What is forest bathing and how is it different from hiking?

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a slow, intentional practice of immersing yourself in a forest environment using all five senses. Unlike hiking, which focuses on physical exercise, distance, and reaching a destination, forest bathing has no distance goal. You may cover only a few hundred metres in two hours. The pace is deliberately slow. You stop frequently to notice the texture of bark, the scent of pine needles, the sound of water moving over stones, and the shifting patterns of light through the canopy. The therapeutic effects come from the sensory immersion, not from aerobic exertion. Researchers at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo found that two hours spent walking slowly through a forest reduced cortisol levels by 16 percent and blood pressure by measurable amounts, benefits that were not replicated by the same duration of walking in an urban setting.

Is forest bathing scientifically proven to improve health?

Yes. Peer-reviewed studies published in journals including Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine and the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health have documented measurable health improvements from forest bathing. These include reduced cortisol (the primary stress hormone), lower blood pressure, improved heart rate variability, increased natural killer cell activity (a key immune function marker), reduced anxiety and depression symptoms, improved mood and emotional regulation, and better sleep quality. The active compounds responsible for many of these benefits are phytoncides, volatile organic compounds released by trees. When inhaled, phytoncides stimulate the immune system and reduce stress hormones. Coniferous forests, which are abundant across Canada, produce especially high concentrations of these compounds.

Where are the best forest bathing trails in Canada?

Canada offers exceptional forest bathing environments in every province. In British Columbia, Pacific Spirit Regional Park in Vancouver and Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island are outstanding choices, with old-growth forests that produce high levels of phytoncides. In Ontario, Algonquin Provincial Park, the Bruce Trail corridor, and Rouge National Urban Park near Toronto all support excellent forest bathing. In Alberta, the Bow Valley corridor near Banff and the boreal forests around Jasper provide mountain forest immersion. Quebec's Mont-Tremblant and Gatineau Park near Ottawa offer rich temperate forest environments. Nova Scotia's Kejimkujik National Park and Cape Breton Highlands provide Atlantic forest settings. Even the boreal forests of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, though less publicized, offer deep immersion experiences with minimal crowds and vast canopy cover.

Can I practice forest bathing in winter in Canada?

Absolutely. Winter forest bathing in Canada offers a distinct and powerful experience. Snow absorbs sound, making the forest exceptionally quiet. The cold air sharpens your senses. Coniferous trees continue to release phytoncides even in cold temperatures, though at lower concentrations than in summer. Dress in warm, layered clothing with waterproof boots, insulated gloves, and a hat that leaves your ears partly uncovered so you can hear the forest sounds. Move even more slowly than you would in warm weather. Stop frequently to notice the patterns of frost on branches, the tracks of animals in the snow, and the particular quality of winter light filtering through bare deciduous canopies or snow-laden spruce boughs. Many practitioners report that winter forest bathing produces an especially deep sense of stillness and presence.

How long should a forest bathing session last?

A standard guided forest bathing session lasts two to three hours. Most research studies documenting health benefits used sessions of at least two hours. However, even twenty to thirty minutes of slow, intentional walking in a forest environment produces measurable reductions in cortisol and blood pressure. If you are new to the practice, start with forty-five minutes and gradually extend your sessions as you become more comfortable with the slow pace. The key is not the clock but the quality of attention you bring. A fully present thirty-minute session is more beneficial than a distracted two-hour walk. For the strongest immune-boosting effects from phytoncide exposure, aim for at least two hours in a dense forest environment once per week.

What are phytoncides and why do they matter for forest bathing?

Phytoncides are volatile organic compounds that trees and plants release to protect themselves from bacteria, fungi, and insects. Common phytoncides include alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, limonene, and camphene. When humans inhale these compounds, the body responds with increased natural killer cell activity, which strengthens immune function. A landmark 2007 study by Dr. Qing Li at Nippon Medical School showed that a three-day forest bathing trip increased natural killer cell activity by 50 percent, and the effect persisted for more than 30 days afterward. Coniferous trees such as pine, spruce, fir, and cedar produce the highest concentrations of phytoncides. Canada's vast boreal and temperate rainforests are among the richest sources of these compounds in the world, making Canadian forests especially potent environments for shinrin-yoku.

