Walking meditation is simple. Concentrate on your feet, your body and the ground beneath, then direct your mind to how it feels to walk.

In Japan this is known as forest bathing or shinrin-yoku, a Japanese ecotherapy term. It dates to the 1980s and was a response to a national health crisis that saw a spike in stress-related illnesses among people working in technology.

New Zealand’s native forest offers an ideal environment for walking meditation. In fact, a National Geographic article named New Zealand as one of the better places in which to participate in forest bathing.

Walking mindfully through a forest is said to add a layer of good to your physical and mental wellbeing. The suggested benefits include reduced stress, improved immunity, lower blood pressure and quicker recovery from illness or trauma. Forest bathing can be an antidote to the high-speed, overwhelming pressures of today’s high-tech world, because walking meditatively through the trees forces you to slow …  right … down.