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Japanese Wellness

di Luisa Taliento

07 . 07 . 2021
Saunas
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It has been scientifically proven that contact with trees has beneficial effects on our mind and body: it lowers anxiety levels, regulates our breathing and helps us relax. Forest bathing, which the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, is a wellness practice whose popularity has spread from the land of the rising sun to the whole world.

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Bosco del Respiro - Fai della Paganella, Trento

FOREST BATHING IN ITALY
The first trail-park to embrace this practice in Italy is Bosco del Respiro. The beech forest in Fai della Paganella has four different trails spread out over 36 hectares to choose from, for a regenerating walk where you can breathe in monoterpenes, volatile substances released by the trees which are beneficial for our health (parcodelrespiro.it). Another place where you can reawaken the senses this summer is Valle Aurina, at the northernmost tip of Alto Adige. Its Mindful Mountain Days is a series of guided walks through its majestic trees, incorporating breathing exercises (ahrntal.com). You can enjoy a similar experience in the forests of Friuli with Andrea Maroé of the Giant Trees Foundation (camminaboschi.regione.fvg.it).

Another wonderful place offering a full immersion in nature is the Zegna Oasis in the Biella Alps, where visitors can explore three trails with experienced shinrin-yoku guides (www.oasizegna.com). In the National Park of Abruzzo, you can enjoy one of the Wood Walks through the beech trees in the ancient Difesa di Pescasseroli forest
or in the Forca d’Acero wood at the Mount Tranquillo pass (parcoabruzzo.it). In the Fallistro forest of the Sila National Park, you can also hug the trunks of giant trees as you breathe in the pure air (fondoambiente.it/luoghi/i-giganti-della-sila). The trees are over 40 metres tall, are more than 350 years old and transmit their positive energy when you come into close contact with them. This practice was common among ancient peoples like the Celts, Native Americans, Aborigines, Tibetans and Taoists and is also part of traditional Chinese medicine.

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Yoku SH, sauna + hammam

AND AT HOME
So how long do you need to spend in the woods to get maximum benefit? According to oriental teachings and studies carried out by Bioenergetic Landscapes, at least 10-12 hours over three days is optimal, with single visits lasting at least two and a half hours. Then, when you are back home, you can recreate the feeling of wellbeing in a sauna made of natural wood, as the sensation is similar to that of being surrounded by trees in a forest. Or you can use natural, “green” fragrances like moss, pine needles or resin. And if you are interested in reading about these practices, the Italian publishing house Giunti (giunti.it) has produced a series of books about Japanese wellness which explores subjects ranging from shinrin-yoku to ikigai, the ability to find that which gives your life purpose. The true secret to health and happiness.

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