What should I wear and bring for a forest bathing session?

Dress in comfortable layers appropriate for the weather. Choose muted, natural colours rather than bright athletic wear, which can feel visually jarring in a forest setting. Wear shoes or boots that are comfortable for standing and slow walking on uneven terrain. In summer, bring insect repellent and a hat. In winter, layer with moisture-wicking base layers, insulating mid-layers, and a windproof outer shell. Leave headphones, fitness trackers, and phones (or switch your phone to airplane mode) behind. Bring a small water bottle and a sit pad or mat so you can sit on the forest floor comfortably. A journal and pen are optional but useful for recording observations afterward. The less gear you carry, the more fully you can immerse yourself in the experience.

How does forest bathing connect to grounding and earthing practices?

Forest bathing and grounding (earthing) share a common foundation: direct contact with the natural world to restore physical and energetic balance. Grounding specifically involves placing bare skin on the earth to allow the transfer of electrons from the ground into the body, which research suggests has anti-inflammatory effects. During forest bathing, many practitioners remove their shoes to walk barefoot on moss, soil, or leaf litter, combining the sensory immersion of shinrin-yoku with the electrical grounding effect of earthing. Both practices activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce cortisol, and create a sense of calm and connection. Forest bathing expands on grounding by engaging all five senses rather than focusing primarily on physical contact, but the two practices complement each other naturally and can be combined in a single session.

Forest Bathing Canada: Shinrin-Yoku Trails & Benefits

Q: Do I need a guide for forest bathing or can I do it alone?

You can practice forest bathing alone, and many experienced practitioners prefer solo sessions for the depth of solitude they offer. However, a certified guide is valuable for beginners because the guide provides structure, pacing, and sensory invitations that help you slow down and engage with the forest in ways you might not discover on your own. Certified forest therapy guides trained through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) or the Forest Therapy Society follow specific protocols that include a sequence of invitations designed to progressively deepen your sensory awareness. In Canada, certified guides operate in British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. After two or three guided sessions, most people develop enough familiarity with the practice to continue on their own.

Q: Can forest bathing help with anxiety and depression?

Research consistently shows that forest bathing reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. A 2019 meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Biometeorology reviewed 20 studies and found that forest environments significantly reduced anxiety scores compared to urban environments. The mechanisms include lower cortisol production, activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest-and-digest response), reduced rumination (the repetitive negative thinking pattern associated with depression), and increased exposure to natural light and fresh air. Forest bathing is not a replacement for clinical treatment, but it is a valuable complementary practice. Many therapists in Canada now recommend nature-based practices alongside conventional treatment. The slow pace and sensory focus of forest bathing also share qualities with mindfulness meditation, which has its own well-documented effects on anxiety and mood.

Last Updated: February 2026

Written by Thalira Wisdom

Key Takeaways

Forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) is a slow, sensory practice of immersing yourself in a forest environment. Developed in Japan in the 1980s, it now has a growing body of peer-reviewed research confirming its benefits for stress reduction, immune function, and mental health.
Canada is one of the best countries on earth for forest bathing. With over 347 million hectares of forest, old-growth rainforests in British Columbia, boreal expanses across the prairies and north, and rich temperate forests in Ontario and Quebec, the variety of forest environments is unmatched.
Phytoncides released by coniferous trees are a key mechanism behind the health benefits. Canada's vast spruce, pine, fir, and cedar forests produce exceptionally high concentrations of these immune-boosting compounds.
You can practice forest bathing year-round in Canada, including winter. Snow-covered forests offer a uniquely quiet and still environment that deepens the meditative quality of the practice.
This guide covers trails across six provinces, the science behind the health benefits, a complete step-by-step practice, seasonal considerations, and how to combine forest bathing with grounding, breathwork, and mindfulness meditation.

