By Bonnie Eissner
Upper West Sider Lori Klamner used to be terrible at meditating, she said in a recent interview with West Side Rag. At the end of yoga class, when she should be focusing on her breathing, she found herself thinking about her to-do list instead.
Then, during the pandemic, she found a way to calm her busy mind: forest bathing.
There’s no water or nudity in this hippie-esque activity (at least it’s not required). The term is instead the translation of Shinrin Yoku, a science-based practice that emerged in Japan in the emerging 1980s as a balm against burnout and a way to embrace and protect the country’s forests. It is also proven to be good for your health
The concept sounds simple: slow down and spend time in nature. But these things can be difficult, especially for busy New Yorkers who have limited access to natural landscapes, let alone forests. Klamner can help here.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, she was furloughed from her jobs as a massage therapist and esthetician, became a certified forest therapy guide, and now leads forest bathing experiences in Riverside and Central Parks. Her The next one will take place on Wednesday, May 22nd from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m at Riverside Park. It’s a free edition of the Riverside Park Conservancy’s Summer on the Hudson series. Reservations are encouraged but not required. The group meets at the park at the River Run Playground on West 82nd Street.
Klamner begins her forest bathing events with a guided meditation to help people awaken their senses to their surroundings. Her goal, she said, is to get people to be present and immerse themselves in the natural environment, even for a moment, ideally two hours. The rest of the experience is a series of “invitations” to explore different areas of the park. From the beginning, Klamner asks people to think about the history and development of Manhattan, for example the stripes in the rocks that were created thousands of years ago by the advance of glaciers onto the island. “It’s a little time travel without getting scientific,” she said.
On short walks she encourages you not only to stop and smell the plants, but also to touch them. “It’s about slowing down to notice all the details,” she said. She added that she’s really just trying to get people to stop thinking about their phones and to-do lists, which she says is difficult.
Another aspect of forest bathing, according to Klamner, is thinking about the memories and feelings that nature evokes. Klamner invites people to think about how they feel in different environments. Some people may feel comfortable under dense trees; Others may be disturbed by such an environment and prefer an open field.
Some experiences can bring back childhood memories. She has invited people to lie on the grass and look at the clouds. “People giggled,” she said. “They said, ‘I haven’t done that since I was a kid.'”
Science shows that this immersion in nature and letting go of inhibitions is healthy. Researchers have documented that forest bathing strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure, and improves people’s mood and spirit. Some of the benefits come from biochemistry. Trees not only release oxygen, but also phytoncides, i.e. essential wood oils, that ward off infections. Inhaling these chemical compounds has been shown to strengthen people’s immune systems. Even the colors and sounds such as birdsong and running water found in forests and natural environments calm the mind and body.
“I tell people the forest gives the therapy,” Klamner said.
She ends the trips by serving homemade herbal tea – no fancy ritual, just poured from her thermos into Dixie cups. “I think in the end everyone will feel better and closer and want to help more to protect the land and the park,” she said. “So this is a really nice result for me.”
Klamner, who has returned to her roles as a massage and beautician, said forest bathing has changed her life. She has more patience with people and meditates regularly. “The claim that it helps you with your daily trials has never really made sense to me before,” she said. “But now that I practice it very, very often, I think that breathing and slowing down has really helped me get through life’s trials.”
In addition to the event on May 22nd, Klamner will take over the management Forest Bathing Experiences for Riverside Park Conservancy in June, September and October. She also leads walks in Central Park for the JCC Manhattan and at the YMCA Camp Hi-Rock in the Berkshires.
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