Shinrin-yoku (Forest Bathing) and other concepts

I've recently been very interested in the meditative practice of Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. I've been reading about it and yesterday I got to take a Forest Bathing class at the Fort Worth Botantical Garden. The term and practice come from Japan, but aren't as ancient as you might think. Although it builds on Shinto practices that date back hundreds of years, the specific practice and terminology came about in the 70s when Japanese people were have mental crises and deaths by suicides as a way to disconnect from the fast-paced, high-stress modern realities and return to nature.

 

Back in high school, I became interested in the idea of learning the Japanese language because of the potential business applications within the then-booming Japanese economy, and probably also because its unique and I liked doing things that were different than the normal expectations. When I got the chance to study in Hiroshima, the immersion was a profoundly transformative experience in my life. Not only did I learn to speak Japanese well, but I learned about the religion and culture, broke myself of some picky eater preferences, and made lasting connections and memories.

 

While I have no actual Japanese heritage to speak of, I feel like Japan has been a part of my life all along - starting with learning, at a young age, that my Mom had been born on a US Navy base in Japan, although she didn't remember it because they moved when she was 3. My Dad worked in the electronics industry for most of my upbringing and often had business trips to Japan, bringing back souvenirs of a culture that felt very foreign to both me and my Mom.

 

So there is literally no surprise that, while seeking to be outdoors more and manage my mental and emotional health, I've found an affinity to the Japanese-based art of Shinrin-yoku. Nevertheless, it seems to be a renewable source of deeply resonating terminology that surprises me in the affinity.

 

An Amateur Primer on Shinrin-Yoku (森林浴, or Forest Bathing)

The hardest parts of Shinrin-Yoku are also the most critical. First, approaching a forest bathing experience with no expectations of the experience or of nature is a big part of it. While you will most assuredly get something out of it, setting goals or expecting some specific outcome is something you are counseled to avoid. Second, allowing yourself the time and being okay with it being "unproductive" or "inefficient" is part of the point. This is a very hard mindset to overcome for an efficiency and productivity engineer like myself, but it is hard for everyone in a modern, driven, fast-paced society. Some cultures can unwind and enjoy food or wine better than others, but I think the absolute lack of anything to "do" to occupy ourselves is tough for most, regardless. 

 

Shinrin-Yoku is not a hike or a form of physical exercise, and in fact, trying to couple it with exercise can also reduce the effect. Basically, the only requires are to be in nature, preferably in a thick forest with lush, green trees and a quiet place, but even those requirements can be waived or altered to practice wherever you may be able to get to. Other than that, the practice can be as simple as breathing, eliminating phone usage, and being in the moment. Finding a safe spot to sit, closing eyes helps to focus on scents and sounds. Some recommendations include touching, such as touching the bark of a tree or walking barefoot through grass or on dirt. There are a number of different things to imagine and meditate on, but that's the basics. 

 

The Japanese word is made of three parts: shin (森), forest or dense woods, rin (林), woods or grove and yoku (浴), bath or immersing (as in taking a bath). It is different than taking a dip in the water, like onsen (温泉), despite being a "bath" of sorts. 

 

My Early Experiences

Shinrin-yoku can be a lifelong practice with no mastery to be achieved, so I am writing this from the standpoint of having just recently started, and hopefully will be able to see how my practice changes in the future. But, no expectations, right?

 

One of the books I read suggested finding a quiet spot and doing prolonged, deep breathing exercises. One such exercise suggests, from a standing position, exhaling and folding over to push all the air out completely, before opening back up again and inhaling. Doing this while imagining that "bad air" or negative emotions are being expelled and forcing the purge of every "last drop" before breathing in the positivity of the forest is one way to make it meditative. I have practiced this a few times and usually enjoy pairing it with some light stretching while taking in deep breaths of the forest and imagining the phytoncides entering my body and boosting my immune system (there is real scientific evidence of this, but more on that later).

 

 

While the book "Rest" weigh heavily in my mindset, with the idea that good, fulfilling rest isn't idle, and can be very active and even rigorous, I've had to set that aside for my practices of Shinrin-yoku which are meant to not be active hikes. Sometimes I combine the activities, like last weekend when I hiked for a while until I found a pristine spot to sit for a while. Then I switched into Shinrin-yoku mode. Once I felt ready to move on, which probably wasn't long enough in hindsight, I continued my hike. 

