Forest activities related to wellness and health are spreading exponentially all over the world, including Italy. This signals a growing need among the population to access new forms of care that go beyond the reductionist-organicistic model of traditional medicine. It also indicates the strong interest of the scientific community in a new approach to humanity and nature, which promises benefits on various levels: health, social, economic, and ecological.

In recent years, international research confirming the effectiveness of these practices has been proliferating on a global scale, including in Italy and is beginning to outline a number of fundamental aspects: the forest’s healing factors, duration, and the process of change. However, to date, we still do not have an organised body of knowledge, validated by experimentation, as is the case for older sciences such as medicine and psychology.

Forest bathing follows a step-by-step method, beginning with a biophilic* approach and develops by gradually opening one’s senses to the forest. Over time, participants experience its benefits and reach a stage of adaptation and integration with nature, forming a truly rewarding bond. The TeFFIt-certified guide (Italian forest-therapy professionals) serves as a “facilitator” throughout the process, while the real “therapist” is the forest itself.

Participants are asked to fill in a pre-immersion and a post-immersion form designed to assess each participant’s level of biophilia and their response to the “forest effect” following the experience.

The activity is limited to a maximum of 8 participants.

* Biophilia is the innate human tendency to be attracted to nature and all living things.