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries introduced the term shinrin-yoku in 1982. It translates directly as "forest bath." The idea was simple: spending time in a forest, moving slowly and engaging all five senses, produces measurable improvements in physical and mental health. Four decades and hundreds of studies later, that idea has grown into a global wellness practice with certified guides, dedicated trails, and a research base that spans immunology, endocrinology, and psychology.

In Canada, we have something that Japan, with its carefully managed forest therapy trails, does not: sheer scale. Nearly 9 percent of the world's total forest cover sits within Canadian borders. From the temperate rainforests of coastal British Columbia to the maple-birch forests of Quebec, from the boreal spruce corridors of northern Ontario to the Acadian forests of the Maritimes, the variety and vastness of Canadian forests offer forest bathing opportunities that are, in practical terms, limitless.

This guide is for anyone who wants to understand what forest bathing is, why it works, where to practice it in Canada, and how to build a personal forest therapy practice that serves both body and spirit.

What Is Forest Bathing? Understanding Shinrin-Yoku

Forest bathing is not exercise. It is not hiking, trail running, or bird watching, though it can include elements of all three. At its core, forest bathing is a practice of presence. You enter a forest. You slow down to a pace that would frustrate a hiker. You stop frequently. You notice things you would normally walk past: the grain of bark, the particular green of a fern, the way a stream changes sound as it passes over different stones.

The practice follows a loose structure of "invitations," each one directing your attention to a different sense or a different aspect of the forest. A session typically lasts two to three hours and covers no more than one to two kilometres. There is no summit to reach. There is no step count to hit. The destination is the forest itself, and you are already there.

This intentional slowness is what separates forest bathing from a nature walk. When you walk through a forest at a normal pace, your brain is still operating in its planning, evaluating, problem-solving mode. When you slow to one quarter of your usual pace and direct your attention outward through your senses, the brain shifts. The default mode network quiets. The prefrontal cortex, which manages your to-do lists and worries, relaxes its grip. Your nervous system begins to recalibrate.

If you already practice mindfulness meditation, you will recognize the state. Forest bathing is, in many ways, mindfulness meditation with the forest as your anchor instead of the breath.

The Science Behind Forest Bathing: What the Research Shows

The health claims around forest bathing are not speculative. They rest on a foundation of controlled studies, many of them conducted by researchers at Japanese universities over the past twenty years.

Stress Reduction and Cortisol

A 2010 study published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine measured cortisol levels in participants who spent time in forest versus urban environments. Forest walkers showed cortisol reductions of 12 to 16 percent compared to their urban counterparts. Heart rate and blood pressure dropped in parallel. The study concluded that forests have a direct physiological calming effect that operates independently of exercise.

This matters because chronic cortisol elevation is linked to a cascade of health problems: insomnia, weight gain, immune suppression, anxiety, and cardiovascular risk. Any practice that reliably lowers cortisol has significant health implications, and forest bathing does this consistently across studies.

Immune Function and Phytoncides

The most striking finding in forest bathing research involves the immune system. Dr. Qing Li at Nippon Medical School published a series of studies between 2006 and 2010 showing that spending two to three days in a forest increased natural killer (NK) cell activity by up to 50 percent. NK cells are lymphocytes that identify and destroy virus-infected cells and tumour cells. A 50 percent increase in their activity is a substantial immune boost.

The mechanism is phytoncides. Trees release these volatile organic compounds to defend against pathogens. When humans inhale phytoncides, particularly alpha-pinene and limonene, the body responds by producing more NK cells and increasing their activity. The effect persists for 30 days or more after a multi-day forest visit.

For Canadians, this finding is particularly relevant. Our coniferous forests, dominated by spruce, pine, fir, and cedar, produce some of the highest phytoncide concentrations on earth. A forest bathing session in a dense stand of white spruce in Ontario or Douglas fir in British Columbia exposes you to phytoncide levels comparable to or exceeding those in the Japanese forests where the original research was conducted.

