Maria Peronino is a forest bather, first by accident. She was strongly pulled to the forest in 2018 when she faced an invasive health obstacle that required major surgery. The trees in the forest gave her relief and emotional well-being.
In 2019, she stumbled upon the book Forest Bathing by Dr Qing Li and learned that Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bath in Japanese) is an actual healing practice with scientific validity. Now, Maria spends a considerable amount of her time within the old growth forests of Vancouver Island, and brings moments back to share with you here, as Virtual Forest Bathing.
For those who are within the city and cannot access a forest, Dr Li suggests practicing Shinrin-Yoku at a park, with trees in a city, with indoor plants, and even with digital images. Because some people don’t have the luxury to reach an old growth forest, Maria is here to provide virtual access, free of charge through her blog posts. This project serves an eco-therapeutic guide tool with the hopes of inspiring others.
Maria is a certified reflexologist who has her MA in Communication and Technology and BA in Image Arts. She is also a certified marine naturalist who has spent a considerable amount of time working with ecotourism and non profits as a digital content producer.
This is a project of Careful Crafters
Virtual Forest Bath 