It might seem impossible to get away from the constant barrage of news these days. But at an urban North Carolina arboretum, people are “bathing” in nature to wash away the stress. The Sunday morning session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh was led by certified forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey.
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The first verdicts are inSpiking gas prices tied to Iran war are set to eat up tax refunds touted by TrumpPeople 'bathe' in nature to get respite from chaotic news cycleOtters enjoy a snow day in Maryland during winter stormAt Middle Creek, timing and distance shape a photo of migrating geeseThe World in PicturesTrump's EPA is paving the way for haze to return to national parks, conservationists warnWorries about flying seem to be taking off. Here's how to cope with in-flight anxietyJurors wade through daunting evidence in high-stakes Meta trial about social media risks to childrenTaylor Tomlinson’s Netflix special is too ungodly for many churches. This one welcomed her.Para los pasajeros aéreos de EEUU, la solución al cierre es simple: pagar a los agentes de la TSATrump's ultimatum to Iran draws threat of retaliationTrump's changing course on Strait of Hormuz strategy raises questions about US war preparationClemson women's shining March moment wiped out because clock started late ahead of buzzer-beaterBanksy 'unmasking' by media raises questions about art and identityAP Entertainment WireNonprofits, unions and airports rally to feed TSA officers as shutdown dragsViral phenomenon in Argentina has young people identifying themselves as animalsWelcome to allergy season. Here's how to protect yourselfInspired by Picasso, an AP photographer visualizes a blind person ‘seeing’ artUganda reintroduces rhinos into a protected area where they have been extinct since 1983Welcome to allergy season. Here's how to protect yourselfColorectal cancer is rising in younger adults. Here's who is most at risk and symptoms to watch forYoung people are turning to old-school hobbies to get off their phonesPete Hegseth’s Christian rhetoric draws renewed scrutiny after the US goes to war with IranTrump amenaza con desplegar al ICE en aeropuertos desde el lunes si no hay acuerdo con demócratasIt might seem impossible to get away from the constant barrage of horrible news these days. But at an urban North Carolina arboretum, people are “bathing” in nature to wash away the stress. Alan Mintz smells a crushed conifer twig during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey, far right, leads a “forest bathing” session in a walled Japanese garden at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Claire Jefferies reads a book in the crotch of an oak tree during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. A man meditates with his eyes closed during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey rings a tiny brass bell during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. It might seem impossible to get away from the constant barrage of horrible news these days. But at an urban North Carolina arboretum, people are “bathing” in nature to wash away the stress. Alan Mintz smells a crushed conifer twig during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Alan Mintz smells a crushed conifer twig during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey, far right, leads a “forest bathing” session in a walled Japanese garden at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey, far right, leads a “forest bathing” session in a walled Japanese garden at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Claire Jefferies reads a book in the crotch of an oak tree during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Claire Jefferies reads a book in the crotch of an oak tree during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. A man meditates with his eyes closed during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. A man meditates with his eyes closed during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey rings a tiny brass bell during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey rings a tiny brass bell during a “forest bathing” session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday, March 22, 2026. RALEIGH, N.C. — For two hours, Claire Jefferies wanted to get away from the war in Iran and the rising gas prices and just commune with nature. And, so, she treated herself to a little forest bathing. “When I’m here, it’s almost like a protective bubble around me,” the human resources director said amid oaks and flowering magnolias at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina. “It provides a shield.” The Sunday morning session was led by certified forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey. Jingling a tiny brass bell, she called her dozen or so charges to gather for meditation, breathing exercises and to commune with nature. “I invite you to really spend the next 10 minutes just exploring this area,” she said, her own eyes closed. “Really focusing on your breath, on your footsteps. All the natural sounds around you. Maybe the manmade sounds, too. Thinking about the forest’s natural rhythm and how are part of that here in this urban, forested environment.” Based on the Japanese wellness practice of Shinrin-yoku, the activity has been known to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. Although the arboretum is in a busy section of a growing city, Ramsey said the benefits of tuning out and getting in touch with nature are the same. She led the group of about a dozen through the various gardens, having them crush conifer twigs between their fingers and smell them, or just touch trees. “You know, in this day and age, there’s a lot of stress and anxiety and chaos,” she said. “And people are searching for ways to kind of cope with that.” Transportation safety researcher Alan Mintz came with a friend. He had to be reminded to leave the talk of news at the entrance. “I think it’s important for people to take the opportunity to exist in natural spaces, both to unwind and relax, so that it can be easier to interact with other people,” he said as he stood in the dappled light filtering through the trees. “And to take a moment to appreciate beautiful things. That way, hopefully, they can carry that forward and have more of an appreciation for other people and other cultures that they might be less experienced with.” Jefferies had to remind a friend to stop talking about news as they walked beneath the gently waving canopy., “That focus back into spending time in nature and the healing power of that, and just remembering that we’re part of something bigger, that we’re all connected,” said the mother of a 9-year-old son. “And that what we do in our actions that we take really matter to the rest of the world. And so there’s no better place to see that than here, where you can see all of the interconnectedness and the ways that this plant life naturally supports one another. Doesn’t take more than they need.”
General News Botany North Carolina Raleigh NC State Wire Forests Claire Jefferies Oddities Meditation Health Alan Mintz Religion Wellness U.S. News Lifestyle Forest Bathing U.S. News
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