Forest Bathing in the High Country

There’s a quiet kind of medicine found in the forest that doesn’t come in a bottle or a clinic. It comes in the scent of damp earth after rain, in the rhythm of leaves moving gently in the breeze, in the way sunlight filters through snow gums.

Published December 2025, words and photos Mandy Lamont

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, as it’s known in Japan. It’s the practice of slowing down and immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the forest. It’s not about exercise or hiking with purpose, but about presence. About simply being among the trees. It’s mindfulness, anchored in nature. Translated literally as “taking in the forest atmosphere.”

In the 1980s, Japanese researchers began studying the physiological effects of time spent in forests. They found that people who practiced forest bathing had lower cortisol levels, reduced blood pressure, and improved immune function. What they discovered was that the forest wasn’t just beautiful, it was biologically healing.

A key part of that healing lies in phytoncides — natural aromatic compounds released by trees, particularly conifers and eucalypts. These airborne oils help trees protect themselves from bacteria, fungi, and insects, but they also benefit us.

When we breathe in phytoncides, our bodies respond. Studies show that exposure can increase the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in fighting viruses and cancer. They also lower stress hormones, balance mood, and promote better sleep. It’s no wonder that after an hour in the forest, we often feel clearer, calmer, and quietly restored.

In Australia’s High Country, forest bathing takes on a particular magic. Here, crisp alpine air carries the scent of Eucalypts, especially snow gums  (Eucalyptus pauciflora), release their own cocktail of phytoncides. You can smell them when the sun warms their bark — that clean, resinous scent unique to Australian bushland. Breathing that air feels like a tonic; you can sense your body adjusting, softening, syncing with the slower rhythm of the natural world.

You don’t need to go far or spend hours to experience the benefits. Forest bathing can be as simple as stepping into a patch of bushland, turning off your phone, and paying attention. You’ll leave feeling lighter, more grounded, and connected — not just to the forest, but to yourself.

Forest bathing isn’t a new idea, it’s a remembering. That we belong to the natural world. That our bodies understand the language of trees. The science of phytoncides simply confirms what our instincts have always known: nature heals.

In a world that often demands productivity and constant motion, the forest invites stillness. It reminds us that growth can also happen quietly, in the shade, in the pause between one breath and the next.

So next time you find yourself near the bush — whether among snow gums at dawn in Thredbo, or wandering beside the river in Bright. Take a moment. Breathe in deeply. Let the forest do what it does best.