Author: Milena A. Guziak

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An Opening Quote: 方丈記 – commentary by Milena A. Guziak

An Opening Quote: 方丈記 - commentary by Milena A. Guziak

  • Shinrin-Yoku Magazine
  • August 10, 2026
  • Milena A. Guziak

Hōjōki (方丈記), often translated as An Account of My Hut or The Ten-Foot-Square Hut, is a classic Japanese text written in the early thirteenth century by Kamo no Chōmei (鴨長明, 1155–1216), a poet, musician, and Buddhist recluse. In the work, Chōmei reflects on the impermanence of life, drawing on his experiences of natural disasters, social upheaval, and personal disappointment. The small hut in which he chooses to live becomes a symbol of simplicity, detachment, and freedom from excessive attachment to possessions and status. At the heart of Hōjōki is the Buddhist idea of mujō (無常)—the understanding that everything is constantly changing and nothing remains permanent. Through observing both human society and the natural world, Chōmei suggests that suffering often arises when we try to hold on to things that inevitably change, while greater peace may be found in accepting impermanence and living more simply and attentively.

十　草庵の生活（一）

ひとり調べ、ひとり詠じて

もし、念仏もの憂く、読経まめならぬ時は、みづから休み、みづからおこたる。さまたぐる人もなく、また、恥づべき人もなし。ことさらに無言をせざれども、独りをれば、口業を修めつべし。必ず、禁戒を守るとしもなくとも、境界なければ、何につけてか破らん。

もし、跡の白波に、この身をよする朝には、岡の屋に行きかふ船をながめて、満沙弥が風情をぬすみ、もし、桂の風、葉を鳴らす夕には、潯陽の江を思ひやりて、源都督の行ひをならふ。もし、余興あれば、しばしば松の響に秋風楽をたぐへ、水の音に流泉の曲をあやつる。芸はこれつたなけれども、人の耳をよろこばしめむとにはあらず。ひとり調べ、ひとり詠じて、みづから情をやしなふばかりなり

10. Life in the Grass Hut (I)

Playing and Reciting Alone

When I feel too weary to recite the nembutsu, or when I lack the concentration to read the sutras properly, I simply rest when I wish and allow myself to be idle. There is no one here to interrupt me, and no one before whom I need feel ashamed. I do not deliberately undertake the discipline of silence, yet because I live alone, I naturally avoid the wrongdoing that can arise through speech. Nor do I make a particular display of strictly observing the Buddhist precepts; when there are no circumstances that tempt me to break them, by what means could I violate them?

On mornings when the white wake left behind by a passing boat reminds me of the fleeting nature of my own life, I watch the boats travelling near Okanoya and borrow the sentiment of the poet Mansei. On evenings when the wind blows through the katsura trees and rustles their leaves, my thoughts travel to the river at Xunyang in China, and I imitate the example of Minamoto no Tsunenobu.

When the mood takes me, I sometimes accompany the sound of the wind in the pines with the melody of Shūfūraku (“Music of the Autumn Wind”), or play the piece Ryūsen (“Flowing Spring”) to the sound of running water. My skill is poor, but I do not play in order to delight the ears of others. I play alone and recite poetry alone, simply to nourish my own heart and spirit. 

Notes

無言 (mugon) — literally “silence”; here it refers to the Buddhist practice of deliberately remaining silent for a certain period of time.

口業 (kugō) — one of the Buddhist “actions” or forms of karma created through speech. In this context, Chōmei suggests that solitude naturally prevents harmful or unnecessary speech.

岡の屋 (Okanoya) — an area in present-day Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, near the former Ogura Pond, which was once an important harbour.

満沙弥 / 沙弥満誓 (Mansei) — a poet and Buddhist monk of the seventh–eighth centuries. Chōmei alludes to his famous poem:

世の中を何にたとへん
朝ぼらけ
漕ぎ行く舟の
跡の白波

“What can this world be compared to?
At dawn, the white waves
left behind a boat
rowing away.”

The disappearing wake of the boat became an image of impermanence (無常, mujō).

潯陽の江 (Xunyang River) — a name associated with a section of the Yangtze River near present-day Jiujiang in Jiangxi Province, China.

源都督 (Minamoto no Tsunenobu, 1016–1097) — a Heian-period poet and musician, famous particularly for his skill with the biwa.

秋風楽 (Shūfūraku) — a piece of traditional Japanese court music (gagaku), its name meaning approximately “Music of the Autumn Wind.”

流泉 (Ryūsen) — a classical biwa composition, literally “Flowing Spring,” traditionally regarded as one of the three secret masterpieces of the biwa.

Commentary: Hōjōki and Transformative Experience

This passage from Hōjōki is particularly relevant to the first issue of the magazine, devoted to transformative experiences, because Chōmei describes transformation not as a dramatic event, but as a gradual change in the way one relates to oneself, to society, and to the natural world.

