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Longtime UNS Member, Sharon Meyers, is currently living in Japan for several months. This is a glimpse into her world and journey.

I walk through cedar
near my quiet street –
distant hills, clothed in mist

Perhaps you have heard of the trend of forest bathing? In Japan, forest bathing / shinrin-yoku is a time-honored tradition, experienced to enhance health and well-being, mind, body and soul.

When was the last time you walked through a forest so beautiful it made you stop, catch your breath and just marvel? My neighborhood is within walking distance of the famed Kiyomizu-dera temple – a huge complex of veneration perched on the edge of a mountain scape surrounded by dense forest.

It is more than just a walk to get there; it is an opportunity for shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means ‘forest’ and yoku means ‘bath’, so shinrin-yoku invites us to breath in the forest atmosphere through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, connecting with the natural world. Shinrin-yoku is often described as yugen – a feeling too deep for words. Yugen reflects a profound sense of beauty and mystery of this world and something beyond it.

It is no surprise that shinrin-yoku developed in Japan, as Japanese culture, philosophy and religion are carved out of the forests that blanket the country. Two thirds of Japan is covered in forests. My walk highlights groves of Japanese cedar called “sugi”. Sugi can live up to a thousand years, grow very straight with heights reaching 150 feet. Both of Japan’s official religions – Shinto and Buddhism – believe the forest is the realm of the divine. Spirits are not separate from nature; they are in the trees, the breeze, the rocks, the stream, the waterfall. It is not unusual to see people worshipping in the forest on my daily walk, which has become a spiritual ritual of sorts.

What would your day look like with less time looking down at your phone and more time seeking out the rhythms of nature, by simply smelling the sweetness of the flowers, tasting the fresh air, gazing at the changing colors of the leaves, listening to the songs of the birds and insects and feeling the breeze on your skin?

Arigato,
Sharon

P.S. See the attachment below to download Sharon's recipe from Garden Chat this week: Carrot Salad Recipe. All are welcome to join Sharon's weekly Garden Chat on Zoom (see the Events page for details).

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