The Power of Shinrin-Yoku

My dog likes to go for daily walks in our local nature reserve.

She uses all of her senses whilst out and about, but mainly loves all the scents of the outside world.

Fully engaged in that present moment listening to all the sounds and taking in all the sights whilst pretty much-licking everything around her.

She is naturally particpating in 'Shinrin-Yoku', which translates to ‘forest bathing’, soaking up all of the natural elements around her.

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to living life I feel we could learn a thing or to from our pets.

I find these walks relaxing as we take the boardwalk through the marshes and down to the creek.

We frequently see rabbits, foxes, and the occasional badger or deer.

It’s a wonderful walk full of sights, sounds, and engaging activities.

The problem is, I sometimes get so lost in thought that unlike my dog I don’t always notice the beauty that is around me.

If I am not careful my mind can wander during the 10–20 minute walk. I start thinking about what’s on my to-do list, what I need to make for lunch or cook for dinner.

I am not paying attention to the storm clouds slowly approaching, or how the breeze feels on my face. All I care about is what cheese to buy for lunch.

Now, as I walk home I am crossing roads instinctively looking left and right. Not noticing the make, model, or even colors of the cars that are passing me or parked up.

As I approach my driveway I wouldn’t be able to give you an account of what happened during that walk, but what I could tell you was that we are having Mac and Cheese for dinner and I am really busy needing to do stuff — then the feeling of stress returns.

I have been up in my head the whole time and despite being in the outside world, I did not notice a “gosh darn thing”!

Does this ever happen to you?

Life on autopilot mode

Perhaps like me, you go to work on autopilot, and once you reach your destination you don’t even remember how you got there!

When in conversation with friends and family you may be preparing to respond rather than listening to understand. As you walk away you can’t even remember what has just been saying.

You’re reading a book, and need to read the page several times because you just can’t comprehend or retain anything.

Being on autopilot is our natural state. It does serve a purpose. If you had to be fully aware of every single process involved with breathing, walking, or just making a cup of tea it would use up a lot of mental energy.

However, autopilot becomes a problem when we use it to sail through life in our heads and not pay external and conscious attention to what is really happening right in front of us.

I’ve been practicing mindfulness now for over 25 years. It’s still easy to fall back into a state of constant distraction, following thoughts and emotions as they bounce around different topics. It’s easy to forget to be more mindful in this new digital era.

To newcomers of mindfulness, losing focus can be frustrating. Mindfulness builds greater self-awareness. So every time your mind does wander simply focus your attention back on the breath or task at hand — that in itself is a mindful practice.

Mindfulness does get easier with consistent and daily practice. You learn to notice before you get caught up in any thoughts and emotions. You also learn to notice before any bad habits kick in and dictate your decisions, actions, and reactions.

Sometimes newcomers stop practicing mindfulness as they feel it has given them a rush of emotions. Although what really happened is you are increasing in awareness of how you really feel!

The great news here is if you are aware of how you feel then you have the power to change it! Through practice, you’ll find you will get caught up in your thought and emotions less often.

This means you will start to feel less consumed by the daily struggles of stress, anxiety, worries, and so on.

This is when it starts to sink in: mindfulness isn’t just another wellbeing gimmick, it’s a way of life — one that we need to constantly cultivate and return to.