His retreat to the small hut creates a different condition of living. Removed from social expectations, obligations, comparison, and performance, he begins to encounter life more directly. He rests when he needs to rest. He prays when prayer arises naturally. He listens to wind, water, and leaves without needing to turn those experiences into something productive or impressive. In this sense, the hut becomes more than a physical shelter… it becomes a space in which another way of being becomes possible.

This is important when thinking about transformative experience. Transformation does not always mean becoming someone new. Sometimes it means allowing unnecessary layers to fall away so that a different relationship with life can emerge. In Chōmei’s case, solitude reduces external noise and makes room for attentiveness. The ordinary world becomes more vivid: the wake of a passing boat evokes impermanence, the wind in the trees recalls poetry and music, and the sound of water becomes part of an intimate dialogue between nature and the inner life.

The passage also shows that transformative experiences often arise through attention rather than intensity. Nothing extraordinary needs to happen. Chōmei does not describe a revelation produced by spectacle. Instead, transformation develops through repeated encounters with simple phenomena: sound, movement, silence, memory, weather, music, and the changing landscape.

The final line captures this beautifully:

ひとり調べ、ひとり詠じて、みづから情をやしなふばかりなり。

“I play alone and recite alone, simply to nourish my own heart and spirit.”

Here, music and poetry are not performances for others. They are ways of tending the inner world. The natural environment becomes part of this process of cultivation. Wind, pine trees, flowing water, memory, art, and contemplation are no longer separate experiences; they begin to participate in one another.

For an issue exploring transformative experiences, Hōjōki therefore offers an important perspective: transformation may begin when our habitual relationship with the world is interrupted. By stepping outside familiar patterns of striving, social performance, and constant activity, we may become more receptive to what is already present.

Chōmei’s experience also reminds us that the natural world does not necessarily “transform” us by delivering a particular outcome. Rather, it can create conditions in which perception changes. We may notice differently, listen differently, and understand ourselves differently. The transformation lies partly in this shift of relationship.

Perhaps this is why a text written more than eight centuries ago still feels remarkably contemporary. In a culture often shaped by speed, stimulation, visibility, and productivity, Chōmei proposes something else withdraw for a moment, listen carefully, allow simplicity to work on you, and notice what begins to change.

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Shinrin-Yoku Magazine – Issue 1 – Disclaimer

Disclaimer to Issue 1

  • Shinrin-Yoku Magazine
  • August 9, 2026
  • Milena A. Guziak

Disclaimer

The articles of the magazine are intended for informational and educational purposes only. While efforts have been made to reference scientific research and historical developments, the content should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice.

The therapeutic benefits of spending time in the forest, guided forest bathing sessions, and green prescriptions are supported by emerging research in environmental psychology, integrative health, and ecotherapy. However, individual experiences may vary, and those with pre-existing medical or mental health conditions should consult a qualified healthcare provider before engaging in any nature-based intervenations, particularly as an alternative or complementary approach to conventional treatment.

Furthermore, the articles acknowledge the cultural diversity of nature-connection traditions worldwide. The mention of various terms, historical contexts, and linguistic interpretations serves to enrich understanding but does not claim to provide an exhaustive or definitive explanation of these practices. The discussion of phytoncide therapy, guided nature immersion, and stress-related physiological markers is based on available literature and should not be interpreted as medical claims.

The intention is to foster open dialogue, deepen awareness, and promote ethical and evidence-based engagement with  guided nature practices. Readers are encouraged to explore these topics further and seek guidance from certified professionals, scientific literature, and their own lived experiences.

All rights to this article, including textual content, research references, and conceptual frameworks, are reserved by the Mi Publishing. Reproduction, distribution, or citation of this article should be done with appropriate attribution.

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Spending Time in the Forest: Modalities of Engagement, Connection, and Care

Spending Time in the Forest: Modalities of Engagement, Connection, and Care

  • Shinrin-Yoku Journal (ISSN: 2957-2118)
  • February 5, 2026
  • Milena A. Guziak

Abstract

This chapter continues and expands the discussion initiated in Guziak’s (2025) article, Spending Time in the Forest: Modalities of Engagement, Connection, and Care, by further examining the diverse ways in which human beings engage with forest environments and how such engagement may evolve from a single experience into an ongoing practice of restoration, connection, and care. The chapter argues that spending time in the forest should not be reduced to a single activity or therapeutic model, but understood instead as a continuum of modalities that differ in structure, intention, depth, and personal meaning. These modalities include time in the forest as a free and accessible resource, guided forest therapy sessions as a mindfulness modality, guided forest therapy as a pathway to nature connectedness, and time in the forest as a nature-based intervention.

