Forest bathing, Detox, Mindfulness: When nature is just a lifestyle product and why that is dangerous

👉 The key facts from this guide

I see them everywhere: The perfect photos on Instagram.

Forest bathing here, digital detox there. Nature is the new chic.

When I see these pictures, I feel increasingly uneasy.

For often it's just a smooth facade. A staging that is miles away from the true nature.

Are you ready for the uncomfortable truth behind the nature trend?

I will show you why this "Forest Bathing Light" won't help you progress and can even be dangerous.

The Trend Towards "Nature Light": A Double-Edged Sword

Nature has become really "in" in recent years.

Offers are springing up everywhere: mindfulness retreats, digital detoxes, or courses that promise to connect you with Mother Earth in two days.

That is basically wonderful. Every impulse that brings people back outdoors is good. I am happy when the awareness of nature's healing effect grows.

Finally, more people are seeing what an incredible gift we have.

However, I also see a development that gives me pause. One that I, as a ranger, observe with concern.

Nature is in danger of being reduced to the next big lifestyle product. A trendy accessory that one simply "treats oneself to" for a weekend, like a wellness trip.

There are these perfectly staged Instagram pictures: flawless tents before sunset, meditating people in pristine nature.

Everything high-gloss and perfectly timed for the feed. Nature becomes a backdrop for one's own self-optimization or an expensive escape from everyday life.

The Problem: Consumption instead of Connection

The problem with that? If nature becomes a mere commodity, we lose sight of what's essential.

It's no longer about reverence, about humility, about understanding deep connections. It's merely about checking off boxes on a self-discovery to-do list.

"I was in the forest. I breathed. I am mindful now."

But is one truly that, if the true connection is missing? If one does not read the animal tracks, does not truly hear the crackling of the fire, only perceives the cold or wetness as disturbing?

What if you only endure nature as long as it meets your own expectations of relaxation? For me, that's like visiting an all-inclusive hotel. Nice, but not a real journey.

You see the surface, but you don't dive in.

My Compass: Depth over Trend

For me, wilderness is more than therapy and certainly not a lifestyle product. It is a path. A journey. A state.

It is the relearning of forgotten instincts, the reconnecting with something primal within us.

It is the deep understanding that we are not in nature, but a part of it.

We are not visitors in the forest, we are a link in this incredible chain of life.

As a wilderness mentor, I'm not about selling you a short-term feeling of happiness. I don't just want you to hug a tree so you have a nice photo for social media.

I want you to understand the tree. That you learn how to build shelter from its branches, how to get fire from its wood, how to orient yourself by its features.

I even want you to get your hands dirty, yes, even to sweat, to freeze, and in doing so, you learn that you are stronger than you think.

This is not a gentle caress of the soul. This is a profound process that transforms you.

True Connection to Nature: A Process, Not a Pill

What true connection to nature means to me?

This is not a quick hack, no pill you swallow and suddenly you're connected.

No, it is a long journey, a path full of small wonders and big aha moments.

Endurance for true transformation

Here's my experience:

• Es ist ein Prozess, keine einmalige Sache: Eine echte Verbindung zur Natur wächst über die Zeit. Mit jedem Lagerfeuer, jeder gemeisterten Herausforderung, jedem Moment der Stille. Mein Wildimpuls-Programm ist bewusst auf 52 Wochen ausgelegt, weil ich weiß, dass tiefe Transformation Zeit braucht. Du kannst nicht ein ganzes Leben lang im "Käfig" gelebt haben und dann in zwei Tagen wieder "wild" sein.

• Es ist Demut, nicht Beherrschung: Wir dominieren die Natur nicht, wir lernen von ihr. Sie zeigt uns unsere Grenzen und unsere Potenziale auf. Ich lerne jeden Tag dazu, auch nach unzähligen Seminaren und Büchern. Der Wald ist meine Professorin, und sie ist gnadenlos ehrlich.

• Es ist Ganzheitlichkeit, nicht nur Entspannung: Klar, die Natur entspannt. Aber sie fordert auch. Sie lehrt uns Problemlösung, Resilienz, Kreativität. Sie spricht alle unsere Sinne an und macht uns wieder zu vollständigen Menschen. Das ist das, was ich mit "innere Transformation" meine. Wenn du zum Beispiel lernst, wie du drei Tage in der Wildnis überlebst, merkst du schnell, was wirklich zählt.

• Es ist Verantwortung, nicht Konsum: Wer die Natur wirklich liebt, schützt sie auch. Es geht um Nachhaltigkeit, um das Hinterlassen eines minimalen Fußabdrucks und darum, andere für diesen achtsamen Umgang zu sensibilisieren. Wir sind nämlich kein Getrenntes von der Natur. Wir sind ein Teil des großen Kreislaufs, der uns nährt und trägt.

• Es ist Verbindung, nicht Abgrenzung: Die Natur ist universell. Sie verbindet uns alle, unabhängig von Herkunft oder Fähigkeiten. Wir atmen alle die gleiche Luft, laufen auf der gleichen Erde, sehe die gleiche Sonne und die Mondin. Deshalb stehe ich für Vielfalt und lehne jede Form von Ausgrenzung ab – in meinen Kursen, auf meiner Website, in meinem ganzen Wirken. Der Wald macht da auch keinen Unterschied.

My call to you: Go wild again!

I want you to develop a hunger for nature. But not just for the postcard idyll, but for the real, living, sometimes uncomfortable, but always honest wilderness.

The wilderness that challenges and rewards you. The wilderness that makes you freer, more self-confident, and happier. The wilderness that gives you back your "green blood".

If you are ready to dig deeper than the trend dictates, if you want to not just visit nature, but become a part of it again, then you are in the right place.

For with me, you won't find a quick solution, but a guide. A compass that leads you not only through the forest, but also to yourself.