I tried Shinin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) event from meetup, And yes, I’ve gone to techie to tree hugging hippie (Yay!). But, it was a very positive and surreal experience for me. I met the organizer and participant who sign up for the event. One of the first things we did was turn off our electronic devices or any other distractions. Then we passed around eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil to smell; which smells fantastic! We did a mindful meditation while standing up for a few minutes. This is to awaking the five senses so that we can be fully present in the experience. After the mediation, we spend fifteen minutes of just wandering aimlessly down the trail, allowing our selves to just wander towards anything that would be of interest. I went towards fallen trees, leaves, and to the edge of cliffs to look out in the distance to view the entire forest. Next, we stopped and instructed to find a partner and talk about our first time of connecting with nature. For me, It was a time when I was in the Philippines and I was at a beach. The sand was warm and bright. The ocean was so clear that I can see the bottom. You see the fishes and Sting Ray’s swim around your feet. The wind from the ocean passing though your body feels refreshing and cool. We journey into the heart of the forest, where it was a flat open area, we were where surrounded by tall Redwood trees and next to those trees was a dry river bed. We were giving some corn meal and find a spot to make an offering and to say thank you. We all gather around a circle and eat home-made Blue Berry Cheese Cake which was awesome! We talked about the home-made Blue Berry Cheese Cake, what our spirit animal is, about being in a state of rest and digest, and about the next event. After words, we headed about to the starting point where we mediate once more before heading into our busy city life.

That it felt really good to be in-touch with nature. To hear the birds near by, to feel the refreshing wind on my face, or ground below my feet. Talking to people to about nature and experiencing with all five senses was very eye-opening for me. It gave me a different perspective of mediation and where instead of setting on a coach and listen to some guy or girl walking though the mediation process, that you can meditate in a forest. Where you allow you let your self go to wonder aimlessly, and be mindful of your surroundings, and to listen with your five senses.

Meetup Link