The Power of a Mindful Walk in the Forest
I grew up with the mandatory Sunday afternoon family walk in a park or forest, so strolling through the woods has always felt familiar to me. When I was spending my days working in the city and returning home late in the evenings, I made it a habit to walk every weekend in the nearby Blue Hills Reservation, a beautiful place with miles of well-marked hiking paths. Whenever the weather permitted, I was there.
With my drive for efficiency, I told myself that I couldn’t just “waste time” strolling through the woods, so I made sure to always bring along a business audiobook to listen to. After a two-hour walk, my legs were tired, but I didn’t feel relaxed and I couldn’t even recall much of the book’s content. I realized I hadn’t been truly focused on either the forest or the book.
Ironically, the last book I listened to while walking was Chatter by Ethan Kross, a national bestseller about the hidden power of our inner voice (2021). Despite its valuable insights, it became just more “chatter” in my mind.
So, I decided to walk without distractions and simply enjoy the forest. What a difference that made! I gave myself permission to truly experience the woods: to see the colorful leaves in fall, to feel the softness of pine needles underfoot, to smell the crisp autumn air, to enjoy the warmth of the sun, and to listen to the birds and the rustle of squirrels nearby. Sometimes, I even paused to touch a leaf or the rough bark of an old oak tree.
After those mindful walks, I felt rejuvenated, calm, and more optimistic. Was it just me, or was there something more to it?
It turns out, there is. Mindful walking in the forest, while fully engaging all our senses in the experience, is an actual practice called forest bathing, derived from the Japanese term Shinrin-yoku. It means immersing oneself in the atmosphere of the forest and becoming deeply aware of the beauty and sensations around us (Cleveland Clinic, 2023).
The practice originated in Japan in the 1980s, and in 2004, the Japanese Society of Forest Therapy was established to study the effects of forest environments on human health. Research has since shown that immersing oneself in nature has many health benefits including reducing stress-related hormones such as cortisol (Li, 2021)
According to Harvard Health Publishing, just 20 minutes of connecting with nature can help lower stress levels (2019).
So, what I experienced is not just a personal preference, it’s a science-backed concept. The key is to mindfully experience the forest. In our drive for efficiency, we often try to do multiple things at once because we feel we never have enough time. But walking mindfully, using our senses to truly take in our surroundings, can be deeply restorative.
See the vibrant foliage in autumn or the first blossoms of spring. Smell the crisp, mossy air. Feel the rough texture of tree bark or the soft tread of pine needles beneath your feet. Hear the chirping of birds, the scurrying of small animals, and the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. Taste the freshness of the clean air around you.
Walking through the forest, or anywhere in nature, is not a waste of time. It is a form of self-care, one that can lead to a healthier, calmer, and more fulfilling life.
Notes:
Kross, E. (January 26, 2021). Chatter: The voice in our head, why it matters, and how to harness it. Crown Publishing.
Cleveland Clinic (December 6, 2023) Forest Bathing: What it is and its potential beenfits. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-forest-therapy-can-be-good-for-your-body-and-mind (Accessed October 29, 2025)
Li Q. (November 1, 2022). Effects of forest environment (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing) on health promotion and disease prevention -the Establishment of "Forest Medicine”. Environmental health and preventive medicine, 27, 43.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9665958/ (Accessed October 29, 2025).
Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publishing (July 1, 2019). A 20-minute nature break relieves stress. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/a-20-minute-nature-break-relieves-stress (Accessed October 29, 2025)