It's often very difficult to fully relax in cities, with sensory overload caused by all the traffic, dense populations and long hours spent indoors, in offices.
Visiting a forest and paying attention to our surroundings stimulates the senses enough to ease the drive to do something, yet is calming enough to allow us a moment of peace.
Local people of Latvia are often visitors to the forests. We love our forests for the goods that they give us - mushrooms, blueberries, wild strawberries, lingonberries, raspberries etc. But besides the healthy plants, forests are also wonderful place to take a deep breath, relax and enjoy sense of space away from the city.
Spending time in nature can help you slow down, notice your surroundings and enjoy a calmer rhythm after time in the city.
The idea of forest bathing is inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, which means spending time in the forest and connecting with nature through the senses — sight, sound, smell, touch and the feeling of simply being outdoors.
Constant motion of the city is left behind and we can peacefully soak in the sights of the textured ground, tree bark and also the shapes of the trees up in the sky.
To make most of the day out in the woodland, visit to forest is divided into two parts:
- slow walk through the forest: where we can see different plants, mushrooms and trees
- lying back in a hammock: quiet hammock time in the forest, where you can listen to birds, watch the treetops or simply rest
