Forest bathing in nature's power
Our Stone Age brain loves the forest. Under the tree canopies, a silence reigns that awakens all living things to life and makes us flourish as humans. As you move around in nature, it becomes easier to see the colors, identify the scents, listen to the birdsong, and hear the animals scurrying and crawling on the forest floor.
Forest bathing does not require you to run or exercise. It's solely about being present in nature. The essence of forest bathing is to immerse ourselves in nature and bathe in sensory impressions.
What is forest bathing?
- Since the 1980s, Japanese research has documented how spending time in the forest can lower stress and affect the parasympathetic nervous system, which makes us relax more.
- In Japan, forest bathing is a nature-based relaxation technique called: Shinrin-yoku.
- The simple method is about being quiet among the trees, observing the nature around you, and bathing in nature with your senses.
- In Japan, forest bathing has been an accepted part of the healthcare system as preventive healthcare since the early 1980s.
- Forest bathing is also known as forest therapy, which draws on thousands of years of intuitive knowledge. As humans, we are a part of nature, and we have a deep-seated need to feel that connection.
Nature works, research shows
Forest bathing is good for both physical and mental well-being and health. It is scientifically proven that forest bathing:
Reduces the production of stress hormones
Enhances feelings of happiness and unleashes creativity
Lowers pulse and blood pressure
🍃 Boost your immune system
Speeds up the healing process after illness
Source: National Library of Medicine
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27493670/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36328588/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28814305/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17903349/
Forest bathing for beginners
HOW TO
Slow down. Move slowly through the forest so you see and feel more. Feel free to stop, lie down, or sit down. Let go of your thoughts and notice the atmosphere in the forest.
🌳 Put away your phone to give yourself the best opportunity to relax, be mindful, and experience the forest with all your senses.
🌳 Take a deep breath into your belly. Try to make your exhale twice as long as your inhale. This signals to your body that it can completely relax.
🌳 Awaken your senses: Take in your surroundings and linger on the impressions. What sounds are there in the forest, and what does it smell like? Feel the earth with bare feet and touch the forest's leaves and trees. How does the ground feel, and what are the colors and the light like? Look at and absorb nature's small details.
🌳 Be mindful: Be present here and now. And be open and aware of how the forest makes you feel inside. Stay in the forest for as long as you can.
Source: Qing Li, TIME
https://time.com/5259602/japanese-forest-bathing/
