Forest bathing, despite the name, does not involve getting wet.
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Instead, guide Julianne Evans points out, participants take time in forest areas to open their senses and slow down, de-stressing and absorbing the positive atmosphere of their natural surroundings.
The practice, which originated in Japan in the 1980s where it is known as shinrin-yoku, is more than a bushwalk and certainly slower than a hike.
"I like to call it a meditative walk. ... For some people it seems at the beginning that it's an uncomfortably slow walking pace and it sometimes takes maybe up to five minutes for people [to get used to the speed]," Ms Evans said.
"I can feel when people have stopped trying to push me forward with invisible hands and they kind of just relax into this slow type of walk."
Ms Evans said it was akin to meditation and the practice could have a strong positive impact on its participants.
"The idea of slowing down means that you allow yourself to observe what's around you and it's a bit like taking, for me, a guided meditation where you're given an invitation, say, to notice what's in motion or what's still, to direct your inner attention that you normally wouldn't do if you were just, you know, traipsing through the bush," she said.
Ms Evans will lead a group of forest bathers through the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve on Sunday as part of the reserve's annual open day. Places are strictly limited and bookings must be made with the visitor centre.
"The idea is that you're cut off from that thinking, analytical part of your brain and allow yourself just to give space to your senses," she said.
"And before we actually start the walk, I do a sensorial kind of warm up, if you like. It's just standing and being aware of what you can smell or touch or hear, and that usually means we normally start in a type of soporific, relaxed state."
Along with the bathing walks, visitors to the reserve will be able to see a series of interactive displays at Sheedys Picnic Area and take in talks and performances on the main stage.
There is also the chance to vote on the name of the reserve's newest and smallest female koala, with voting only open for a day before the winning name is announced.
ACT Parks and Conservation's Heather Gow-Carey said the service would be showcasing the work it did in the reserve and around the ACT, including its threatened species breeding program and the animals rangers were looking after.
"The open day is a great opportunity to rediscover what Tidbinbilla has to offer and hopefully form those lasting relationships with the park," she said.
Some of the youngest visitors to the reserve would have a chance to muck about with mud play and work on their cubby house building skills.
Ms Gow-Carey said people often complained how far away it was from Canberra, but in reality the reserve was just a 40-minute drive from the city. "It's very accessible and we've got something for everybody," she said.
Food stalls will be available but the event is cash only because there is no mobile reception for EFTPOS facilities in the reserve.
Free entry to the Tidbinbilla open day between 10am and 3pm on Sunday, September 29.