The Japanese practice of “shinrin-yoku” literally means ‘forest bathing.’ Essentially, it’s about reconnecting with nature in a deep, personal, primal, visceral way. It’s about re-engaging with nature as the living entity it is, as opposed to taking it for granted and using it for our purposes.
Julia started The Forest Bathing Club in the San Francisco Bay area after returning to California following design school in NYC. Having spent so much time in a big city, she realized her soul was calling out for it; she had lost her way of ‘being’ in nature and needed a reawakening. The mental and physical effects of being so disconnected were very real for her and had to be addressed.
As a designer, innovation strategist, and futurist, Julia experienced a sense of what Environmental Philosopher, Glenn Albrecht, called Solastalgia: Existential distress caused by environmental change… often embodied in a sense of powerlessness or uncertainty. Julia said what she had learned about who she was and the work she was doing didn’t feel true to her anymore.
“Nature is innovation,” she explains to Laura. “We need to remember it… remember it’s already here. The Original Instructions are hidden in plain sight… we simply have to tap into them.” They include asking for permission, engaging in reciprocity rather than ‘doing to…’
She encourages others to consider the Earth as a person we are in relationship with, and as with any healthy relationship, we need to spend time together, accept one another as each is, offer and receive gifts, and spend time in conversation… not just speaking, but also actively, deeply listening. We need to revisit and reclaim our individual relationships with nature.
“If you watch kids, they have a way of being in nature… they do it intuitively, inhabiting their animal body,” she explains. They experience awe and are energetic and appreciative of what they discover in nature; we need to experience that and allow it to seep into our bones, our bodies, our very being. This practice can help us uncover the limiting beliefs that keep us small and remind us of our true nature, our true power.
If we allow ourselves to be fully present in our world, we will notice that whatever is in bloom will grow to its fullest potential with no fear, insecurity, worry about what other flowers, trees, bushes, etc., are doing around them. It’s not a competition. There’s room for all of us to be in full bloom.
Julia shares some insight about the medicine wheel, in which each point on a compass is a phase or cycle of our growth, experience, wisdom, and engaging in the world in various roles. “Unfortunately,” she says, “we become ‘olders’ not elders. We need the full circle – youth brings energy and elders bring wisdom.” But to offer that wisdom we need to be open, connected, engaged, learning, growing, and understanding… not simply taking up space.
Laura and Julia wind down the conversation with a brief discussion of the transformation process as observed in butterflies – from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. In the chrysalis stage, the process is governed by “imaginal cells” which having the knowing of the new form coming into being. Perhaps the kindred spirits we meet along our journey are like imaginal cells in our lives, there for a reason to help us as we are becoming the next best version of ourselves.
To learn more about Julia’s work and the Forest Bathing Club, check out these links:
Julia’s Work
The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing – Julia’s Book
Psychology of Place
About Julia
Julia Plevin is a nature connection guide and author. As the founder of the Forest Bathing Club, she has more than a decade of experience guiding individuals and groups of people into the forest, where the practice of shinrin-yoku helps calm the mind and create space for wellness and prosperity.
Julia taps into the power of Nature to design transformative healing experiences. Through studies with Shamanic Reiki masters, Shugendo Buddhist monks, Mayan elders, Bhakti yogis, and Renewal rabbis, she has developed a unique program that both respects and transcends tradition and brings us back into direct connection with Source. Having healed herself from a decade-long saga of chronic illness through connection to Nature, Julia believes that true healing happens when we take our healing into our own hands and is passionate about empowering people to tap into Nature as a way to heal themselves. Whether you’re an urban dweller or a mountain resident, Julia’s practice aims to help improve our lives through deeper connection, alignment, and attunement with Nature.
Julia’s work has been covered widely in outlets such as CNN, Outside Magazine, Business Insider, The New Yorker, and Sierra Magazine, and the Forest Bathing Club has more than a thousand members from around the world. Her first book, The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing: Finding Calm, Creativity, and Connection in the Natural World, came out in 2019 (Ten Speed Press).
