When did you last take a walk in the woods? Can you recall the dense pine needles underfoot, the sound of a stream that grows clearer with each step, the sweet scent of mud and fallen leaves? Abandon goals, gains, and Instagram. Simply stroll. Bask in the serene seclusion of the trees – forest bathe.
Photographer Tali Kimelman believes that being outdoors is essential to our quality of life. “We are most in touch with ourselves when we are immersed in nature,” she says. In the 1980s, the Japanese coined the term shinrin-yoku, meaning forest bathing. Today, increasing stress levels and outdoor therapy is sparking a global reawakening to this practice.
In her native Uruguay, Kimelman became entranced by Arboretum Lussich, a 192-hectare forest reserve on the country’s coast. Containing over 470 different types of flora species, verdant life is abundant here. Eager for more people to reconnect with themselves and become reacquainted with nature, Kimelman began leading forest bathes in the woodland. “I wanted people to know about the practice,” she says. Kimelman exhibited a series of photographs from the arboretum at the Museo Zorrilla entitled ‘Shinrin-yoku’. Hundreds of people have encountered peace and healing in these soothing sessions, some of them accompanied by live music and meditation.
“Forest bathing helps improve physical and mental wellbeing,” Kimelman says. Studies show reduced blood pressure and anxiety are among the numerous benefits of being outside. Even breathing the forest air is more than refreshing – it could save your life. Plants give off chemicals called phytoncides that guard against insects. These chemicals have properties that attack tumor- and virus-riddled cells in our bodies, warding off illness.
“If we take time to observe the landscape deeply, we open up to realising that it is really not something external to us,” Kimelman says. “We can sense that we are part of it.” There’s no need to only wander among colossal redwoods to feel the effects of the outdoors. Gardens and parks serve just as well, so long as your mind and heart are quieted, your phone is on silent, and all thoughts of fitness milestones are swept away. Soak up the birdsong, and find perspective under a leafy canopy.
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