Mental Health Benefits

A 2019 meta-analysis in the International Journal of Biometeorology reviewed 20 studies and confirmed that forest environments significantly reduce anxiety and depression scores compared to urban settings. Separate research from Stanford University found that walking in nature reduced activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, the brain region associated with rumination, the repetitive negative thinking pattern that drives depression.

These findings align with what practitioners report anecdotally: a sense of mental clarity, emotional lightness, and improved mood that lasts for hours or days after a session. If you have experienced physical symptoms during a spiritual awakening, forest bathing can serve as a grounding counterbalance, reconnecting the heightened awareness with the physical body through sensory contact with the natural world.

Best Forest Bathing Trails in Canada by Province

Canada's forests span multiple biomes, each offering a distinct forest bathing experience. The trails listed below are selected for their canopy density, minimal road noise, trail quality for slow walking, and overall immersive quality.

British Columbia

British Columbia is the crown of Canadian forest bathing. The coastal temperate rainforests produce phytoncide levels that rank among the highest measured anywhere. The moisture, the moss, the towering western red cedars, and the Douglas firs create an environment that feels ancient and alive.

Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Vancouver. Located on the University of British Columbia peninsula, this 763-hectare park sits minutes from downtown Vancouver but feels like deep forest. The Sword Fern Trail and the Hemlock Trail are ideal for forest bathing, with soft ground underfoot, dense canopy overhead, and the sound of rain dripping through leaves even on dry days. For practitioners in the Vancouver area who also attend meditation classes in Vancouver, Pacific Spirit is a natural extension of seated practice into the living forest.

Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Provincial Park, Vancouver Island. This old-growth forest features Douglas firs over 800 years old and up to 9 metres in circumference. Walking among these trees at a forest bathing pace is a humbling experience. The trails are short and flat, making them ideal for slow, sensory immersion. The sheer scale of the trees changes your sense of proportion and time.

Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park, Vancouver Island. For those willing to drive further, Carmanah Walbran offers some of the tallest Sitka spruce trees in the world. The valley floor is dense with ferns, moss, and old-growth canopy. It is remote, quiet, and profoundly immersive.

If you are combining forest bathing with a broader wellness trip, our guide to yoga retreats in British Columbia and spiritual retreats on the BC coast includes options that incorporate forest time into their programming.

Ontario

Ontario's forests shift from the mixed hardwoods and white pines of the south to the boreal spruce and jack pine of the north. The variety supports forest bathing in every season.

Algonquin Provincial Park. With over 7,600 square kilometres of forest, Algonquin is a world-class forest bathing destination. The Spruce Bog Boardwalk and the Hemlock Bluff Trail offer immersive forest environments with minimal elevation change. In autumn, the sugar maples and red oaks produce a canopy that shifts through orange, red, and gold, adding a visual dimension that few forests on earth can match.

Bruce Trail, Niagara Escarpment. Canada's oldest and longest marked hiking trail passes through forests that are well suited to forest bathing, particularly the sections through old-growth forest near Tobermory and the Dundas Valley. Choose a short section, leave the trail map behind, and walk slowly.

Rouge National Urban Park, Toronto. Canada's only national urban park includes significant forest areas within the Greater Toronto Area. The forested sections along the Rouge River provide a forest bathing option for Toronto residents who cannot easily leave the city. The contrast between entering the park from suburban Scarborough and standing in a quiet forest along the river twenty minutes later makes the threshold crossing especially vivid.

For Ontario-based practitioners, the wellness retreats in Muskoka region sit within some of the province's most beautiful mixed forest environments, many of which incorporate nature immersion into their retreat programming.

Alberta

Alberta offers mountain forests, foothill forests, and northern boreal forest. The air is clean and dry, the phytoncide-rich conifers are dense, and the mountain backdrop adds a vertical dimension to the forest bathing experience.

Johnston Canyon to Ink Pots, Banff National Park. While the lower falls section of Johnston Canyon is too crowded for forest bathing, the upper trail toward the Ink Pots passes through dense spruce and pine forest with far fewer visitors. The sound of Johnston Creek provides a natural soundscape. In early morning, the trail is quiet enough for a full sensory practice.

