Do you know the feeling of tranquility that comes when you are in the countryside or in a forest? It is part of the common imagination that experiences like these are relaxing and can bring inner peace. But this knowledge goes beyond popular wisdom.
Shinrin-yoku , “bathing “forest” in Portuguese, is a Japanese medicinal technique based on immersion in nature.
Natural therapy
(Reprodução Atelier Marko Brajovic/CASACOR)
It started in 1982 as an initiative of the country's Forestry Agency to encourage people to get to know the forests around their homes and reconnect with nature. It didn't take long for the benefits to start appearing. It is known that most of the population suffers from stress, burnout and mental health issues.
Shinrin-yoku helps reduce anxiety, cortisol - the hormone that causes stress -, improves cognitive performance and can strengthen immunity. It is a form of preventative medicine , to balance body and mind.
Meditation and harmony
The Last Shola @ Stayatyercaud.com, Yercaud (Reprodução/CASACOR)
But it’s not enough to just go to a park and play with your phone. To feel the effects of therapy, you need to truly commit. The process starts with going to the forest, then you need to slow down your rhythms and thoughts. The next step is a walk slowly, observing the details of the environment: the birdsong, the movement of the leaves, the walking of the insects.
Shinrin-yoku is a solitary activity, as silence is essential. The goal is to connect with the forest fully, in a moment of immersive meditation.
The forests of architecture
Spiritual connection with nature is a recurring theme in Eastern culture and has been spreading to other areas, such as architecture. Biophilia, for example, appears in several projects, as does biomimesis, a trend that uses the mechanisms of living organisms as inspiration. for technology.
(Reprodução Atelier Marko Brajovic/CASACOR)
At
CASACOR , several professionals prioritized contact with nature in their projects and were inspired by the idea of a house that could be a place to contemplate plants, flowers and even trees. As Paulo Leminski said in his haiku - a type of short Japanese poem , usually with a natural theme:
luxury to know beyond these tiles a sky of stars. Check out a selection of environments that immerse themselves in the forests in the gallery below!