 

In the class yesterday, our instructor talked about how the Japanese garden is a good place to practice Shinrin-yoku because it is intentionally layered with different levels and slightly uneven terrain. This forces us to pay attention so we can't idle walk along a smooth path ruminating about our concerns and issues. (My words, but you get the gist.) It reminded me a lot of my experience at the labyrinth, in which I felt like the short switchbacks at the beginning were there to pull us out of our heads and focus on the task at hand, and as the lengths grew longer, it felt more meditative now that I was focused on the path. 

 

 

Fukinsei (不均整)

Beyond the walkways, the visual texture of the forest offers its own kind of therapy. Modern architecture and products have straight lines, symmetry and efficiency. Yet in nature, the most soothing scenes rely on fukinsei—the beauty of organic asymmetry and non-uniform repetition. The concept is that perfect symmetry feels closed and finished. Asymmetry feels alive and open to growth. It shows that true beauty comes from nature and irregular shapes instead of strict, matching sides. Looking up to a canopy of tree branches, our eyes naturally trace the fractal patterns formed by the leaves. Science shows that our nervous systems are hardwired to process these mid-range natural fractals, actively lowering our stress levels. It gives the analytical mind a place to rest without forcing it to shut down entirely. Last weekend, I spent some time in awe of the backlit leaves while laying in a hammock at the dome retreat. Yesterday, just laying on a bench, I had this same type of gorgeously simple view that made time fly by. 

 

 

Komorebi (木漏れ日)

Long before I had words for it or starting learning about Shinrin-yoku, I've always enjoyed scenes in which sunlight streams canopies of trees and overlapping leaves. The Japanese term for this is komorebi, and it describes sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees, creating a shifting pattern of light and dancing shadows. The word combines three kanji characters: 木 (ko, tree), 漏れ (more, leaking or escaping), and 日 (bi, sun). I am often filled with a thrilling sense of awe when I see such a sight, and it has served as a major bonding moment when like-minded people share in my sheer joy at such a sight. 

 

 

Yūgen (幽玄)

In fact, I've had that sense of awe and joy when seeing the sun hit the clouds from an airplane window, or seeing other just weirdly perfect natural scenes. This is so much a part of my self-image that I tried to capture the words for it in the name of my blog, "Easily Thrilled." I've since found better words for it. In The Meaning of Your Life, Arthur Brooks speaks of a similar concept—a "luminosity" that radiates through certain experiences, defying easy explanation. In his model for our we construct meaning in our lives, part of the model involves the appreciation of the beauty of art and nature, and this indescribable beauty is perhaps the best form of it. A similar Japanese term is yūgen, pronounced yoo-gen. It means a deep, mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe—an awareness that triggers an emotional response too powerful and profound for words. The Kanji combines yū (幽) which is dim, deep, or hidden, and gen (玄) which is black, dark, or profound. 

 

 Yesterday after my class was over, I retrieved my phone (what a relief - haha), and I spotted the Great Blue Herron in the distance with a rushing waterfall behind it and beautiful trees in the foreground. The real-life image was like a magical portrait with so much depth and beauty, and I felt that sudden swell of awe. It’s a profound, almost mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe that words can't quite capture. While I took a few great photos, too, I never feel like the photos do the moment justice to the moment and the feeling, either. That's luminosity. That's yūgen.

 

Mono no Aware (物の哀れ)

This phrase is a core Japanese aesthetic concept pronounced moh-noh noh ah-wah-reh. It translates to "the pathos of things" or "the beautiful sadness of impermanence". I love it because when written in Romanji characters (the alphabet used by English readers), it reads like the English word "aware" and the prefix "mono-" which is singular. So it could be read in English almost like a singular awareness, or an awareness of this moment. In that way, it sort of makes sense in English and in Japanese. But the Japanese term is much deeper, I think. Aware (哀れ) was originally an exclamation of surprise or deep feeling and evolved to mean sadness, pathos, or moving sentiment. No (の) is just a possessive particle, similar to "of" in English. Mono (物) represents things, objects, or the universe. Put together, it is a beautiful sadness: It is not a bitter or depressing grief, but a gentle, bittersweet appreciation of reality. Cherry blossoms, or sakura (桜 / さくら), are the ultimate symbol of mono no aware. They bloom beautifully but fall in just a few days, reminding us that life is short and fragile.

 

My inability to capture photographs of the beauty and awe that I feel and see in these scenes is a reminder for me of mono no aware. While I still often try to capture pictures to remember the moment (and for blog and socials fodder), I have also been intentional at times to stop trying to capture the perfect image and just sit in the moment and enjoy. Incorporating it into my Shinrin-yoku practice is both a challenge and a valuable part of my experience.

