The forest invites us to open our hearts and listen
Forest Bathing in Japan Shinrin - Yoku 森林浴
Forest bathing has become a vital part of preventative healthcare in Japan.
History of forest bathing
Forest bathing as a medicinal practice in Japan goes back to the 1980s. Around this time, the world was coming to realise the negative effects of depression, distraction, and aches and pains.
These effects have only gotten worse with time, and are now recognized in cities all over the world. It's difficult to truly relax in cities, with sensory overload caused by heavy traffic, dense populations and long hours spent in offices. High demand for real estate has made many cities "green-poor”, with few trees and parks to give even the illusion of nature.
Dr. Qing Li, MD, Ph.D. is a doctor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, president of the Society of Forest Medicine and author of Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness. He estimates we spend 93 percent of our time indoors.
He identified a nature deficit disorder in society, which contributes to negative feelings about life, but can be significantly improved by just a few hours of forest bathing.
Benefits:
- Immune system booster
- Mental health and mood improvement
- Decrease in blood pressure and stress
- Challenging the effects
How to practice Shinrin - Yoku :
Place and time:
Choose a forested area, forest, or park. Recommended duration: 20 minutes to 2-4 hours.
Turn off devices:
Put your phone on "do not disturb" mode to focus on the moment.
Move slowly:
This is not a fitness walk, but a stroll without a destination.
Walk slowly, listening to yourself.
Engage your five senses:
Sight:
Notice the patterns in the bark, the play of light, and the shades of green.
Hearing:
Listen to the birds singing, the rustling of leaves, and the sound of footsteps.
Smell:
Inhale the scents of pine needles, earth, and moist air.
Touch:
Touch the moss, tree bark, and walk barefoot.
Taste: Taste the forest air; you can bring a thermos of tea.
Practice pauses:
Stop, sit on a tree stump, and take deep breaths, drawing the air into your belly.
Regularity:
Even short 20-minute forest baths have been shown to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) levels by 21%.
