Every day, we become confined within walls of buildings and rooms in our ever-growing cities and towns leaving us with little or no interaction with nature. However new research points out that interaction with nature has definite positive impacts on our psychological and physiological health. In recent times, “forest bathing,” or Shinrin-yoku, a Japanese phrase that literally means, “absorbing the woods,” has become popular. What is forest bathing, what is good about it, and how can we do it?
What is Forest Bathing?
It has to do more with the bath being in the forest instead of water and that the practice involves taking in forest views, sounds, and smells. Of course, it inspires people to involve all their senses and to take a slow but pleasant walk in nature. The practice began in the 1980s in Japan as a technique to encourage well-being and active aging and has become known internationally.
It is not a regular like a walking exercise in the woods or any other form of exercise among the trees but it is much more of a meditative session. It’s about taking time, time to inhale, time to exhale, and taking that time in the now. The aim is to foster an improved human-nature relationship and get the remedy.
Health Benefits of Forest Bathing
Research has shown that spending time in nature can lead to a variety of health benefits, both mental and physical. Here are some key advantages of forest bathing:
Reduced Stress Levels
Of all the effects of forest bathing, the most apparent is the ability to help reduce stress. Research has also demonstrated that exposure to greens. openqa reduces cortisol, the stress hormone of the body. The feeling of the leaves, birds, and water can be part of the quiet and tranquility that can help one to relax.
Improved Mood and Mental Health
Something about nature fills us with joy and hope. Scholars have established that forest bathing can help cure symptoms associated with anxiety and depression while giving an overall healthy mood boost. There is beauty in natural surroundings and they make people naturally become more aware of their surroundings and gently forget their unnecessary everyday problems.
Boosted Immune Function
The studies have carried out that the exposure to trees and plants can even help boost the immune system. Plants emit phytoncides, chemicals that have been known to have anti bacterial characteristics. Since these compounds get into our bodies through the breath during a forest bath, taking can help boost our immunity against diseases.
How to Practice Forest Bathing
Incorporating forest bathing into your routine doesn’t require any special equipment or training. Here are some simple steps to get started:
Read More… The Impact of Urban Green Spaces on Mental Health
Find a Natural Space
Maybe, you will be lucky to find a nearby park, forest or natural preserve where you can walk. Small garden or the tree covered street does the job. The value that has to be pursued is to find a place that will make you feel relaxed, connected to nature.
Disconnect from Technology
The first thing you should do is regulate the environment: switch your phone to silent mode or better yet put it in your pocket/bag. Instead, the idea is to ignore all the other stimuli associated with digital modernity and get 100% engaged.
Engage Your Senses
Whenever you are out in the forest, sight, touch, hear, smell, and taste the environment as you tour up the forest. Observe the color of the leaves and listen to the noises that birds and winds make, look for the bad odors coming from them, and touch the surface of the bark. Let yourself get lost in the now.
Practice Mindfulness
Concentrate on your breathing and on the temperatures in a given area of the body if you find that your mind goes to the things that you have to do today or any issues that may be causing concern, calmly, bring it back to the natural world.