 

Onsen (温泉) and Toji (湯治)

My favorite "lost in translation" story was from my study abroad experience, when my host mom told us we were going to the onsen, but she was trying to explain it in English for her language practice. She told me it was a "big bus" which, paired with my understanding of the Japanese word for "big," I took to mean a long bus ride. She told me there would be lots of people and it would be very hot, which all tracked. Then she told me some of my American friends and their host families would be joining us. When I noticed my friend Mat with his camcorder, I asked if he'd be filming in the onsen. He seemed surprised at my question, and asked in response, "You do know we'll be naked, right?" Not yet comprehending the error, I responded, "What kind of a BUS is this?!?" After that, we cleared it right up, and it all made sense. That was how my first onsen experience began.

 

The experience itself can only be described as liberating. Being a white woman with a large chest, I stood out and was an object of curiosity among the Japanese women. And Japanese do not have the same sense of privacy not to stare as we westerners do, I suppose. So being nude in front of all those strangers and having them stare, I could only sort of laugh to myself, "Take it all in, ladies!" Since then, nudity and modesty have not been an issue for me at doctors or massage appointments, etc.

 

Beyond the liberating experience, onsens are sought after for healing properties. Toji is the name of the concept for healing through hot springs. And whether they can cure ailments or not, the heat of course helps aching muscles and it is just generally relaxing to sit in a hot bath like that. When I returned to Japan for vacation, I had a room on the island of Miyajima with my own private onsen bath, and it felt like I was communing with nature while soaking. I think that may also tie to the concept of shinrin-yoku to an extent. Even though my hot tub at my house in California was a chlorinated hot tub, soaking outside in the early morning, stargazing and watching meteors, or as the sun rose, seeing the trees and birds and lizards, also felt a little like shinrin-yoku or toji or some happy combination of the two.

 

 

So I guess I've been partaking in shinrin-yoku practices and indulging in the beauty of komorebi and yūgen long before I had the vocabulary. And while I won't change the name of my blog to komorebi, that's really what I mean when I call myself "easily thrilled."

The Pull of Nature: Letting Go, Healing, and Reclaiming Dopamine

We all know in the movie "Moana," Maui is said to use his hook to pull the islands up from the sea. I recently watched a documentary about the ancient voyagers who navigated across the Pacific to Hawaii and other islands (the documentary was aptly named, "Voyagers." It was very much in tune with the movie—which gives major credit to the filmmakers for doing their homework, though the documentary definitely leaned into those parallels to capture that same magic.

What I really loved, though, was how it explained the actual origin of that Maui myth. When a voyager is out on open water for days or weeks at a time, looking at a flat, endless horizon, the tip of a new landmass eventually breaks the line of the water. To the navigator, it literally looks like the island is rising up out of the ocean. And when they aligned their ships with the constellation of stars that forms Maui's hook in the sky, the islands seemed to emerge directly beneath it. Thus, Maui's hook pulled the islands up from the sea.

Shortly after, I was walking through the Botanic Gardens, listening to an audiobook about forest bathing. The author was building on the Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku, and kept emphasizing that we cannot set out with an objective or have expectations about the experience. I'm obsessed with productivity - its literally my job - but I didn't fall into this career. It's how I am in my personal life, too; always optimizing, multitasking when I can, maximizing my productivity. This book was challenging that mindset directly; it says that forest bathing need not achieve anything, and yet, can never be considered a waste of time. This notion was simultaneously repulsive and wisely valid and true. 

He started talking about not trying to force an experience or set expectations for the forest bathing time. Instead, he instructed us to be present and let the forest pull emotions and experiences out of us. Rather than, in trying to meditate, aggressively push intrusive thoughts out of our heads, surrender them to the forest and let nature pull our minds into it. 

That analogy hit home. For high achievers who hate wasting time, sitting down to meditate can feel like a test we’re actively failing. When we can’t clear our minds, we feel like we missed the point. But the idea of just walking through the trees and letting the forest do the heavy lifting feels almost empowering. You don’t have to do it perfectly. You can just let the forest handle the work while you relax into the environment.

A lot of mindfulness guidance talks about forgiving yourself and acknowledging intrusive thoughts without overthinking them; just letting things be, acknowledging the thought, and setting it aside. One practice I’ve actually started using recently is, when I find myself ruminating or playing out potential conflicts in my head, scheduling a specific time later in the day to think about the issue and worries. Once my brain knows that I have time set aside to think through these things, it becomes so much easier to let go in the moment and focus on whatever I'm meant to be doing.

