Listening in… Forest Bathing in Rimrose Valley Park

Part of Listening in…

Listen in to artist Niki Colclough and At The Library regulars Kenny, Jim and Shelly as they explore Rimrose Valley Park and reflect on their experiences of Forest Bathing as part of Niki’s Modern Nature Project.

Lying between Crosby and Litherland, Rimrose Valley Country Park is bounded by the Leeds Liverpool canal on one side and the Liverpool to Southport railway on the other. Since reclamation began in 1993 two Sites of Special Local Biological Interest have been designated, at Brookvale Local Nature Reserve and also Fulwood Way. The area contains a vital patchwork of several habitats including Reed-bed swamp, Rimrose Brook and a man-made pond system as well as smaller peripheral areas of damp meadow, dry grassland and willow-carr woodland.

Shinrin Yoku is the Japanese term for forest bathing, it emerged as a healing practice in the 1980s to combat the stress of contemporary urban living. A ‘forest bath’ is the practice of immersing yourself in nature. It is a practice of using the senses to connect fully to the natural environment. Research tells us that spending slow time in nature is beneficial to both physical and mental wellbeing.

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Niki Colclough is a trained Shinrin Yoku practitioner and guided this relaxing walk in Rimrose Valley Country Park to share practical, creative tools that you can use to begin your own nature connection practice. Based in Manchester UK, she works on self-directed projects and commissions to explore how art can address social issues, with a focus on care, well-being.

For more information on Niki’s work visit her website here