Walking in the Woods
The Japanese Way of Shinrin-Yoku
A clear introduction to forest bathing from a researcher, so the claims arrive with their evidence attached.
- What shinrin-yoku is, and how to do it
- Written by a researcher
- Covers the actual studies
- 192-page paperback, small enough to carry
For Christmas, order by 16 December, or 18 December in WA. All dates
"It is clear that our bodies still recognise nature as our home." Yoshifumi Miyazaki
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a practice developed in Japan in the 1980s. It is an unhurried, meditative walk through woodland, spending a good part of a day exploring a forest path with all your senses rather than covering ground. Miyazaki, a researcher in the field, sets out both the practice and the science that has grown up around it.
Key Features
- A clear introduction. What shinrin-yoku is, where it came from and how to actually do it.
- Written by a researcher. The claims come with their evidence attached.
- The science. Covers the research into how time among trees is associated with lower stress and calmer physiological measures.
- Format. A 192-page paperback, small enough to take with you.
Pūrē Standard
- Written by one of the researchers, not a lifestyle writer. Miyazaki studies shinrin-yoku, so the book is careful about what the evidence shows and where it stops. That restraint is why we stock it.
- Paper throughout. No plastic jacket, no shrink wrap, nothing to peel off and bin.
- Small and light. A 170g paperback that ships with a genuinely small footprint and fits in a coat pocket, which rather suits a book about going outside.
- A book, not a consumable. Nothing in it wears out, and it is the sort that gets lent and handed on rather than thrown away.
Overall score:
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Low-Tox & Material Safety | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3.5/5) |
| Sustainability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) |
| Manufacturing Transparency | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2.5/5) |
| Packaging | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) |
What's Inside
- The practice. What forest bathing is, and how it differs from a walk.
- The origins. How shinrin-yoku developed in Japan from the 1980s.
- The research. What has been measured, and what it does and does not show.
- Doing it. Using all the senses, and slowing down enough for it to work.
Product Details
- Author. Yoshifumi Miyazaki, a researcher in shinrin-yoku.
- Publisher. Aster, an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group.
- Full title. Walking in the Woods: Go Back to Nature with the Japanese Way of Shinrin-Yoku.
- ISBN. 9781783254149.
- Format. Paperback, 192 pages.
- Dimensions. 19.6 x 12.6 x 1.8cm.
- Weight. 170g.
- Please note. This book describes a wellbeing practice and the research around it. It is not medical advice.
Choose options
For Christmas, order by 16 December, or 18 December in WA. All dates
Our Take
Forest bathing sounds like something invented for a candle label, and is in fact a Japanese public health practice with a research literature behind it. Miyazaki is one of the researchers.
Pūrēly Organic
Good to know
Frequently asked
What is shinrin-yoku?
Forest bathing. It is a practice developed in Japan in the 1980s: an unhurried, meditative walk through woodland where you spend a good part of a day exploring a forest path with all your senses, rather than covering ground.
Is this a science book or a lifestyle book?
Closer to the former. Yoshifumi Miyazaki is a researcher in the field, so the claims come with their evidence attached and the book is careful about where that evidence stops.
Does it make health claims?
It covers research associating time among trees with lower stress and calmer physiological measures. It describes a wellbeing practice and the research around it, and it is not medical advice.
Is it small enough to take with me?
Yes. A 192-page paperback at 170g and 19.6 x 12.6 x 1.8cm, so it fits in a coat pocket, which rather suits a book about going outside.
Who published it?
Aster, an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group. ISBN 9781783254149. The full title is Walking in the Woods: Go Back to Nature with the Japanese Way of Shinrin-Yoku.
