace in our walks, but I find that walking in the forest sometimes gets us to slow down and not worry about the pace. Savoring the smells, sounds and sights of the woods supports a slow pace. We follow the path and don’t have to worry about which way we are going. It reminds me of walking a labyrinth. No effort needs to be invested in figuring which direction to go. You just follow the path to where it leads you.

There are a lot of medical studies that demonstrate the positive value of spending time in nature. Susan’s health is a testament to the skills of her doctors and the strength of her spirit. It is also a demonstration of the benefits of regular exercise. I have had the gift of being able to walk with her along the way. I get all of the same benefits from the walks as she does.

The ancients understood the power of connecting with nature. The Psalms are filled with references to the beauty and grandeur of creation. Psalm 8 speaks of the wonder of creation from the words of children to the distant stars, from the animals of the land to the creatures of the sea. The majesty of creation and the glory of God are evident to all who are willing to open their senses and behold them.

In Japan most rituals include a sense of remembering and honoring those who have gone before. The people of previous generations are somehow present in our time and live through the experiences of our lives. When we show honor and respect for them, we connect ourselves with our history and find our place in time which does not begin or end with the span of our lives. When we walk in the forest, we are aware that the trees are much older than we. The forest giants were here long before settlers came to this part of the continent. They have witnessed the passage of time. They have endured. We sometimes think of them as grandmother and grandfather trees.

Shinrin-yoku - forest bathing - is an unexpected gift that I treasure over and over again.

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