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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — For two hours, Claire Jefferies sought an escape from the turmoil surrounding the war in Iran and escalating gas prices, opting instead
to connect with nature through forest bathing. “When I’m here, it’s almost like a protective bubble around me,” the human resources director remarked while surrounded by oaks and flowering magnolias at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina. “It provides a shield.”
The Sunday morning session, led by certified forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey, began with the sound of a tiny brass bell as she called her group of about a dozen participants to gather for meditation, breathing exercises, and immersion in nature.“I invite you to really spend the next 10 minutes just exploring this area,” she instructed, her own eyes closed. “Really focusing on your breath, on your footsteps. All the natural sounds around you. Maybe the manmade sounds, too. Thinking about the forest’s natural rhythm and how you are part of that here in this urban, forested environment.”
This practice, rooted in the Japanese concept of Shinrin-yoku, is recognized for its benefits, including stress reduction, mood enhancement, lower blood pressure, and improved immune function.
Despite the arboretum's location in a bustling city, Ramsey emphasized that the benefits of disconnecting and reconnecting with nature remain constant. She guided the group through various gardens, encouraging them to crush conifer twigs and inhale their scent, or simply touch the trees.
“You know, in this day and age, there’s a lot of stress and anxiety and chaos,” she observed. “And people are searching for ways to cope with that.”
Transportation safety researcher Alan Mintz attended the session with a friend and had to be reminded to leave discussions about current events at the entrance.
“I think it’s important for people to take the opportunity to exist in natural spaces, both to unwind and relax, so that it can be easier to interact with other people,” he said, standing in the dappled light filtering through the trees. “And to take a moment to appreciate beautiful things. That way, hopefully, they can carry that forward and have more of an appreciation for other people and other cultures that they might be less experienced with.”
Jefferies echoed this sentiment, reminding a friend to refrain from discussing the news as they walked beneath the gently swaying canopy. “That focus back into spending time in nature and the healing power of that, and just remembering that we’re part of something bigger, that we’re all connected,” said the mother of a 9-year-old son. “And that what we do in our actions really matters to the rest of the world. There’s no better place to see that than here, where you can observe all of the interconnectedness and how this plant life naturally supports one another. It doesn’t take more than they need.”
