Forest Bathing
Places of the Present - HNRS 2118

Instructor(s): Amaris Ketcham

Course Description

Forest bathing, despite its evocative name, isn’t about stripping down in nature to skinny-dip in a woodland pool, though the image certainly paints a serene picture. Known as “shinrin-yoku” in Japanese, it is a therapeutic practice that involves immersing oneself in a forest environment and fostering a profound connection to nature by cultivating presence and opening the senses. Related to mindfulness, this practice has been recognized for its potential health benefits, including reducing stress, improving mood, and boosting the immune system. Forest bathing encourages individuals to connect with nature by walking slowly, breathing deeply, and engaging all senses. 

In this course, we will learn about the science and philosophy behind forest bathing, incorporate the practice into our own lives, invite friends into the forest, and explore more of Albuquerque and the parks and open spaces within and adjacent to the city.

Texts

Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature by M. Amos Clifford


Provided excerpts from: The Biophilia Effect, Nature Fix, The Art of Noticing, The Life and Death of Great American Cities, Wayfinding, The Big Hum, Wherever You Go, There You Are, plus various scientific articles

Requirements

Short writing assignments, active participation in classroom discussions and activities, collaboratively design and lead forest bathing sessions, collaboratively create an entry for a guide to forest bathing in Albuquerque.

No Video

About the Instructor(s): Amaris Ketcham

Amaris Feland Ketcham occupies her time with open space, white space, CMYK, flash nonfiction, long trails, f-stops, line breaks, and several Adobe programs running simultaneously. As a writer and artist, Amaris explores the combination of text, image, and place. She has written two poetry books, A Poetic Inventory of the Sandia Mountains and Glitches in the FBI; a camping guide to New Mexico, Best Tent Camping: New Mexico; and a graphic novel, Unfiltered: A Cancer Year Diary (coming out in 2023). 

Amaris is the Faculty Advisor for the nationally acclaimed arts and literature magazine Scribendi. In addition to teaching the ins and outs of literary publishing, she teaches nonfiction and poetry comics, narrative journalism, handmade books and zines, and creative placemaking.