Maligne Canyon, Jasper National Park. The forested sections between the fifth and sixth bridges offer deep forest immersion with the sound of the Maligne River below. Spruce and lodgepole pine dominate the canopy. The air is thick with phytoncides, particularly in summer and early autumn.

For those who want to combine forest bathing with formal meditation practice, our guide to meditation retreats in Alberta lists centres in the mountain corridor that incorporate nature-based contemplative practices.

Quebec

Quebec's forests include the dense sugar maples and yellow birches of the Laurentians and the boreal forests that stretch north toward Hudson Bay. The province has one of the strongest forest bathing cultures in Canada, with certified guides operating in both French and English.

Parc national du Mont-Tremblant. The old-growth forest along the Lac-Monroe sector provides a rich forest bathing environment. Sugar maples, yellow birch, and balsam fir create a diverse canopy. The park offers guided forest bathing sessions in summer and autumn.

Gatineau Park, near Ottawa. Straddling the Quebec-Ontario border, Gatineau Park's forests include stands of old-growth sugar maple, hemlock, and white pine. The King Mountain Trail and the Luskville Falls area are suited to slow, sensory walking.

Nova Scotia and the Maritime Provinces

Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia. The Acadian forest here is a mix of red spruce, hemlock, white birch, and sugar maple. The Mersey River flows through the park, adding a water element that enriches the forest bathing experience. The dark sky preserve designation means that overnight visits allow forest immersion to continue into starlit evenings.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The boreal plateau and the river canyons of Cape Breton offer dramatic forest environments. The Franey Trail, though steep, passes through old-growth forest with towering hardwoods and dense fern understory.

Forest Bathing Trails Comparison

Trail / Park	Province	Forest Type	Best Season	Phytoncide Level
Pacific Spirit, Vancouver	BC	Coastal temperate rainforest	Year-round	Very high
Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island	BC	Old-growth Douglas fir	Spring to autumn	Very high
Algonquin Provincial Park	ON	Mixed hardwood and boreal	Autumn (peak foliage)	High
Rouge National Urban Park	ON	Carolinian and mixed	Spring to autumn	Moderate
Johnston Canyon to Ink Pots	AB	Montane spruce-pine	Summer to early autumn	High
Mont-Tremblant	QC	Mixed temperate	Summer and autumn	High
Kejimkujik National Park	NS	Acadian mixed forest	Late spring to autumn	Moderate to high
Gatineau Park	QC	Old-growth maple-hemlock	Autumn (colour peak)	High

How to Practice Forest Bathing: A Complete Session Guide

The following practice can be done alone or with a small group. Plan for two to three hours. You will need comfortable clothing, a water bottle, and a small sit pad or mat. Leave your phone in the car or switch it to airplane mode.

The Threshold

Every forest bathing session begins at a boundary. This might be the trailhead, the edge of the parking lot, or the point where the trees close in overhead. Stand at this threshold and pause. Take three slow, deep breaths. With each exhale, release one piece of your day: a conversation, a task, a worry. You are not suppressing these things. You are setting them down, the way you would set down a backpack before entering a room.

When you feel a small shift in your attention, step across the threshold. You have entered the forest.

Invitation One: Listening

Walk slowly for five minutes, then stop. Close your eyes. Listen. Do not try to identify what you hear. Just let the sounds arrive. Notice the layers: the closest sounds (your own breathing, your clothing shifting), the mid-range sounds (birdsong, wind in branches, water), and the far sounds (distant traffic, an airplane, thunder). Notice the silence underneath all of it.

Stay with this for five to ten minutes. When the forest sounds begin to feel closer and more detailed, your auditory attention has deepened. This is the first sign that your nervous system is shifting.