A central concern of the chapter is the distinction between transient forest experiences and sustained forest practice. While even brief or passive exposure to forest environments may support physiological regulation, cognitive restoration, emotional balance, and a sense of relief, not every encounter becomes integrated into everyday life. The chapter therefore explores the variables that influence whether forest engagement becomes an enduring practice, including repetition, accessibility, perceived benefit, subjective meaning, guidance, routine, and the development of emotional attachment to place.

Drawing on research from environmental psychology, mindfulness studies, nature connectedness scholarship, and forest-therapy literature, the chapter suggests that the therapeutic and transformative potential of forest engagement depends not only on exposure itself, but on the quality, continuity, and integration of that exposure into lived experience. In doing so, it offers a nuanced framework for understanding how forests may function simultaneously as settings of passive restoration, relational encounter, contemplative practice, and preventive or supportive intervention. Ultimately, the chapter proposes that spending time in the forest is not merely an activity undertaken in nature, but a potentially meaningful mode of being that can deepen self-regulation, reconnection, and care across personal, social, and ecological dimensions.

10.65410/syjI3202602-EN-2

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Why We Need Forest Therapy Guides

Why We Need Forest Therapy Guides

  • Shinrin-Yoku Journal (ISSN: 2957-2118)
  • January 9, 2026
  • Milena A. Guziak

Abstract

The need for forest therapy guides may be understood through the intersection of evolutionary history, environmental transformation, and contemporary mental health burden. Humans evolved in close and continuous relationship with natural environments, yet the past several centuries have seen a progressive shift from nature-embedded living toward agricultural, industrial, and urbanized forms of habitation. This long process of separation has culminated in a modern condition in which many individuals spend their daily lives in built environments characterized by overstimulation, pollution, social fragmentation, and limited access to green space. Concurrently, mental health is increasingly recognized as shaped by complex interactions among biological, psychological, social, and environmental determinants. Rising prevalence of depression, anxiety, burnout, loneliness, and other stress-related conditions suggests that the mental health crisis is not solely clinical in nature, but also ecological and structural. In this framework, forest therapy guides may be viewed as facilitators of guided re-engagement with restorative natural environments. Their role is to support safe, intentional, and context-sensitive encounters with forests that may foster sensory awareness, regulation, reflection, and reconnection. Forest therapy guiding is therefore proposed as a relevant response to the combined effects of environmental disconnection and modern mental health vulnerability.

 

DOI: 10.65410/syjI3202601en

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The Shinrin Yoku Association: Honoring Tradition, Science, and the Future

The Shinrin-Yoku Association: Honoring Tradition, Science, and the Future

  • Shinrin-Yoku Journal (ISSN: 2957-2118)
  • November 17, 2025
  • Milena A. Guziak

The article traces its conceptual evolution from the Japanese 森林浴構想 (Forest Bathing Concept) to scientifically grounded “forest therapy” and “forest medicine,” linking these to global nature-connection theories and traditions. Integrating insights from environmental psychology, biophilia, stress recovery, and self-determination theory, the author introduces the dual model of horizontal and vertical immersion to describe differing depths of engagement with nature—from casual contact to transformative communion. She positions guided Shinrin-Yoku sessions as evidence-based, structured nature interventions that foster parasympathetic activation, emotional regulation, and long-term nature connectedness. The article also revisits Boris P. Tokin’s pioneering research on phytoncides, connecting his 20th-century discoveries with today’s understanding of volatile organic compounds and forest atmospheres. Finally, the article emphasizes the cultural plurality of nature-based wisdom, honoring parallel traditions such as Friluftsliv, Pachamama, and Taoist Tiān rén hé yī (天人合一). Through this synthesis of science, spirituality, and ethics, the Shinrin Yoku Association is portrayed as a bridge between tradition and innovation—advocating for professional standards, ecological stewardship, and the restoration of humanity’s innate bond with the living forest.

From Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) to Forest Therapy: The Evolution of a Japanese Health Concept
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From Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) to Forest Therapy: The Evolution of a Japanese Health Concept

From Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) to Forest Therapy: The Evolution of a Japanese Health Concept

  • Shinrin-Yoku Journal (ISSN: 2957-2118)
  • November 6, 2025
  • Milena A. Guziak

This document provides a brief introduction to the concept of shinin-yoku, also known as “forest bathing， ” and its evolution towards forest therapy（森林療法，森林セラピー）・

From Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) to Forest Therapy: The Evolution of a Japanese Health Concept
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Comprehensive Assessment and Optimization of Invitations for Shinrin-Yoku Sessions: Methodology and Case Study

Comprehensive Assessment and Optimization of Invitations for Shinrin-Yoku Sessions: Methodology and Case Study

  • Shinrin-Yoku Journal (ISSN: 2957-2118)
  • November 6, 2025
  • Milena A. Guziak

The “Code of Conduct and Guidelines” document of the Shinin Yoku Association, outlines the ethical framework and operational standards for Shinin Yoku (forest bathing) guides, instructors, and teachers. The document emphasizes key principles such as respect for nature, professionalism, inclusivity, safety, continuous learning, and collaboration. It provides detailed guidelines for maintaining high-quality service, ethical behavior, and environmental stewardship. The document also highlights competencies required for Shinin Yoku guides, including ethical adherence, session management, building trust, effective communication, awareness, and preparedness. By adhering to these standards, the Shinin Yoku Association aims to ensure a consistent, authentic, and safe experiences/Shinin Yoku sessions, while promoting the sustainability and integrity of the practice.

