What is starbathing?

In a booking.com survey of 27,000 participants and a trend forecast for 2025, 62% said they would like to travel to areas with dark skies, and 72% of them said their favorite activity there would be starbathing.

So what do they mean by that? Of course, you can't bathe in the stars. But you can probably imagine. Star bathing seems to refer to the concept of forest bathing, a trend that has unfolded on a global scale in recent years and has strong origins in the Japanese philosophy of 'bathing' in the woods.

So what does forest bathing mean? In Japan, bathing is not just about cleansing. It means clearing the mind, touching the soul, merging body and mind and entering a state of deep relaxation by enjoying the touch of all the senses. Furthermore, bathing in Japanese society is closely associated with building a community, with enjoying a space together, where the main aim is to be in the moment.

Forest bathing as a derivative means: not using water as an access medium for this transcendent experience, but going into the forest and touching nature, especially trees with their connections to earlier times and longer periods of time. This makes it possible to unfold the senses and exchange a way of thinking for a way of perceiving, to experience the connection with nature and to see oneself as part of nature.

Needless to say, science has deeply researched the relaxing effects of forest visits and nature experiences and even extends this to images and videos of natural environments.

So how about adding starbathing to these activities? The idea is that not water, not touching trees, but a prolonged gaze into the universe leads to a deep state of connection and relaxation.

And it does. Why is that? Our eyes become accustomed to the dark and after a while peripheral vision is activated. This means that we don't concentrate, we just stare. And these two things go well together: An eye adapted to the dark can look better into the peripheral areas of the visual spectrum. At the same time, panoramic vision has proven to be a relaxation method.

You can try it out for yourself: Stop focusing and try to gain the widest possible overview. You will find that you will have the urge to take a deep breath. This comes naturally.

Now imagine combining this with looking into a 13 billion year old universe and connecting with this power of eternity. That's starbathing.

At Visit Dark Skies, we have developed a carefully crafted audio experience to help you starbathe and stay connected to the night sky for 30 minutes.

After 20 minutes, an aha effect sets in: The sky is deeper, more three-dimensional and more colorful than before. If you do this in a really dark place, you will have a lifelong memory.

Do you have any questions about your next trip? Ask me via email.

We work with hosts in regions with dark skies. Get in touch if you want to enrich your guests' experience.