Invitation Two: Seeing

Open your eyes and continue walking slowly. Let your gaze soften. Instead of focusing on one point, let your peripheral vision expand until you are taking in the full width of the forest. Notice the quality of light. Notice colour gradients: how many shades of green can you count? Look at the textures of bark on different tree species. Watch how the canopy moves. Look at the ground and notice the patterns of roots, fallen leaves, and small plants.

If something catches your attention, stop and look at it closely. Bring your face within inches of bark, moss, or a mushroom. Look at it the way a child would, with curiosity rather than classification.

Invitation Three: Touch

Reach out and place your hand on a tree trunk. Feel the temperature and texture. Press your palm against moss. Pick up a stone and hold it. If there is a stream nearby, put your hand in the water. Feel the temperature difference between the water and the air.

If the conditions are suitable, remove your shoes and stand barefoot on the forest floor. This is where forest bathing intersects with earthing and grounding practices. The soles of your feet have some of the highest concentrations of nerve endings in your body. Standing barefoot on soil, moss, or leaf litter engages these nerve endings and, according to earthing research, allows a transfer of electrons from the ground into your body that may reduce inflammation.

Invitation Four: Scent

Breathe deeply through your nose. The forest air carries complex chemical signatures. Phytoncides from conifers, terpenes from deciduous trees, the earthy scent of geosmin produced by soil bacteria, the green smell of crushed leaves. Each of these compounds interacts with your olfactory receptors and triggers downstream physiological responses.

For maximum phytoncide exposure, stand near a group of conifers and breathe deeply for five to ten minutes. Combine this with intentional breathwork: inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for six. This extended exhale activates the vagus nerve and deepens the parasympathetic shift.

Invitation Five: Stillness

Find a place to sit. A fallen log, a mossy rock, the base of a large tree. Settle in. Wrap yourself in your jacket or blanket if it is cool. Set no timer. Simply sit and let the forest come to you.

This is the deepest part of the practice. Your body is still. Your senses are open. The forest, which may have gone quiet when you arrived, begins to resume its activity around you. Birds return. Squirrels move. The wind shifts. You are no longer a visitor moving through the forest. You are part of it, sitting still while it moves around you.

Stay for fifteen to twenty minutes, or longer if it feels right. Many practitioners describe this sit spot period as the most restorative part of the session.

Quick Forest Bathing Practice (30 Minutes)

If you cannot commit to a full two-hour session, this condensed version still offers real benefits.

Walk slowly into a forested area for five minutes. Leave your phone behind.
Stop. Close your eyes. Listen for two minutes.
Open your eyes. Walk slowly for another five minutes, noticing colours and textures.
Find a tree. Place your hand on the trunk. Stand quietly for three minutes.
Breathe deeply near conifers for five minutes (four-count inhale, six-count exhale).
Find a place to sit. Rest quietly for five minutes.
Walk slowly back to the trailhead. Pause at the threshold before leaving.

Seasonal Forest Bathing in Canada

Each season transforms the Canadian forest into a different environment. Adapting your forest bathing practice to the season keeps it fresh and deepens your relationship with the particular forest you visit.

Seasonal Guide to Forest Bathing in Canada

Spring (April to May): The forest is waking up. Sap is running. Migrating birds are returning. The scent of thawing earth is powerful. Focus your attention on sounds (birdsong is at its most complex) and on the small signs of new growth: buds, early wildflowers, and the pale green of unfurling ferns.
Summer (June to August): Peak phytoncide levels. The canopy is full and dense. Shade cools the forest floor. This is the best season for extended sessions of three hours or more. Focus on scent and barefoot grounding. The warm soil and high phytoncide concentration make summer the most physically restorative season for forest bathing.
Autumn (September to November): The colour display in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes adds a visual intensity that is unmatched. The scent shifts toward decomposition: fallen leaves, mushrooms, damp earth. Focus your attention on seeing and on the awareness of impermanence that autumn naturally evokes. This is a reflective season, well suited to journaling after your session.
Winter (December to March): Snow absorbs sound, making the forest exceptionally still. The skeletal shapes of bare deciduous trees reveal the structure of the forest. Coniferous forests retain their green canopy and continue releasing phytoncides. Dress warmly. Focus on listening (the silence is profound) and on the visual patterns of frost, ice, and snow. Winter forest bathing requires more courage to begin, but practitioners consistently report that it produces the deepest stillness.