Some of the forest bathing teaching suggests we can actually give our worries to nature and let them deal with them. If you tell a tree your secret, it will carry the burden for you with the force of all the trees in the forest, connected by their roots buried deep in the earth. If you tell a stream or river what's troubling you, it will turn it over and toss it about, and return it to you, perhaps more smoothed out. If you ask a rock, a worry stone, to hold your concern, it will keep it grounded until you decide you want to pick it up again, if you do. 

In this way, I think Maui's hook is all around us - it's nature in every sense of the word. It's the sky, it's water, it's dirt, it's plants. Maui's hook is a healer, pulling what ails us out and raising our spirits, if we let it. 

There’s also something to nature that goes beyond meditation and peace and quiet. Being outdoors brings an element of total surprise that you just can't get in a familiar, enclosed space. Because the forest is alive, if you open your awareness to it, you can see little moments of life that may be ordinary to the animal but extraordinary to you. 

I love spotting the bright red of a cardinal, or the deep red dragonflies I see all the time at the Botanic Garden. Even zooming my attention in to observe a bee pollinating flowers, or other insects going about their business, can feel like a little piece of the world is performing just for me. Once, I saw a hawk catch its prey right in front of me; today, I spotted what I think were turkey vultures working away at something they'd found. You can’t force those moments, and you can't plan for them every time you go out. That unexpectedness acts as a happy trigger - it pulls your focus away from whatever internal loop you were stuck in and locks it onto something unusual, wild, and fascinating.

It made me think about all the books out there about the addictive nature of social media and how it acts like a gambler’s slot machine. You pull the handle to see if you got a comment or a like, chasing those unpredictable dopamine hits. But that constant feedback loop distracts us and pulls us away from our own thoughts, purpose, and meaning.

It feels really important to get outside and replicate those positive dopamine hits through natural surprises instead—grounding them in the real world rather than in technology, social media. In my case, I've been letting go of a volatile relationship where the good was great, but the frequent bad just wore me down like a bad betting habit. Stepping away from that cycle is tough, but getting those hits from a healthier, natural source where I don't have to force anything or win anyone over feels like the right way forward.

Launch Alert: NASA Roman Space Telescope (and Watch Party Tips)

We are living in a fascinating golden age of space exploration. Not too long ago, a rocket launch was a rare, stop-what-you’re-doing event that captivated the globe. Today, reusable rockets like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 liftoff every few days—deploying internet satellites, resupplying space stations, and making trips to low-Earth orbit feel almost... routine. Spaceflight has effectively become an industrial logistics highway.

But every once in a while, a launch comes along that completely disrupts the routine.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is not just another payload riding to low-Earth orbit. It’s a flagship deep-space observatory destined for a gravitational haven 1.5 million kilometers away—and it requires the sheer power of a Falcon Heavy to get there. Throw in the spectacular, synchronized double-booster landing at the Cape, and you have a high-stakes, high-excitement event that demands to be watched live.

It’s the perfect reminder of why we fell in love with spaceflight in the first place—and the ultimate excuse to gather your crew for an early morning watch party! Here is a guide for some ways to wake up and smell the rocket fuel! 

Pre-Game: What to Watch Before Liftoff

Want to get your guests hyped up before the countdown starts? Queue up these two quick, fascinating videos during the pre-show to give everyone a crash course on why Roman is such a game-changer:

Why Roman Could Change Everything We Know About The Universe (NASA Goddard - 5 mins)

The Vibe: Official NASA overview highlighting how Roman’s panoramic vision can survey in one month what would take Hubble a century to map.

The new telescope 100x better than Hubble | Nancy Grace Roman Explained (Digital Astronaut - 12 mins)

The Vibe: A fun, deep-dive breakdown explaining how Roman’s 300-megapixel camera works, why it’s hunting dark energy/dark matter, and how it complements the James Webb Space Telescope like a wide-angle lens to a zoom lens.

Meteor-bites Menu: Cosmic Fuel for T-0

Waking up early for a morning launch will land better with a themed menu to power through to engine ignition.

Space Nostalgia & Grazing Snacks

• Astronaut Ice Cream: Classic, freeze-dried NASA nostalgia that brings out the kid in every space enthusiast. Get them online or at your nearest STEM museum gift shop.  

• Moon Pies: Find them in your grocery store for a throwback for which your guests will be over the moon!

