Disconnect from your busy life and reconnect with nature when you ‘forest bath’ at barranca. Forest bathing is a form of nature-based therapy that focuses on awakening your senses in the great outdoors. You switch off completely and you become aware of the beauty that surrounds you.

The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”). The Japanese quickly embraced this form of ecotherapy to counteract their fast-paced, work-obsessed urban existence.

In the 1990s, researchers began studying the physiological benefits of forest bathing, providing the science to support what we innately know: time spent immersed in nature is good for us. While Japan is credited with the term ‘shinrin-yoku’, the concept at the heart of the practice is not new. Many cultures have long recognised the importance of the natural world to human health.

Breathing in clean air, listening to wildlife, seeing the world through un-polluted light the ultimate way to de-stress, relax and boost your mood.

Science also backs this up: studies indicate time spent in nature can slow our heart rate and decrease blood pressure. Plus organic compounds released by plants have been shown to have a positive impact on our immune system.

Forest bathing is not just for the wilderness-lover; the practice can be as simple as walking in any natural environment and consciously connecting with what’s around you.

Set on 1,000 acres in a rural paradise, barranca is framed by an amazing amphitheatre of sandstone escarpments that enclose a lush river valley, rich and diverse with wildlife and glorious temperate rainforests, making it perfect for forest bathing.

Click here to book your stay at barranca so you can experience forest bathing.