Forest bathing is a practice of slowing down, engaging the senses, and resting the mind and body in nature. While you can forest bathe anywhere, have you tried this practice in the quiet of the north woods?
Forest Bathing in the North Woods
Many Minnesotans look forward to spending summer weekends in the north country, whether in a cabin, tent, or the charming towns and resorts of the North Shore. While you’re enjoying the fragrant pine breezes and chilly lake waters, here are a few sensory invitations for forest bathing up north. Feel free to try these invitations on family land, or while wandering a north coast shore. Pick one that appeals to you, and explore as long as you wish.
I welcome hearing your stories after you return from your refreshing retreat.
For those of us that don’t have a private cabin, I’ve included a few public sites that are perfect for forest bathing and easily accessible along the north shore.
Forest Bathing: North Woods Invitations
A Morning Coffee Ritual
Take your morning coffee outside. Find a comfortable place to sit a spell.
Rest your gaze. Let your eyes wander across the landscape, noticing what feels good to see.
Cradle your mug in your hands. Explore the texture of its surfaces, and feel its heft.
Breathe deeply, inhaling the fragrance of the landscape. How does your body respond?
Breathe in the curls of steam from your cup. Savor the aroma of your coffee.
Sip with contentment.
For Northern Woods
- Breathing with the North Woods: On a walk through groves of cedar, fir, pine, and spruce, pause. Close your eyes. Inhale the fragrance of the conifers.
- Walking with the Woods: Slow your pace. Feel the surface of the trail beneath your feet.
- Dancing Pines: Let your gaze rest on the dance of the leaves and breeze.
- Voice of the Pines: Listen to the wind singing through the leaves.
- Resting: Lean against a tree. Close your eyes, and feel the turning of the earth.
For Northern Lakes
- Conversations of Water and Wind: Sit comfortably on the shore or dock. Let your eyes follow the ripples, the conversations of water and wind.
- Watersong: Rest with the rhythms of water, lapping along the shore.
- Mirror of Land and Sky: Notice the reflections on the surface of the water.
- Canoe Cradle: Pause your paddling. Feel the cradle of your canoe, gently rocked by the waves.
- Paddling Play: Notice how the water plays with your paddle.
Where to Forest Bathe along the North Shore
Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center & Scientific and Natural Area
- Experience the confluence of waves and woods at Sugarloaf Cove. This space is lovingly maintained and supported by members of Sugarloaf: The North Shore Stewardship Association, which promotes the restoration and preservation of the entire North Shore. The Nature Center is a delightful stop with its outdoor bird feeders and picnic tables, and offers several beautiful trails meandering through the woods and descending to circle the rocky SNA cove area. Learn more here.
- Map Link – $5 parking fee for guests; free parking for members of the Association.
School for Yoga and Nature Arts
- If you’d like to experience a forest bathing class with a certified guide, Teresa Hershey offers sessions at her newly opened School for Yoga and Nature Arts in Beaver Bay, MN. Mel Schneider, certified forest bathing guide of Wild Wanders, will also be offering summer forest bathing sessions at this site.
- Map Link
Grand Marais Artist’s Point
- Just an easy walk away from downtown Grand Marais, this site offers jagged rock formations with fascinating colored lichen, stands of cedar and pine, and a shoreline of basalt and endless breaking waves from Lake Superior. Wander the Grand Marais Breakwater Trail along the promontory, or find a restful spot to enjoy. Pack a snack to savor with your visual feast — a morning meander here goes well with a coffee and donut from the local donut shop.
- Map Link
George Washington Pines
- If you’re staying in Grand Marais or along the Gunflint trail, plan to pause for a while along this stand of beautiful old white pines. This 2.25 mile easy trail loop meanders through pine and cedar stands, and is a restful site in all seasons.
- Map Link
