Shinrin-Yoku Or Forest Bathing In The City: Join My 365-Day Peaceful Photo Challenge
DAY 298. Living with irrevocable differences and curating peace through contemplative photography.
June 26, 2025
So excited! I discovered a new refuge in the protected wilderness of Marine Park Salt Marsh — a little space, a path, an alcove. Experiencing it was a deep dive into Shinrin-yoku, accompanied by a symphony of leaf-song and light.
A slow walk here took less than a minute without stopping. Yet, you could spend more time seeing, touching, listening, smelling, and tasting all that surrounds you — the light filtering through the leaves creating a spectrum of radiant marks on the earth, grasses, and stony path at your feet. Each plant and tree had its unique texture and character.
Listening to the rustling leaves in this space differs from what one hears in the park. Here, the noise of cars, voices, and children disappears, leaving you alone in a space of unhurried silence. Heatwave temperatures and the competing demands of daily life fade away, allowing only nature and your presence.
I did not taste anything today as I did not recognize any edible plants.
I took three photos: one at eye level, one from a higher vantage point, and one from a stooped position. I wanted to study whether shifting perspective changes visual perception. I noticed slight differences, which you can explore in the photos.
More importantly, the photos, especially the one taken from a stooping vantage point, transport me back into the moment and fullness of Shinrin-yoku. The lighting, shape, and mood allow me to step over a threshold where my inner landscape softens and life’s urgencies fade.
Focusing on mindfulness practices and experiencing nature opens the mind and heart to healing encounters that no words can describe.
After 30 minutes of wall tennis, while simultaneously enjoying the sound and sight of rustling leaves of the trees during the heat wave and hydrating every couple of minutes, I slowly ventured back into the nearby salt marsh.
Almost immediately, my eyes discovered this alcove, a green haven that invited me into an experience of Shinrin-Yoku.
Shinrin-yoku, rooted in Japanese culture, emphasizes mindfulness and sensory immersion through all five senses, typically in a state of silence. It is about harmonizing with nature and oneself, taking a slow walk with frequent pauses to observe, listen, smell, feel, and taste edible flora and fruits.
Practicing Shinrin-yoku can combine elements of awareness, spirituality, faith, and Stoicism, and one can emerge transformed, richer, stronger, restored, more resilient, and peaceful.
Forest bathing, a Western term derived from the Japanese concept of Shinrin-yoku, emphasizes the recreational, social, and therapeutic benefits of spending time in nature. Personal preferences and group experiences can shape it.
So, my time in the park felt like forest bathing, but stepping into this habitat, where I could hear and feel my slowed heartbeat, allowed me to fully embrace Shinrin-yoku.
Which do you prefer, Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing? Which photo gives you a sense of Shinrin-yoku and why?