The Forest Bath
At Ecotone Home we promote passive recreation as a responsible and rewarding way to enjoy nature. Passive recreation refers to low-intensity activities such as hiking, bird watching, photography, and picnicking. They have low environmental impact and focus on nature appreciation, relaxation, and wellness. Benefits include preservation of natural habitats and improved physical and mental health.
Our favorite form of passive recreation is a Japanese therapeutic practice called shinrin-yoku. In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries created the term shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing” or “absorbing the forest atmosphere.” The practice encourages people to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of a natural setting. It is not exercise or hiking, but rather a slow, mindful, and intentional presence among trees.
The benefits of Forest Bathing are well documented. It has been shown to improve mental health by lowering anxiety, depression, and anger while improving mood and memory. It reduces stress by decreasing cortisol and adrenaline levels, resulting in lower blood pressure and heart rate. Breathing in phytoncides - compounds emitted by trees - boosts the immune system by increasing “natural killer” cells that fight off infection.
When developing a property, Ecotone has activities like Forest Bathing in mind. We want to inspire moments of wonder and awe. We use low impact, intentional landscape design where our objective is to navigate, not obliterate. It is our goal to help people safely immerse themselves and engage with nature without disturbing natural habitats. We build lite, eco-friendly structures that facilitate this activity - stone foot bridges to cross a small water course, deadfall corduroy roads to traverse the marshy bits of a trail. Benches and platforms provide a spot to pause and soak up the sights and sounds around you. These small interventions express a genuine respect for the existing topography while making nature accessible.
Our larger structures, rustic bird blinds and tree stands are more formal, offering a purposeful destination that helps ground your meditative state without distracting you from your natural surroundings. These structures are built largely with deadfall and gathered stone - hearty, natural materials that blend in with their surroundings and will eventually biodegrade. These cozy spots are wonderful for observation. Wildlife is not fazed by these non-threatening structures. The birds, the rabbits, the deer - they all go about their busy lives undisturbed by your presence.
Ecotone Home recognizes the growing need for mindful, low-impact ways to reconnect with the environment. Our homes facilitate intentional interaction with natural habitats. We believe that a home can be a part of nature rather than apart from nature. A mindful effort to appreciate nature brings us closer to it and makes us more likely to protect it. Be good to nature and it will return the favor.
