Hello.  This is Toni aka kanzen sakura (www.kanzensakura.wordpress.com) bringing to you the prompt for this session of Haibun Monday.  In 1980, the Japanese began a type of healing/meditation/relaxation process called  shinrin-yoku (森林浴) or literally, forest bathing.  This has become a recognized health benefit in Japan and other countries.  Basically you immerse yourself in the forest breathing in the benefits of such volatile substances as a-Pinene and Limonene.  It is simple.  One simply visits the forest and strolls leisurely breathing in the benefits of the volatile oils.  It also is relaxing.  Of course, one does not take cell phones, tablets, or books or other things that can distract one.  For safety sake, I will take my cell phone but…it is cut completely off.

Another way is to simply immerse oneself in nature.  When was the last time you did that – took a long walk in a forest or a field or a park or along the shores of a lake or beach?  Planted bulbs or seeds, took a sail on the water (beach or lake), sat under a tree and napped?  And thought of nothing but the nature around you.

Today, I would like you all to write a haibun (one – three tight paragraphs) ending with a haiku (seasonal and cutting words used to denote the season and to distinguish between the two parts of a haiku).  I would like you all to write about the last time you totally immersed yourself in nature.  As this is supposed to be relaxing to you and also to us, please refrain from rants about the political state of where you live, climate change, trash being tossed about, regret at the loss of a forest or the pollution of a stream, etc.

I would like you all to write about how you relaxed, what you did, how you enjoyed the experience.  Whether it is skating on frozen river, a hike on the banks of a river, lying in a hammock under the trees, walking in the rain or snow. camping in the desert…whatever you did to get in touch with nature.  I frequently will leave my home to go into the woods that surround our house to walk among the trees in all kinds of weather, climb a tree to sit and listen to the sounds of the woods, and/or to sit and play the violin.  I think the birds love the violin because it seems the noise volume increases.  Or maybe they don’t like the sounds coming from my violin!

Write about what you observe of the nature around you, the sounds, the smells…For my haibun I will be sharing getting my vegetable/herb ready last year and the food that came from that garden.  You want to write about a leisurely stroll along the shores of a lake or sitting and reading in a park.

If you haven’t participated in a dVerse prompt before you can find links to haiku writing at:  https://dversepoets.com/2015/11/16/japanese-poetry-forms-twins/  Keep the post to no more than three tight paragraphs and follow it with a haiku that accentuates the prose portion.  Let your prose flow poetically – like a stroll in a forest!

Please when posting, be sure you have a place for people to comment on your haibun after they have read it.  Reading and commenting are both important parts of our dVerse Poets Pub community.  If you do not want to receive comments, then simply do not post your haibun.  We are a friendly group and refrain from unkind comments.  We enjoy taking and giving!

What to do after you have written:

• Post your haibun to your blog
• Add a link to your poem via the ‘Mr Linky’ below
• Add the link for the dVerse posting so others can find their way here
• Read and comment on other people’s work to let them know it’s being read
• Share via your favorite social media platforms

And relax.  Breathe.  Share.