There's so much scientific research that talks about why the woods are so important to us
— Dr. Carol Marcy, Leader of forest bathing walks
Breathing with the Trees in a Forest Bath
As part of mental health awareness month, I tried forest bathing as a wellness technique - and was surprised at what I learned and how it made me feel.
Click on image to watch short feature story.
15 May 2026 – BREWSTER, MA – Forest bathing builds a connection between mind, body, and nature and supports a sense of inner balance.
What is forest bathing?
I’m standing at the start of woody path with Dr Carol Marcy, a certified meditation teacher who leads forest bathing experiences in several places on the Cape, including the Wing Island trail in Brewster. She’s going to introduce me to an increasingly-popular path to mental wellness.
Here’s what forest bathing is not: a brisk walk in the woods, a chatty walk with friends, an aimless amble, a hard charging hike. As I will come to learn, it is a unique meditation and an experience that is better – well experienced – than explained.
Does forest bathing help stress?
We live in a stress filled world, where sounds often feel loud, images fly by, and our hearts beat ever faster. A path to solid mental health might just lie in breathing with the trees instead.
What does forest bathing feel like?
To my surprise, as we walk slowly with intent and awareness the world shifts. I hear layers of sound – yes, the cars on Rt6a, but also different bird voices, the swish of a branch. I smell warm mud in the marsh that slides to make way for a hint of pine. As if in slo-motion images of curling pink oak leaves and white berry blossoms surround me.
Without even trying, my breathing slows and even out. The trees seem to be very aware of us. Research suggests they might be … through the underground rootedness of the micro-rise-al network. More-ce says a new book by biologist Merlin Sheldrake takes us even deeper into the concept of the woods as a living and interconnected place.
Forest bathing is like stepping into the sea of this network, moving mind and breath to a different plateau and feeling – yes, literally feeling – the life beneath the bark.
For more information:
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History – Forest bathing
Dr. Carol Marcy website
