Forest Bathing, also known as Forest Therapy or Shinrin-yoku, is an old Japanese wellness practice of spending time in a forest, to restore mental and physical health. Turns out there is a tangible scientific reason why being in nature makes us feel so good. That reason, is the exposure to a plant chemical called Phytoncide, which is the tree’s immune system! Inhaling these anti-microbial volatile organic compounds improves human immune function. Tree’s immune system heals OUR immune system! Now I know why I love being in forests! It’s Tree Medicine!

This is Serenity, the new doll I’ve been working on. I realize now that I made her as a self-soothing response to overwhelming anxiety about our troubling times. Making her helped me feel a measure of tranquility, so I called her Serenity.

I wanted to capture images of her that similarly made me feel calm, so I focused on my two favourite stress-managing activities of Forest Bathing and Onsen Therapy. Both are ancient wellness practices found in different cultures. I hope that looking at these pics will bring you a moment of serenity as well.