Laura A. Oda, Bay Area News Group
Let’s admit it: When it comes to outdoor recreation, Coloradans are a prideful bunch. We check off fourteeners from bucket lists with bravado, rip through mountains on bikes and challenge ourselves on the slopes.
But the latest outdoorsy trend gaining traction in Colorado — forest bathing — is all about slowing down (way down), trading elevation gains for slow-paced walks in the woods and simply connecting with nature.
“We don’t go far and we don’t travel fast,” said Kayla Weber, who is based in Vail and leads forest therapy outings. “We take the opportunity to slow down and connect back to our surroundings.”
While you intuitively know spending time in nature feels good, several studies underscore the health benefits of forest bathing, a practice that originated in Japan in the 1980s as a form of preventive health care.
Here’s what you need to know about forest bathing, including where you can practice the Japanese concept in Colorado.
Read more via The Denver Post.