Combining Forest Bathing with Other Practices

Forest bathing does not exist in isolation. It connects naturally to several other practices that deepen its effects.

Forest Bathing and Meditation

The sit spot portion of a forest bathing session is, in practical terms, an open-awareness meditation. If you already have a meditation practice, whether mindfulness or transcendental or Zen or Vipassana, you can bring those techniques into the forest. Sit in your usual posture at your sit spot and practice your standard technique, but with the added sensory richness of the forest environment.

Many meditators report that the forest provides a quality of stillness that is harder to access indoors. The ambient sounds, the moving light, and the fresh air act as gentle anchors that keep the mind from drifting into abstraction.

Forest Bathing and Breathwork

Intentional breathing during forest bathing multiplies the phytoncide benefits. Basic practices include coherent breathing (equal inhale and exhale, five to six counts each), extended exhale breathing (four-count inhale, six-to-eight-count exhale to activate the vagus nerve), and box breathing (four-count inhale, four-count hold, four-count exhale, four-count hold).

For those drawn to more intensive breathwork, the Wim Hof method can be practiced in a forest setting, though the hyperventilation rounds should be done seated to avoid dizziness. The cold exposure component of the Wim Hof method also pairs well with winter forest bathing.

Forest Bathing and Grounding

As discussed above, removing your shoes and standing barefoot on the forest floor combines the benefits of shinrin-yoku with the benefits of earthing. The research on grounding suggests that direct skin contact with the earth transfers electrons that act as antioxidants, reducing inflammation and improving blood viscosity. The soft, uneven surface of the forest floor also engages the small stabilizing muscles of the feet and ankles, improving proprioception and balance.

If barefoot walking is not possible due to cold, rough terrain, or personal preference, pressing your palms against a tree trunk for five to ten minutes provides a similar grounding connection through the hands.

Building a Weekly Forest Bathing Practice

Choose one forest. Rather than visiting a different forest each time, return to the same one week after week. This allows you to notice seasonal changes, learn the patterns of the resident birds and animals, and develop a genuine relationship with a specific place.
Set a consistent day and time. Treat it like a meditation appointment. Sunday mornings or weekday evenings after work are popular choices.
Start with one hour and build to two. Consistency matters more than duration. A weekly one-hour session is more beneficial than a monthly three-hour session.
Keep a forest journal. After each session, write a few lines about what you noticed: weather, sounds, scents, animals, your emotional state, anything that surprised you. Over months, this journal becomes a record of the forest's seasonal cycle and your own inner changes.
Go in all weather. Rain, snow, wind, fog. Each condition transforms the forest into something new. Skipping sessions because of weather means missing some of the most powerful experiences.

Certified Forest Therapy Guides in Canada

If you want to begin with guided sessions, certified forest therapy guides trained through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) operate across Canada. ANFT-certified guides complete a rigorous training program that includes over 200 hours of instruction in guiding techniques, group facilitation, risk management, and the science of nature-based health.

Guided sessions typically last two and a half to three hours and include a sequence of sensory invitations, a sit spot period, and a tea ceremony using locally foraged ingredients. Group sizes are small, usually four to twelve participants. Sessions run year-round, with winter sessions available in most provinces.

To find a certified guide near you, visit the ANFT directory and search by province. Guides are currently active in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Many guides also offer private sessions, corporate wellness programs, and multi-day forest immersion retreats.

Forest Bathing for Specific Health Goals

While forest bathing is beneficial for general wellness, specific adaptations can target particular health concerns.

For anxiety: Emphasize the listening invitation. Anxiety narrows attention to internal thoughts and future worries. The practice of listening to layered forest sounds pulls attention outward and into the present moment. Combine with extended exhale breathing (four-count inhale, eight-count exhale) to directly stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.