Comprehensive Assessment and Optimization of Invitations for Shinrin-Yoku Sessions: Methodology and Case Study
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Establishing Ethical Standards and Best Practices for Shinrin Yoku Guides: A Comprehensive Guide by the Shinrin Yoku Association

Establishing Ethical Standards and Best Practices for Shinrin Yoku Guides: A Comprehensive Guide by the Shinrin Yoku Association

  • Shinrin-Yoku Journal (ISSN: 2957-2118)
  • November 6, 2025
  • Milena A. Guziak

The “Code of Conduct and Guidelines” document of the Shinin Yoku Association, outlines the ethical framework and operational standards for Shinin Yoku (forest bathing) guides, instructors, and teachers. The document emphasizes key principles such as respect for nature, professionalism, inclusivity, safety, continuous learning, and collaboration. It provides detailed guidelines for maintaining high-quality service, ethical behavior, and environmental stewardship. The document also highlights competencies required for Shinin Yoku guides, including ethical adherence, session management, building trust, effective communication, awareness, and preparedness. By adhering to these standards, the Shinin Yoku Association aims to ensure a consistent, authentic, and safe experiences/Shinin Yoku sessions, while promoting the sustainability and integrity of the practice.

Establishing Ethical Standards and Best Practices for Shinrin Yoku Guides: A Comprehensive Guide by the Shinrin Yoku Association
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Investigating Relationships between Nature Connection, Emotion Regulation, and Mindful Attention Awareness

Investigating Relationships between Nature Connection, Emotion Regulation, and Mindful Attention Awareness

  • Shinrin-Yoku Journal (ISSN: 2957-2118)
  • November 6, 2025
  • Milena A. Guziak

Research has demonstrated that a connection with nature positively affects human well-being. This study aimed to investigate whether this connection influences emotion regulation and mindfulness through correlational and predictive analyses. The sample consisted of 90 adults from various international backgrounds who completed a survey assessing their connection with nature using the Nature Connection Index (NCI), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18), and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Results revealed a medium effect size (R? = .152, Rª adj_ = .142), indicating that approximately fifteen percent of the variability in emotion regulation can be attributed to higher nature connection. Nature connection was found to be a significant predictor of
emotion regulation difficulties, F(1, 88) = 15.77, p < .001. A significant negative relationship was observed between nature connection and difficulties in emotion regulation (B = -0.59, ‹(89) = -3.97, p < .001; r(90) = -0.39, p < 001). Spearman’s rank-order correlations showed significant negative relationships between NCI and several subscales of the DERS-18: difficulty engaging in goal-directed behavior (rs = -0.28, n = 90, p < .01), lack of emotional awareness (rs = -0.27, n = 90, p < .01), and limited access to emotion regulation strategies (rs = -0.36, n = 90, p < .01). These findings suggest practical implications for the well-being of the general population. Specifically, increasing one’s connection with nature appears to improve emotion regulation, particularly in goal-oriented behaviors, emotional awareness, and access to emotion regulation strategies. Therefore, activities that enhance nature connection could serve as effective preventive measures against decreased well-being.

Investigating Relationships between Nature Connection, Emotion Regulation and Mindful Attention Awareness
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The Relationship Between Nature Connection Index and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Results Digest

The Relationship Between Nature Connection Index and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Results Digest

  • Shinrin-Yoku Journal (ISSN: 2957-2118)
  • November 6, 2025
  • Milena A. Guziak

The current study investigates the relationship between the Nature Connection Index (NCI) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18) to understand how connection with nature influences emotion regulation. Data was collected from a diverse sample, and Spearman’s rank-order correlations were conducted to explore the relationships between NCI and the subscales of DERS-18. The findings revealed significant negative relationships between NCI and several aspects of emotion regulation, including difficulty engaging in goal-directed behavior, lack of emotional awareness, and limited access to emotion regulation strategies. These results suggest that greater nature connectedness is associated with better emotion regulation capabilities. Practical implications include enhancing focus and productivity through nature-based activities, improving emotional awareness by spending time in nature, and developing effective emotion regulation strategies via nature-connected interventions. These insights underscore the importance of integrating nature into daily routines and therapeutic practices to enhance emotional health and well-being.

The Relationship Between Nature Connection Index and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Results Digest
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