For anyone interested in a guide book to forest bathing or a work examining all the aspects of forest bathing entirely, then Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature by M. Amos Clifford is a must read.

In this work, Clifford is able to craft an easy and fun read that covers the practice of forest therapy. The book is written for an audience that has no prior knowledge of what forest bathing is and how to go about learning the practice. Clifford’s writing style in the book reads as if he is there with you, guiding you through the various invitations and meditative strategies described in the book.

As he says quite frequently, “Notice what you are noticing.”

Clifford pg. 111

The book is a bit of a short read with about 160 pages, but what Clifford is able to do in those pages is to create a dense guidebook that can teach something to someone who has never been in a forest to an experienced hiker. There are only eight chapters in this book, some being longer than the others. Each chapter covers a particular theme or idea relating to forest bathing.

The book’s first two chapters answer the basic questions about forest bathing by describing what it is and the history behind it. The second chapter is especially poignant because it covers the health benefits relating to forest therapy. One takeaway could be understanding the relationship between immune system health and forest bathing.

Clifford writes on page 24, “Forest bathing resets our nervous systems. It does so quickly and effectively. It is as if we have come home-because we have.”

In the book’s third and fourth chapters, Clifford describes to the reader the process of forest therapy and the type of mindset to have while forest bathing. Clifford often discusses in the book to have the mindset of a child and try to regain that sense of wonder from the forest. Forest bathing has a focus on relaxation and trying to eliminate expectations or worries allows for a more therapeutic experience.

Clifford explains on page 75, “Just as with sitting meditation the breath is always there and available for watching, in the forest there are always things in motion. Your mind will drift, and many other thoughts will arise. When they do, gently bring your attention back to what’s in motion.”

Clifford pg.75

The book’s fifth and sixth chapters relate to channeling the different kinds of invitations from the forest and how to interpret them. Clifford gives his past experiences and examples that make the reader feel as though they too are forest bathing in a creek. He also discusses the importance of mindfulness and how a focus on the present moment is critical to forest bathing.

Being able to heighten one’s senses allow for the participant to truly listen to the message the forest is giving them and to be mindful when respecting the forest. Clifford is able to cite some of the common distractions that inhibit us from being mindful and present, and he is able to give some exercises to beat these distractions.

Clifford gives one such example on page 118 where he lists some conversation topics to have with a tree.

• “Ask the tree for advice.
• Share your sorrow.
• Tell the tree something you’ve never been able to speak about with another person.”

The last two chapters cover practical applications to forest bathing and how the practice differs in Japan. These chapters are shorter compared to the earlier ones, but give a concise wrap up to what has been covered thus far.

Clifford’s Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature is a great read for anyone who is looking to get into the practice of forest bathing or anyone that is interested in nature. Even someone who does not plan on forest bathing themselves can still find something to take away. This book provides insightful ideas on becoming more present and how to reconnect with the natural world around them.