History

In 1990, Japanese researcher Yoshifumi Miyazaki began what has grown into over 30 years of research on the benefits of synchronizing with the forest. In Japan, there is a longstanding culture around connection with nature and seeing oneself as an equal being with the rest of the natural world. The research has articulated the concrete physical, emotional and psychological benefits of that nature connection.

Forest bathing, under the umbrella of forest therapy, gained national visibility in the U.S. around 2012.  In the U.S. we tend to see nature more as a resource to use at our disposal or as a place to be “in” rather than “with”. To restore a more reciprocal relationship view, the practice in the U.S. has  been adapted to include not only the sensory focus in Japan, but also relational aspects. It involves a shift in perspective from nature being a “thing”, to being in a harmonic relationship with all that exists in the natural world - trees, animals, Earth, and everything else, including ourselves. The first school for training forest bathing guides, The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT), was founded in 2012. Since then, many more schools and programs have emerged nationally and internationally, including The Forest Therapy School.