People 'bathe' in nature to get respite from chaotic news cycle
[March 23, 2026]
By ALLEN G. BREED
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — For two hours, Claire Jefferies wanted to get away
from the war in Iran and the rising gas prices and just commune with
nature. And, so, she treated herself to a little forest bathing.
“When I’m here, it’s almost like a protective bubble around me," the
human resources director said amid oaks and flowering magnolias at the
J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina. "It provides a
shield.”
The Sunday morning session was led by certified forest therapy guide
Shawn Ramsey. Jingling a tiny brass bell, she called her dozen or so
charges to gather for meditation, breathing exercises and to commune
with nature.
“I invite you to really spend the next 10 minutes just exploring this
area," she said, her own eyes closed. "Really focusing on your breath,
on your footsteps. All the natural sounds around you. Maybe the manmade
sounds, too. Thinking about the forest’s natural rhythm and how are part
of that here in this urban, forested environment.”
Based on the Japanese wellness practice of Shinrin-yoku, the activity
has been known to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure and
boost the immune system.
Although the arboretum is in a busy section of a growing city, Ramsey
said the benefits of tuning out and getting in touch with nature are the
same. She led the group of about a dozen through the various gardens,
having them crush conifer twigs between their fingers and smell them, or
just touch trees.
“You know, in this day and age, there’s a lot of stress and anxiety and
chaos," she said. "And people are searching for ways to kind of cope
with that.”
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Claire Jefferies reads a book in the crotch of an oak tree during a
"forest bathing" session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh,
N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
 Transportation safety researcher
Alan Mintz came with a friend. He had to be reminded to leave the
talk of news at the entrance.
“I think it’s important for people to take the opportunity to exist
in natural spaces, both to unwind and relax, so that it can be
easier to interact with other people,” he said as he stood in the
dappled light filtering through the trees. “And to take a moment to
appreciate beautiful things. That way, hopefully, they can carry
that forward and have more of an appreciation for other people and
other cultures that they might be less experienced with.”
Jefferies had to remind a friend to stop talking about news as they
walked beneath the gently waving canopy.,
“That focus back into spending time in nature and the healing power
of that, and just remembering that we’re part of something bigger,
that we’re all connected,” said the mother of a 9-year-old son. “And
that what we do in our actions that we take really matter to the
rest of the world. And so there’s no better place to see that than
here, where you can see all of the interconnectedness and the ways
that this plant life naturally supports one another. Doesn’t take
more than they need.”
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