NEWS RELEASE

July 2017

First there was yoga, then there was sushi - trends that originated from the East are now considered mainstream. Now another big Eastern trend is set to take Britain by storm; the art of Forest Bathing. Forest Holidays will be introducing Forest Bathing at their Hampshire and Norfolk locations from September 2017, with more locations across the UK to follow. Their Forest Rangers have undergone extensive training with The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programmes and are all set to impart their wisdom to those in need of a de-stressing boost in the woods. 

The premise is simple and profound: by spending time actively engaging with nature, we reconnect to our relationship with the natural world and can gain both mental and physical rejuvenation. Leave all devices behind. Go to a forest. Walk slowly. Breathe. Open all your senses. This is the healing way as it is known in Japan. Forest Bathing - the medicine of simply being in the forest – has become a cornerstone of preventative healthcare in Japan, where millions spent on research and a quarter of the population regularly visit one of 48 officially designated Forest Therapy bases.

Now there is no need to fly across continents to experience it. From your base in the luxury and comfort of your forest cabin or tree house you can choose to sample this ancient art of re-connecting with nature; well-known in Japan, but completely unknown in Britain.

For £30 for a full 3 hours, you can expect to experience a relaxing forest trail with your Forest Therapy Guide where you will immerse yourself in the art of Forest Bathing. The finale to this special experience is a tea ceremony with your guide and other guests, where everyone may reflect upon how bathing in the forest has helped them to de-stress, become mindful, pensive and relaxed again. The tea used in this traditional Japanese ceremony is naturally made from foraged plants from the forest! 

Non-participating friends or partners can take it easy by chilling in their woodland cabin's private hot tub, go for a spot of bike riding or take a guided Forest Ranger activity such as Forest Survival or Night Vision.

Forest Bathing sessions will start in September 2017 and are bookable online www.forestholidays.co.uk/things-to- do/forest-bathing 

A weekend break in September starts from £545 for a 2 bedroom cabin ( 4) in Thorpe Forest, Norfolk
A cosy Hideaway cabin for 2 people costs from £795 in November in Blackwood Forest, Hampshire
www.forestholidays.co.uk<http://www.forestholidays.co.uk/>  or call 03330110495

GENERAL IMAGES AVAILABLE AS FOLLOWS: https://www.flickr.com/photos/forestholidays/sets/72157631304108366

For more information, or to book, visit www.forestholidays.co.uk or call 03330 110495.

Keep up to date with all the news on Forest Holidays' Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ForestHolidaysCabins and Twitter account http://www.twitter.com/forestholidays

ENDS

For further press information contact Yasmin Sethna on 020 8630 9487 or email yasmin@voyagerpr.co.uk

Editors note: Offering guests the chance to enjoy a peaceful getaway surrounded by picturesque British forests, Forest Holidays are positive experiences in Britain's amazing forests; connecting people, nature and local communities. Forest Holidays is a joint venture, public/private partnership with the Forestry Commission and has a 125-year lease on the land on which sites are based. The cabins are architecturally designed to fit sensitively within the woodland environment with modest central facilities. With nature at the heart of Forest Holidays' ethos, they provide year-round short breaks and holidays in timber cabins set within 9 locations on the Forestry Commission Estate, operating successfully in National Parks and other sensitive locations.