Shinrin-yoku is a Japanese word meaning, literally, forest bathing, and invokes the restorative effect of spending time in the stillness of the woods. This photo shows a remarkable park, Hartwick Pines in Michigan. By the early 20th century, northern Michigan was essentially logged out, vast expanses of barren land looking like a monumental scythe had cut down the rich forests. Fortuitously, this small woods escaped clear cutting. The older trees started their lives in the 17th century, well before the French explorer, Cadillac, founded Detroit. To immerse yourself here, if only for a couple hours, is to relive a bit of our planet’s history. Truly, this forest bathing restores the spirit.
shinrin-yoku, Michigan style
Spirit in Politics 