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About Mayu
Mayu Kataoka
Certified Forest Therapy Guide with Japan Forest Therapy Society & INFTA
Mental Health First Aider
NSW National Parks licensed eco pass operator
I am a certified Forest Therapy Guide based in Australia, originally from Japan.
But more than that, I am someone who has spent much of my life exploring one simple question:
How do we truly connect with nature?
Story
Growing up in Japan, I was surrounded by a culture where nature was not something to be observed from a distance, but something to live with.
Forests were sacred.
Seasons were felt deeply in everyday life.
Even silence had meaning.
Over time, I began to understand that this way of relating to nature is not just cultural - it is deeply healing.
Turning Point
When I moved to Australia, I discovered that many people were seeking something similar:
A way to slow down.
A way to feel grounded.
A way to reconnect with something they could not always name.
This is where Forest Bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, became a bridge.
But over time, I realised that what I was truly sharing went beyond forest bathing itself.
It was something deeper.
It was Japanese Nature Wisdom.
What I Share
Today, I guide Forest Bathing walks in Australia and lead immersive nature retreats in Japan.
Through these experiences, I share a Japanese way of connecting with nature that is rooted in:
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Presence
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Seasonality
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Silence and stillness
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Impermanence (Wabi Sabi)
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Attuning to nature
Japanese Nature Wisdom is not a technique. It is a way of being with nature.
It reminds us that we are not separate from the natural world, but part of it.
My Intention is Simple
To help people remember their relationship with nature and in doing so, reconnect with themselves.
Nature is not something we visit. It is something we belong to.
- Mayu Kataoka
Mayu has been featured on the following media
Well Traveller
Date published : April 2025
Trees Can Heal You | Secret Science with Myf Warhurst
- Forest bathing: the therapy you didn't know you needed -
Date published : May 2024
SERIES 1 | Episode 2 Anger
Of our six core emotions, anger gets the worst rap. It has the potential to destroy, but as Myf Warhurst discovers, there's a thin line separating its destructive power from the constructive anger that motivates change.
My Garden Path | ABC Gardening Australia
Date published : November 2023
SERIES 34 | Episode 33
We can all feel a sense of calm and rejuvenation when we enjoy a moment with nature.
Mayu Kataoka is a Forest Therapy Guide.
“Nature makes people feel very relaxed - nature is a therapist,” she says.
This is based on the practice of forest bathing, or ‘slow walk in nature’ in Japan.
Mayu guides people in local forests and gets them to notice the colours, smells, sounds and textures of the place, to be in the moment and focus on each sense and be fully engaged.
Pure Health Hub
Date published : September 2023
Forest Bathing at Crane Lodge
The Crane Lodge in Sydney has introduced a guided forest bathing experience for its guests. Ensconced amid the ancient forests near Palm Beach, this initiative aims to reconnect individuals with the healing essence of nature.
Originating from the Japanese term ‘shinrin-yoku’, forest bathing emphasises absorbing the forest atmosphere. Research has underscored the therapeutic advantages of this practice, highlighting benefits for mental and physical health...Read more.
Studio 10 by Channel 10 Australia
Date published : 3 June 2023
Traveller on SMH
Date published : 3 June 2023
Luckily there isn’t anyone to see me, except for giant cockatoos screeching overhead.
With magnifying glass in hand, I hold my head inches from a boulder, scrutinising the patterns of moss that grows over it. I observe different patterns in the structure of the leaves, or phyllids, and the changing colours, which range from intense green to palest grey.
Although to the casual viewer I might look like an eccentric botanist, I am in fact enjoying a spot of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, the Japanese art of submerging oneself in nature for relaxation and health benefits. Shinrin means “forest” and yoku means “bath”.
...Read more.
Escape Magazine
Date published : 2 June 2023
Standing in front of a fig tree, wrapped around an ancient rock high on a hill, I feel a sense of total bliss. A forest therapy guide certified with the Japan Forest Therapy Society, Mayumi Kataoka, is leading us through forest-bathing exercises, including a breathing exchange with a Port Jackson fig, and by the time we’re enjoying a Japanese tea ceremony at the bottom of the 1800 sqm garden, I feel completely connected to the forest we’re set to call home for the next two nights....Read more.
Gourmet Traveller Magazine
Date published : 7 April 2023
SBS Australia
- Embrace the restorative powers of ‘forest bathing’ -
Date published : 3 February 2022
The Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku, or 'forest bathing', can be traced back several centuries and refers to slowing down and spending mindful time in nature. Gentle and meditative, the practice is seen as an antidote to the stresses of modern living...Read more.
Who Magazine Australia
Date published : 17 July 2021
