Flower Bathing: my take on the Japanese Shinrin-yoku

aka… Nature Therapy

Your weeks are full—of responsibility, decisions, and caring for others.

You love nature. You know it helps. But slowing down feels hard, and carving out time for yourself can feel overly indulgent—or simply unrealistic.

If this resonates, you’re in good company.

Your body is probably like mine—responding exactly as it should in our world that moves too fast sometimes.

My flower friends all agree, we feel better when we step outside, breathe deeply, and notice what’s around us.

Long before “self-care” became a trend, this way of being was quietly practiced and protected.

Back when I first saw it, I didn’t know it had a name.

In my twenties, I lived in Japan for eighteen months. I was young, busy, and always moving forward. What I noticed— the women around me there moved differently.

They seemed so calm and deliberate. They paused. They noticed. Nagoya at the time was far more populated than our Treasure Valley, but the sights and sounds of the natural world intensely mattered to them.

Every time I walked into a city park, I’d see small groups of women gathered together beneath tall trees. They moved slowly—gentle, squatty motions in a circle. I learned that it was a health exercise.

At the time, I couldn’t relate. It certainly didn’t look like the fitness culture I knew.

Now, decades later, I understand exactly what I was witnessing.

They were practicing presence.

Filtered light through the large trees, birds singing layered birdsongs, friends moving together without urgency. Their attention was sensory. Their movements were mindful. Their bodies were regulating long before I had language for that idea.

In Japan, this practice is called Shinrin-yoku—forest bathing.

Not hiking.
Not exercise.
Simply taking in the atmosphere with all five senses.

Remembering What the Body Already Knows

Forest bathing… also known as “Nature Therapy” isn’t about doing more. It’s about remembering how to be.

Slowing your pace.
Noticing what you can see, hear, and smell.
Allowing your nervous system to soften.

This way of being has been honored in Japanese culture for generations. This way of being supports stress reduction, mental clarity, and overall wellbeing. But honestly—you don’t need science to tell you what your body already knows.

You feel it the moment you exhale.

My Flowershed as a Modern-Day Nature Path

Recently I realized something beautiful:

We’ve been practicing our own version of “forest bathing” here every Friday.

When women arrive at the flowershed, something shifts.

They step out of their cars.
They smell the earth.
They notice the large sycamore tree standing watch.
They see flowers blooming in the garden beds.
They hear birds chirping and calling to one another.

Before a single word is spoken, I see shoulders drop.
Breaths deepen.

Then there’s the moment that always gets me.

They walk up to the flowershed and see their name waiting on a bouquet.

They are expected.
They are known.
They belong.

Even in those few minutes, worries begin to loosen their grip.

Carrying the Experience Home

The ritual doesn’t end when they leave.

As women drive home, the scent of fresh flowers fills the car—an invisible thread connecting them back to the garden. A reminder to stay present. To slow down.

Some women come alone.
Some come with a friend.

They grab lunch at the Rustic Oven and take a short drive just outside of town together. A simple choice that turns an ordinary Friday into something intentional.

Not rushed.
Not performative.
Just restorative.

Friday Flower Circles: A Practice, Not a Purchase

Friday Flower Circles were never meant to be just about flowers.

They are a weekly ritual.
A pause between responsibility and rest.
A way of marking the end of the week with beauty and intention.

This isn’t indulgence.
It’s maintenance.

A quiet, meaningful practice of noticing—week after week.

Long before I had words for it, I learned this lesson under Japanese trees:

When we give ourselves regular moments of sensory presence, we don’t just feel better—we remember who we are.

And sometimes, all it takes is a small path off the main road, a bouquet with your name on it, and the permission to exhale.

If Friday Flower Circles feel like something your body has been asking for, you’re not imagining it.