Silverwood Park in Saint Anthony village, a part of the Three Rivers Park District, has long been a favorite destination of ours. It is “a unique natural destination devoted to supporting the practice, appreciation and awareness of creative interactions between people and the natural environment.” 118 acres in size, Silverwood Park is nestled along the shores of Silver Lake only about 15 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. Before it became Silverwood, it was a Salvation Army camp which provided free summer camps for city children who didn’t have any experience in nature.
Their forest bathing trail is a reflection of that. I didn’t know about it until earlier this year and finally made a point to experience it last weekend. We looked for signs directing us to the trail, but when we couldn’t find any, went into the visitor center to ask where it is. The person at the front desk didn’t know, but directed us to the year-round map of the park below.
I was pleased to see several self-guided tours focusing on the arts and nature: Poetry, Sculpture, Natural History, and Forest Bathing… will have to check the others out as well, but the Forest Bathing Tour was my goal this trip. It is located in the upper right corner of the map above, close to the main entrance. There isn’t any parking nearby so we parked in the lot circled above in the middle of the park and followed the paved trail back towards the entrance until we saw the the low sign under the trees at point #1 on the map above indicating the start of the trail.
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a practice that originated in Japan in 1982 as part of a national health program to help workers cope with burnout. It involves a slow, mindful immersion in nature designed to quietly engage your senses of sight, smell, touch and hearing to absorb the atmosphere of the trees and reduce stress, improve mood and boost wellness, including better sleep and a stronger immune system. It focuses on being present rather than reaching a fitness goal or distance.
The forest bathing path at Silverwood is only 1/4 mile, but it is intended to take about two hours. Each stop gives instructions and an estimated time to stay before moving on. The idea is to slow down and experience it with our full senses. In the words of the Silverwood program coordinator below, the trail is what many people are looking for. It is the first of its kind in Minnesota certified by the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy (ANFT).
“People want to get off of Zoom and are looking for a deep connection with nature.”
The trail has five guideposts after the trailhead sign. Each one asks questions and gives suggestions to more fully immerse yourself in the moment, addressing the senses… noticing the sounds around you, the breezes in your face, the smells of the trees, finding an object and studying its texture. One even instructs you to find a tree and ‘listen’ to it.
The trail is not paved to more fully connect with the earth and surrounding nature, but be aware the trail is uneven and riddled with tree roots so not for someone who doesn’t have secure footing or balance.
Our son and daughter-in-law just came back from a trip to Germany for a note change on the John Cage piece “As Slow As Possible“… When we picked them up at the airport I asked them what they enjoyed the most about it. Our son said “it was so German.” When I asked why, he said it was so unassuming and low key… people brought their camp chairs and just sat under the trees. There were no big signs, no hoopla, just an interesting experience.
That’s what I think of when I think of the forest bathing experience at Silverwood… very low key and relaxed, you have to look for it but it is a fulfilling experience.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com