For chronic stress and burnout: Emphasize the sit spot. Burnout is often driven by a relentless pace and the feeling that you cannot stop. The act of sitting in a forest for twenty minutes with no agenda, no phone, and no task is a direct antidote. The forest does not need anything from you. You can simply exist.

For immune support: Maximize phytoncide exposure by choosing coniferous forests, visiting during warm months when phytoncide levels peak, extending your session to at least two hours, and breathing deeply near dense stands of pine, spruce, or cedar. For sustained immune benefits, aim for at least one multi-day forest visit (two to three days) per quarter.

For sleep: Practice forest bathing in the afternoon, two to four hours before your intended bedtime. The cortisol reduction and parasympathetic activation from the session create conditions that support natural melatonin production in the evening. Avoid looking at screens between your forest bathing session and sleep.

Integrating Forest Bathing into a Broader Wellness Practice

Pair a weekly forest bathing session with a regular meditation practice for complementary benefits to the nervous system.
Use forest bathing as preparation for deeper retreat work. A session the day before attending a yoga retreat or meditation retreat can help you arrive already in a receptive state.
Combine with grounding practices for a more complete connection between your body and the earth.
If you practice breathwork, bring your breathing techniques into the forest for amplified phytoncide absorption.
Track your forest bathing sessions alongside any other wellness practices in a single journal so you can observe how they support each other over time.

Getting Started: Your First Forest Bathing Session

You do not need a certification, a guide, or special equipment. You need a forest and two hours.

Choose a forested area within thirty minutes of your home. It does not need to be wilderness. A large urban park with mature trees is sufficient. Provincial parks and conservation areas are ideal if you have access. Arrive early, before the trail gets busy. Leave your phone in the car. Walk in. Slow down. Stop. Listen. Look. Touch. Breathe. Sit. Stay until something shifts inside you, a softening, a quieting, a sense of arriving somewhere you did not know you were going.

That shift is what forest bathing is about. Everything else, the research, the trails, the techniques, is in service of that one moment when your nervous system remembers what it feels like to be a living body in a living forest, and the separation between the two dissolves.

The forests of Canada have been standing for thousands of years. They have weathered ice ages, fire, and every kind of storm. They do not hurry. They do not perform. They simply grow, breathe, and offer their presence to anyone willing to slow down enough to receive it. Your only task is to walk in, quiet the noise, and let the forest do what it has always done. The trees are not waiting for you, but they are there. They have always been there. And when you step into the green silence beneath the canopy, you will remember that you have always been part of this, too.

Sources

Li, Qing. "Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function." Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, vol. 15, no. 1, 2010, pp. 9-17. Landmark study documenting increased natural killer cell activity following multi-day forest immersion.
Park, B.J., et al. "The physiological effects of shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan." Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, vol. 15, no. 1, 2010, pp. 18-26. Large-scale study confirming cortisol and blood pressure reductions across multiple forest environments.
Bratman, Gregory N., et al. "Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 112, no. 28, 2015, pp. 8567-8572. Stanford study demonstrating reduced rumination from nature walking.
Wen, Yan, et al. "Medical empirical research on forest bathing (shinrin-yoku): a systematic review." Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, vol. 24, 2019, article 70. Systematic review of forest bathing health outcomes across 28 studies.
Li, Qing. Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness. Viking, 2018. Accessible summary of two decades of forest medicine research by the leading researcher in the field.
Miyazaki, Yoshifumi. Shinrin-Yoku: The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing. Timber Press, 2018. Comprehensive introduction to forest bathing by the physiological anthropologist who conducted many of the early Japanese studies.
Natural Resources Canada. "The State of Canada's Forests: Annual Report 2024." Government of Canada, 2024. Official statistics on Canada's forest cover, area, and composition by province and territory.
Chevalier, Gaetan, et al. "Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons." Journal of Environmental and Public Health, vol. 2012, article 291541. Review of grounding research relevant to the barefoot component of forest bathing.

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Forest Bathing in Canada: Shinrin-Yoku Trails and Health Benefits