Shinrin-Yoku: Enhancing mental health and wellbeing

Scott Buckler and Harriet Moore, Holy Trinity School, UK What’s the idea? Shinrin-yoku is translated as ‘forest breathing/bathing’ and was developed in Japan during the 1980s, integrating the senses through mindful practice, while immersed in a forest environment (Hansen et al., 2017). The Chinese character for ‘mindfulness’ comprises five characters: eyes, ears, heart and mind, along with undivided attention, all of which encompass how to engage with shinrin-yoku. What does it mean? The difference between shinrinyoku and just going for a walk is that the former is a purposeful, mindful engagement through specific guided intervention focusing on the senses. Research has demonstrated that shinrin-yoku is a way to reduce both educators’ burnout and students’ biological stress response. Specifically, shinrin-yoku: reduces blood pressure while increasing heart rate reduces anxiety, acute and chronic stress, also chronic depression enhances spiritual wellbeing,