Benefits of Nature: Shinrin-Yoku in Prospect Park

Shinrin-Yoku is the Japanese meditation practice of forest bathing. It means to slowly and thoughtfully walk or be in a wooded area and let your senses be your guide. See the sunlight filtered through leaves, hear the birds call to one another and the crackling of sticks and stones beneath your feet. Smell the color green and brown and taste the clean, fresh air. Feel the coolness and strength of the trees.  

Prospect Park is a 526 acre area in the heart of Brooklyn designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux opened to the public in 1867. The middle section of the park is called the Ravine and is 146 acres of woodland. Not surprisingly, the Ravine is Brooklyn’s only forest. 

The beauty, shade and calm this park gives is because someone, over 150 years ago, planted a tree.

Image by the author.