“In all her years of leading traditional nature walks, [Author and Naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley] writes in The Joy of Forest Bathing, the moments that meant the most to her ‘were the times of collective reverence, when everyone grew quiet, surrendering to the beauty and wonder of the moment. On a traditional nature walk, such moments may occur occasionally. On a forest bathing walk, however, quiet surrender to beauty and wonder is the essence of the experience.’ That surrender isn’t just pleasurable, it is good for people’s mental and physical health, according to Choukas-Bradley. Research shows ‘that forest bathing lowers your blood pressure, pulse rate, and cortisol levels; increases heart rate variability (a good thing); and improves mood,’ she writes.”