Lisa Zschuschen - Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing:
Living and
Healing

A Photo Journal

Forest Bathing: Living and Healing

A PHOTO JOURNAL

Copyright 2018 Lisa Zschuschen.

Photos by: Patricia Ahearn

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-5966-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-5967-4 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-5968-1 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018912629

iUniverse rev. date: 11/28/2018

In loving memory of Violet Kathryn Ahearn, my five-year-old granddaughter, a beautiful, bright, loving child who brought joy and laughter to all who had the privilege of knowing her.

On July 20, 2015, Violet was called home to heaven by her Creator.

May you be among the angels. Rest in eternal peace, beautiful child.

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon mens hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.

Robert Louis Stevenson (18501894)

Contents

Welcome to the world of forest bathing. Get comfortable, grab a drink, and relax with a good book. That is my favorite idea of experiencing me time. Forest Bathing: Living and Healing, A Photo Journal does just that and more. Sometimes you are not able to take that walk in the forest that heals the soul and relaxes the mind.

These beautiful photographs help you virtually take a walk in the woods. Solo reading (walking) helps me solve problems, personally and professionally. It also helps me feel better, less stressed, and happier. Solvitur ambulando , credited to Diogenes the Cynic, translates to it is solved by walking.

It is important to get your share of vitamin G, or green therapy, as often as you can. And this leafy therapy is right on your coffee table or shelf. As you read this book, youll develop a relationship with the photographer. Youll live and heal, just as she planned.

Give it a read, and take that walk.

Cecilia Ann Michalik

I found out about forest bathing less than two years ago. The spring before learning about this subject, I decided to get healthier and began to increase my activity and change my diet. Things were going well with weight loss. Then our granddaughter Violet became ill. Therapy began, and the family surrounded Violet and one another for support. Unexpectedly, I found myself, when not at the hospital, out walking. It became a daily activity that I could not stop.

Through the ups and downs of this medical nightmare, it became clear after only three weeks that our precious Violet was now in critical condition. Not understanding why, I continued to walk, exploring forests and varying trails. I had many conversations with God about Violet as I walked. And upon our profound loss of Violet, with only questions remaining, I continued to walk in the woods.

The year after Violet passed, a friend asked me to join her for a weekend retreat at Kripalu Center. Our weekend started on a Friday evening as the group sat in a circle with beautiful ambiance as we met our instructors. Our guides explained the weekend plans and made the statement that we would begin our forest bathing at nine oclock the next morning.

I immediately turned to my friend and asked, Are we going to be naked in the woods and take a bath?

I did not realize why I was walking until that moment when I heard about forest bathing. This was the reason I was driven to walk, to help myself deal with the horror of Violets passing.

The medical benefits became self-evident, and as a nurse generalist, I realized the need for more research and understanding. We took a formal forest guide session at Tower Hill with Nadine Mazzola, who explained to the group how to enjoy walking by using all our five senses. In addition, I interviewed an American Navajo chief from New Mexico.

After learning more about forest bathing, I now enjoy walking even more and plan to walk for years ahead. Friends and family have always said that they so enjoyed my photography and that I should produce a book for all to see and enjoy.

I continue to be an avid walker, traveling the world and the fifty American states, exploring new areas with beautiful natural surroundings. As a professional photographer, I always take photographs along the way. I am hoping to share my photography and my niece Lisa Zschuschens writing expertise with others to experience forest bathing.

Patricia Ahearn, RN BSN

Photographer

Immediately I think of our precious Violet, who left our lives tragically. Her parents and brother have supported me in sharing Violet, telling you about the joy she brought to so many people, which extends way beyond her family. She was that special. She knew it, and everyone who met her knew it. Princess of her preschool, she was in charge of every teacher and principal she met. Thank you to Violets mom, dad, and brother.

Thanks to my beautiful family: husband, daughter, grandchildren, and extended family, who always seem to say the right thing about my pictures. They continue to encourage me to take more pictures and often have them displayed in their homes.

Thank you to my friends for supporting my photography as I share my daily walks on Facebook. One friend, who was being treated for cancer, often expressed her enjoyment of seeing the daily pictures from my walks in the woods. They provided her relief as she remained housebound recovering from very difficult therapy.

Another friend encouraged her Girl Scout troop to spend a few hours learning about forest bathing, and she allowed me to photograph their experience, hoping the joy that can be seen in the pictures and what they learned will remain with them forever.

Thanks to my dog friends, who were all willing to share their enjoyment of walking with their pets in the woods. It was so much fun for the dogs and clearly enjoyed by all.

In addition, this book would not have been possible without our dear friend Cecilia Michalik. Her guidance and support from conception to completion has been ongoing with the one goal to have a beautiful book to enjoy.

Welcome to the world of forest bathing, a concept that dates back to at least the 1980s. Its origins are attributed to Japan, and it promises its followers relaxation, whole-body health benefits, a renewed sense of purpose, and a return to nature. Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku , its Japanese name, is not a new theory. It is simply defined as walking in the woods.