About a year and a half ago, my husband and I decided we wanted to leave the hustle and bustle of Atlanta suburbia. We had both experienced a transformation after spending 1 month in a somewhat isolated area in Northern Ontario. It was so quiet at our cottage, that we could hear the flapping of an owl’s wings as it flew overhead.
When we returned to our home in North Atlanta, we both had the urge to “get out of Dodge”. We realized how stressful the environment of city life was, after being away from it for 1 month.
We chose an area in a heavily wooded and quiet community in North Georgia. We are surrounded by trees, deer, wild turkey, innumerous species of melodious birds and an occasional bear. I start my day with a long brisk walk with my dogs, up the mountain trails and take in the serene and peaceful environment. This move has been so transformational for us in so many ways. I knew that this environment was conducive to healing and well-being but I did not know that there was an actual science behind the benefits of “walk in the woods”.
I came across an article about a Japanese therapy called “Forest Bathing” or “shinrin-yoku”. In a broader sense, it means taking in the forest atmosphere with all of our senses…sight, touch, scent, hearing, etc….
It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. Researchers primarily in Japan and South Korea have established a robust body of scientific literature on the health benefits of spending time under the canopy of a living forest. Now their research is helping to establish shinrin-yoku and forest therapy throughout the world.
I was simply amazed to find research articles in the US National Library of Medicine that supported the science behind Forest Bathing. I believe, as human beings, we innately and intuitively know that we belong connected to Nature. Look at people in the big cities strolling in the parks or scrambling to get out of the city to a beach or lake on weekends.
Authors for the Journal of Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine reviewed results from 24 field experiments conducted in Japan. Their conclusion about the therapeutic effects of Forest Bathing was:
- Lower concentration of the stress hormones cortisol
- Lower pulse rate
- Lower blood pressure
- Greater parasympathetic nerve activity (the calming aspect of your Nerve System)
- Lower sympathetic nerve activity (the flight or fight aspect of your Nerve System)
One of the many reasons why a forest is so healing is attributed to the “phytoncides”, aromatic essential oils that are emitted from trees. Amazingly these aromatic oils affect our Immune System and body in a very powerful way:
- Significantly enhances the Natural Killer Cell Activity
- The increase of NK cells lasted for more than 7 days after exposure
- Helps to produce anti-cancer proteins produced by the lymphocytes
- Promotes healthy sleep, helps fight anxiety and eases pain
Even if you live the heart of a city and you can’t escape to a park or forest every day, studies have suggested that just looking at photographs of forests and trees has a calming effect on the mind.
Making it a point to take a break from your computer or work and to decompress on a regular basis by Forest Bathing, will not only boost your Immune System but will decrease your stress levels as well. Happy “walk in the woods”. J