Themed “Breakfasty” Bites

• “Meteor” Donut Holes: A crowd-pleasing bowl of powdered, glazed, and cinnamon-sugar donut holes. 

• “Solar Flare” Fruit Skewers: Fresh strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, and red grapes arranged in vibrant solar hues. 

• “Galactic” Parfaits: Layered Greek yogurt, blueberries, blackberries, and crunchy granola for an easy protein hit.

Early Morning Adult Bevvies

• The “Solar Eclipse” Mimosa: Prosecco and blood orange juice with a dark blackberry garnish for a moody, layered look. 

• The “Supernova” Sunrise: Tequila or vodka, orange juice, and a heavy drizzle of grenadine mimicking engine fire.

• The “Cosmic Dust” Espresso Martini: Cold brew or espresso, coffee liqueur, and vodka topped with a sprinkle of cocoa powder (or edible gold glitter). 

• The “Zero-Gravity” Cold Brew: Rich cold brew spiked with Irish cream and a dusting of cinnamon over ice.

Keep Guests Engaged: Friendly Bets & Games

Don’t just watch the stream silently—turn live telemetry and webcast commentary into a game!

Friendly Prediction Bets

Place your bets for predictions that resolve right during the broadcast:

The Max-Q Timestamp Challenge: Max-Q is the moment of maximum aerodynamic stress on the rocket as it punches through dense air. Have guests guess the exact T-plus timestamp SpaceX will announce Max-Q (closest without going over wins!).

If you want to give likely options, choose from these:

• T+1:11 or earlier (Under 71 seconds)
• T+1:12 to T+1:14 (72 to 74 seconds)
• T+1:15 to T+1:17 (75 to 77 seconds)
• T+1:18 or later (78+ seconds)

Dual Booster Synchronization: Predict whether both Falcon Heavy side boosters will land successfully back on land within 3 seconds of each other.

• Neither will land successfully
• Only one will land successfully
• Both land successfully, within 3 seconds of each other
• Both land successfully, outside of 3 seconds difference

Which science topic will the webcast hosts explain FIRST during the pre-launch show (T-30 to T-0)?

• Dark Energy & Dark Matter
• Exoplanets / Looking for new worlds
• The “Mother of Hubble” history
• How the Coronagraph works

Webcast Jargon Bingo

Commentators have a distinct cadence during flagship missions. Create bingo cards (or a drinking game) featuring favorite launch-day buzzwords:

    Every time a controller says “Nominal” or “Telemetry looking good”

    When the hosts say “Mother of Hubble” or explain “Dark Energy”

    Milestone callouts like “Stage Separation,” “AOS” (Acquisition of Signal), or “Max-Q”

Word Search, Scramble and Crossword Puzzles, Oh My!

I’ve created a handful of puzzles you can do on your own, in a classroom, with your kids or team, or race your friends! These include a crossword puzzle with 48 terms, a word search with 50 different terms, a word scramble and 10 trivia questions with fun facts! (If you’re attending my watch party, we will do the word scramble and trivia, so no cheating! You are welcome to do the word search and crossword on your own!)

Thank you!

Your downloadable Activities are on their way! Happy launching!

Why Exploration Matters (And How You Can Help!)

Missions like Roman do more than generate cool photos—they inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists, drive technological breakthroughs, and answer big questions about our place in the universe.

Best of all, you don’t need a PhD to join in! Thanks to citizen science projects (on platforms like Zooniverse), anyone can help analyze public telescope data to spot exoplanets and classify distant galaxies right from home. Hosting a watch party isn’t just about watching history happen—it’s about sharing the joy of discovery and keeping curiosity alive.

T+45 Minutes and Beyond: The Journey to L2

While the initial liftoff and booster landings provide early fireworks, the true mission milestone happens higher up:

• Spacecraft Separation (~T+45 Minutes): The ultimate climax of the watch party! Watching the Roman Space Telescope separate from the Falcon Heavy upper stage into the darkness of space is the moment the mission officially begins.
• The Cruise to Sun-Earth L2: After separation, Roman begins its journey to Lagrange Point 2 (L2)—a gravitational balance point roughly 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) from Earth.
• Commissioning & First Light: Once parked at L2 alongside the James Webb Space Telescope, Roman will undergo about 90 days of commissioning before embarking on a 5-to-10-year mission to map the deep cosmos.

Get Your Free Watch Party Host Kit!

The countdown is on! If you want to host your own Roman launch event, or share activities with kids or in a class, subscribe with the link above and get your full printable activities kit!