Shinrin-Yoku
After surveying the Three Characteristics, and methods on how to benefit from them, one can now experiment with this in daily life. With lockdowns [#AfterCOVID] slowly lifting, and people are able to return to a semblance of normalcy, there’s an opportunity to appreciate the outdoors again. One of those methods is the Japanese Shinrin-Yoku, or Forest Bathing. On top of the benefits of sunlight and fresh air, we can regenerate our moods.
In Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li, he suggests doing a POMS, or Profile of Moods Test, before and after going for a Forest Bath. To the end that we are able to measure our well-being, we can also find tangible benefits of time abundance. One of those benefits is to be able to unwind from city life. Dr. Li says “cities are wonderful places. I love living in Tokyo. Cities are full of excitement, innovation and energy. But living in a city is stressful. And the more we live in them, the more stress we have. The more stress we have, the sicker we get. We have more heart attacks, strokes and cancer. And we have more mental illness, more addictions, loneliness, depression and panic attacks. And of course, the more stress we have, the more expensive our health care becomes. Anxiety and depression cost the EU about 170 billion euros a year. The cost for Americans is $210 billion.”
Profile of Moods Test: https://soulandspiritmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Forest-bathing-download.pdf
The Three Characteristics
Unfortunately flight to green spaces doesn’t allow us to put our wounded egos behind. We have to take them with us. A forest bath is not likely to happen if there are defense mechanisms, rehearsing thoughts, and catastrophizing destroying our free time. Most forest bathing books focus on reacquainting ourselves with our senses. Therefore, a preparatory practice of the Three Characteristics in Buddhism will be necessary.
The three characteristics are Impermanence [Anicca], Dukkha [Dissatisfaction], and Anatta [Lack of self-ownership]. To demonstrate, each characteristic can be worked on separately or followed in any order.
I personally like to start with the conceptual self. Simply trying to find a concrete self, and only finding vibrations and thinking, leads to a relief of rumination.
Next, our ruminations are painful and draining, so paying attention to psychological pain, and how it’s affects our body, gives us the opportunity to relax the body and thinking. A big part of the work is this Dukkha practice. Concentrating on the vibrations of the body can help to anchor our minds. Following the breath all the way in, and out, including noticing the gaps between breaths, can be like a plow that interrupts these draining triggers. By labeling the different defense mechanisms, we can be free of them, and let them go. Asking the question, “which is better: Ruminating, or Enjoying the present moment?” can help the ego to decide for the later. Relax tension in the body and stop following the negative narratives. Some of these narratives are very distorted, paranoid and just plain weird. Thanissaro Bhikkhu admonishes us to “let go of your stupid stories.” All of a sudden, it’s a great opportunity to save energy and notice what is around us.
Whenever we successfully pull away from these ruminations, it’s a good time to ask what are these gaps inbetween stories? Slowly as we enjoy the stillness that pervades all events and experiences, we can learn to naturally let go of those stories and defense mechanisms and just be. In the just-being, we can now finally enjoy our surroundings. You still have thinking, but the self-preoccupied thinking can relax.
Benefits
Now that we are nestled in our senses, we can actually benefit from hiking, forest bathing, and fresh air. Dr. Li lists out the benefits we are going to enjoy from regular time abundance in nature:
- Reduced blood pressure.
- Lower stress.
- Improved cardiovascular and metabolic health.
- Lower blood-sugar levels.
- Improved concentration and memory.
- Reduced depression.
- Improved pain thresholds.
- More energy.
- A boosted immune system.
- An increase in anti-cancer protein production.
- Regular exercise can help to lose weight.
With less self-preoccupation, we can enjoy beautiful sites, enjoy beautiful scents, hear rustling trees and birds, taste our food in peace, and feel the humidity. We learn to enjoy these things as they are, and the grabbing, clinging, and dominating part of our brain relaxes its scarcity mentality for a period of time. And that’s another important thing. Even in these surroundings we have to share these experiences with others. Fighting over photo-ops can give way to letting people have their turn. Instead of a scarcity mentality, we can develop an abundance mentality.
Regional Parks
In order to enjoy the pleasures of the outdoors, nothing is better than national parks for finding enough space for everyone. Hiking, biking, horseback riding, kayaking, and more are available. One of the fun things I enjoy doing is getting guide books that talk about secret pathways that lead to Easter eggs of delight. The ancient mind loves to go on an adventure and have a story to tell afterwards.
List of National Parks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_parks
A Ranger’s guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes – Carol Shively Anderson, Roger Anderson: Paperback: https://amzn.to/2Jq6zMG
Finding a place in cities
South Ridges – Singapore
Not everyone is as adventurous, and getting out of the city may not be an option. For others, they are just too busy to see anything outside of urban environments. Thankfully many cities have developed urban parks. A great example is the island country Singapore, south of Malaysia.
List of Urban Parks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_urban_parks_by_size
Singapore’s Iconic Green Spaces: https://www.visitsingapore.com/editorials/singapores-iconic-green-spaces/
Positive emotions
Now, not all thoughts that arise need plowing, and there are thoughts that don’t hurt that much and are what we want to feel more often. Barbara Fredrickson describes what can arise when one is able to peel off the layers of defense mechanisms. “… Joy sparks the urge to play, interest sparks the urge to explore, contentment sparks the urge to savour and integrate, and love sparks a recurring cycle of each of these urges within safe, close relationships. The broadened mindsets arising from these positive emotions are contrasted to the narrowed mindsets sparked by many negative emotions (i.e. specific action tendencies, such as attack or flee).”
How to be more positive (with Barbara Fredrickson): https://youtu.be/5_BFsWfMkJ4
I personally would add that a lot of old images of past good times can unconsciously bubble up as a form of nostalgia. It’s like the unconscious wants to remind the consciousness that there might be some good things you have done in the past that you might want to repeat. There can be creativity as well. This is part of the reason why when people meditate, they often find a lot of great ideas pop up. Who knows? Maybe one of those ideas will give you an inspiration for what you would like to do when you get back home.
Forest Bathing – Qi Ling: Kindle: https://amzn.to/37k9Jd3 Paperback: https://amzn.to/3liDkZt
The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing – Julia Plevin: Kindle: https://amzn.to/3ljMWTY Hardcover: https://amzn.to/3lldoMW
The Three Characteristics Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNBLR4djB7F5k-hRZGS3oQr2OvVqVyut
The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions – Barbara Fredrickson: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1693418/pdf/15347528.pdf
Photo: Daniel Libeskind, Reflections By KimonBerlin – https://www.flickr.com/photos/kimon/12336751174/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57528027
Contemplative Practice: https://psychreviews.org/category/contemplativepractice/