That’s right, a nature bath. Take a dip in Patagonia's forests and have an unforgettable experience with the magic of the world's southernmost forests. In this blog we will tell you about a practice that is growing in popularity all over the world: reap the benefits of the trees in their natural habitat to take a moment of relaxation, reflection, and healing.
It is normal to feel stress in our daily lives due to many reasons, such as our jobs, domestic chores, and the noise of urban life. Disconnecting ourselves from the city has become more and more necessary. We have to step aside from the crowds and reconnect with the simple things in life. This is the point of shinrin yoku, a Japanese practice known as “forest bathing.”
Shinrin yoku originated in Japan, and it is designed to help us take a breath between our daily tasks and connect with the woods. To practice forest bathing, all you need is a little time and a nature park away from the city.
The practice is quite simple, and here in Torres del Paine you can experience the best version of this healing exercise. First, you must turn off your phone, and then head to any of the park's many natural environments. Are you ready? Here we go!
Find a place where you feel comfortable and begin to open your senses. You can stand or sit. The goal is to pay attention to all the living things that surround you. Feel the Patagonian wind caressing your skin or playing with your hair. Hear the surrounding sounds: the nearby river, the branches swinging in the breeze, and the birds searching for food or resting in a tree.
Reach out your hands and feel Patagonia in your palms: the soft and cold grass, the leaves of the surrounding flora, or simply the stones nearby. Focus on the sensations, textures, the temperature of surfaces, the different colors, or simply how it all fits into the landscape.
Once you have settled into the environment, you can drink some tea or juice and observe how different it feels to taste it with your senses open, feel its sweetness, warmth, and the sensation of hydrating yourself during such a relaxing moment.
Forest bathing experts recommend it to improve your mood, relieve stress, and manage anxiety.
In Chile, this initiative has been supported by CONAF (National Forestry Corporation), and several organizations have designed guides for you to enjoy shinrin yoku at its best.
Here in Torres del Paine, we have some favorite spots for this exercise, like the Interpretive Trail, the lenga forest on the way to Base Torres, or our biointensive orchard.
We'll be waiting for you this season to come take a forest bath and try out this new experience to boost your mental health. Here you can find other relaxing experiences you can try at Las Torres.