Slow down and immerse yourself in nature with College of DuPage during an upcoming free Forest Bathing Experience from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center, 525 S. Park Blvd.

Registration is required at the Student Life Office front desk located at the Student Services Center (SSC), Room 1111. Two 30-minute sessions will be available. Participants can choose between sessions starting at 1 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. Transportation will be provided from campus, departing from the InterCultural HUB, SSC 1138, at 12:55 p.m. and 1:40 p.m.

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku in Japanese, is the practice of being present and immersing your senses in nature. It can be practiced by taking a walk or sitting outside while breathing in the fresh air, listening to natural sounds and feeling the textures in the environment.

“Forest bathing started in the 1980s by the Japanese government. They had a public health problem where they had too many overstressed workers, and they wanted to give their workers an opportunity to de-stress,” said Devin Chambers, Ed.D., advisor at College of DuPage.

Chambers said practicing forest bathing can lower cortisol, help with sleep and improve overall well-being. The event was created to give COD students an opportunity to de-stress and practice an activity with no expected end result.

“This can be a great complement to receiving counseling services at COD, but it can also be a standalone practice that somebody can do any time,” Chambers said.

Learn more about the Forest Bathing Experience.