🍂 Nourishment in the Woods

Reconnecting Through Forest Bathing

By C. Clark

🍁 There was a forest behind our house on Ft. Bragg (now Ft. Liberty), and beyond us simply playing in it, there are two memories that have never left me.

The first was my inspiration to create what I called a “Nature Journal.” I had all these wonderful ideas about collecting different types of leaves and roots, gluing them carefully into a notebook, and writing about their colors, shapes, and smells. I don’t remember if I ever got around to finishing it—but the thought of it still excites me. The idea of capturing nature’s quiet language on paper still feels like a promise waiting to be fulfilled.

The second, and most vivid memory, was standing alone in that forest. I don’t remember where everyone else was—it was just me, surrounded by the quiet hum of the earth. The sun filtered softly through the trees, the air warm and alive. I remember feeling something I still struggle to describe—a deep, soothing sense of peace that seemed to rise from the ground and settle into my bones.

I’ve carried that moment with me ever since. Out of all my childhood memories, that one remains the most luminous, the most alive. I believe I’ve spent much of my life, in one way or another, trying to recreate it. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always felt drawn to nature as both a source of inspiration and a form of nourishment.

That moment in the woods—and all the feeling it conjured—is still within me. I give myself permission to recreate and celebrate it. Nature, for me, is part of my “thrive environment”—a place I return to again and again to feel grounded, replenished, and whole.

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The Art of Forest Bathing

What I experienced that day as a child has a name—one rooted in Japanese culture: Shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing.” The practice emerged in Japan in the early 1980s as part of a national health program, encouraging people to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the forest—not through exercise or hiking, but through mindful presence.

Forest bathing doesn’t involve soap or water; instead, it’s about soaking in the sensory experience of the woods. You walk slowly. You breathe deeply. You listen to the rustle of leaves, feel the texture of bark beneath your fingertips, smell the dampness of earth, and allow your body to synchronize with the quiet rhythm of the trees.

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The Benefits of Forest Bathing

Scientific research has shown that forest bathing can:

• Reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels.

• Boost immune function, particularly through exposure to phytoncides—natural oils released by trees that increase natural killer (NK) cell activity in humans.

• Lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.

• Enhance focus and creativity by restoring mental energy and attention.

• Promote emotional balance and a sense of belonging to something greater than oneself.

For many, including myself, these benefits transcend science. There’s a spiritual nourishment that comes from standing among trees—the sense that life, in its purest form, is pulsing all around you.

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Coming Home to the Forest Within

When I think back to that little girl in the forest on Ft. Bragg, feeling sunlight filter through the trees and something wordless stirring in her heart, I realize she was having her first forest bath—long before she knew what it was called.

Nature continues to remind me that thriving isn’t about endless doing—it’s about being. Being still. Being receptive. Being in tune with something greater than myself.

Each time I step into nature, I am reminded of that moment, that child, and that deep-down, soothing aliveness. And I celebrate it. Because, truly, nature is where I go to remember who I am. 🌲✨