Finding Calm Among the Trees – My Journey with The Healing Power of Trees.
Sometimes, you pick up a book that doesn’t just inform, it transforms. That’s exactly how I felt reading The Healing Power of Trees, a beautifully written and thoughtfully researched book published by Leaping Hare Press. It offers a gentle invitation into the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, or “Forest Bathing”, and explores how this nature-based therapy is being nurtured and expanded here in the UK.
The book is written by Gary Evans and Olga Terebenina, co-founders of The Forest Bathing Institute (TFBI), whose work has helped bring this mindful nature practice into the heart of UK health and wellbeing culture. What began as a personal passion has evolved into a national movement – one rooted not only in love for nature, but in real science. Both authors are peer-reviewed researchers with a clear mission: to replicate the pioneering physiological studies from Japan and adapt them to our own landscapes and lifestyles.
From reducing stress and anxiety to lowering blood pressure and boosting mood, the benefits of Forest Bathing are well evidenced, and the book explains them with clarity, warmth, and humility. What stood out to me most was the care and professionalism behind the practice. This isn’t a wellness trend; it’s a thoughtfully developed, research-backed therapy that honours the profound impact nature can have on our bodies and minds.
The Institute has already trained hundreds of Forest Bathing guides across the UK and internationally, with many more in training. These guides are helping people slow down, tune in, and truly connect with the natural world around them. And TFBI’s work goes well beyond individual healing. They collaborate with local councils, the NHS, government departments, charities, and environmental groups to make Forest Bathing accessible to as many people as possible, especially those who could benefit from it most, such as individuals dealing with stress, trauma, or chronic illness.
Reading The Healing Power of Trees made me reflect deeply on my own relationship with nature. I thought I was someone who already appreciated being outdoors, but this book made me realise there’s a difference between simply being in nature and being with nature. Forest Bathing encourages you to slow right down, to notice the textures of bark, the dance of light through leaves, the rhythm of your breath. It’s about presence, not productivity and in that stillness, healing begins.
I now find myself carving out more time to visit woodlands and green spaces, not with an agenda or to tick off steps on my fitness tracker, but simply to be. Sometimes I sit quietly under a tree; sometimes I follow a trail slowly and stop often. It’s amazing how different the world feels when you let yourself see it.
Published by Leaping Hare Press, known for their beautiful, nature-connected titles, The Healing Power of Trees is as calming and restorative as a forest walk itself. The tone, layout, and imagery work in harmony to create a truly nurturing reading experience.
If you’re feeling burnt out, anxious, or simply yearning to slow down and reconnect, this book is so much more than a guide, it’s an invitation. An invitation to step into the woods, take a breath, and find peace in the stillness of trees.
The Healing Power of Trees by Olga Terebenina and Gary Evans, Leaping Hare Press, £20.00, Out 07.08.25
Lilly Light