Switch Off, Reflect, Connect.

There’s sunbathing, and ice bathing, but what is forest bathing?

Derived in Japan in the 1980s when suicide rates were quite high, Shinrinyoku -also known as forest therapy or forest bathing- is taking off around the world as a free and natural way to tackle many health issues in modern society.

Forest bathing has become a key part of government funded preventative health care in Japan and South Korea and is now one of the several natural activities offered at a new and unique Gippsland retreat.

The Bemm Bush Retreat is the brainchild of scientist and ecologist Rob Richards and wildlife guide Emma, who first crossed paths working together at Rob’s company, Evidentiary.

After almost a decade of research on the relationship between human health and wellbeing and time spent in natural environments they decided to create ‘It’s Naturally You’ as a way of putting into practice the findings from their research. Their findings were so important that they felt a moral and ethical obligation to develop a program where people could enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of being in nature including interactions with plants, fresh air, natural light, wildlife and living ecosystems.

‘It’s scientifically proven that we have positive responses to being in nature,’ Rob said. ‘We now have the science to verify that what we have always intuitively known – that feeling when we arrive at a beautiful natural location, our body relaxes and tingles with excitement.’

After searching for the perfect location for a nature-based retreat, Rob purchased  a block of land bordering on the Bemm River, not far from the township of Cann River in the far east of the state. When the opportunity arose for Rob to buy a further 110 acres of stunning bushland bordering on the Goolengook River, including a significant stand of warm temperate rainforest, he jumped at it resulting in a 420-acre retreat, most of it under a Conservation Covenant with Trust for Nature.

Not all has been plain sailing, however.  Shortly after acquiring the land in 2019, fires tore through the area burning much of the land, trees, flora and fauna. COVID also stalled plans for the retreat, but after five years of above average rainfall, recovery and re-growth, Rob will officially open the retreat doors next year.

Catering to singles, couples, families and groups, The Bemm Bush retreat will offer accommodation in a camping or glamping set-up. Guests can either participate in self-guided experiences including a 24 hour or 48 solo experiences in one of their unique portable camping platforms deep in the bush beside the river

If guests prefer, they can participate in a structured two- or three-day program which includes tailored and guided nature-based activities such as forest therapy, nature watching, bushwalking, camp cooking and creeking. There are also several guided activities perfect for children, including animal tracking, night spotlighting, fire without matches, bush shelter building, bush safety, campfire cooking and fireside story telling.

There will also be a unique three night ‘More with Less’ experience where guests will stay in different locations on the property with different levels of ‘comfort’.

‘The recovery of wildlife since the fires has been just incredible to watch and it seems that I have been accepted into the world of the Red-necked wallabies, Eastern grey kangaroos, wombats, bandicoots, Lyrebirds, parrots and many other birds who frequent the extensive lawns and gardens of the Retreat,’ Rob said. ‘In recent months we have been seeing a few dingoes around and the return of many of the arboreal (tree dwelling) mammals including gliders and possums, which is so lovely to see.’

Rob said he hoped the retreat inspires people to switch off from technology, strengthen their connection with family and friends or indulge in holistic self-care through a range of nature-based activities.

‘We know, – and there is evidence out there -that the modern lifestyle can be quite destructive. We know that being in nature can help us to recover from ‘techno stress’ and the stress put on our body from the frantic fast pace of modern life. To move our health and wellbeing forward we need to look back and try to reconnect with what we once had. We encourage people to part with their phones, and it usually takes a little while to get used to that,’ Rob said. ‘We are also totally off grid and 100 per cent solar. We exist on rainwater, gravity, sunshine and wood for heating and cooking. We really want people to experience how to use nature’s gifts and still have comfort.

‘This might be an opportunity for someone, maybe for the first time ever, to sit there and really reflect on themselves. To slow down. To integrate with nature and observe and look at their place in the world differently. Nature does not judge who we are, what we have or where we are from – what more would you want from a life-long friend?’

For more information, visit www.itsnaturallyou.com.au