Like many people, Gemma Hartley struggles with depression and anxiety. For five years, sheused meditation to keep her symptoms in check. But one day, facing some tight writingdeadlines at work, she felt herself beginning to slip back toward her old symptoms. This time,meditating wasn’t enough. That’s when a friend told her about something the Japanese call Shinrin-Yoku. This roughlytranslates to Forest Bathing.
Forest bathing is a practice which involves walking slowly through a forest. While walking,forest bathers intentionally experience nature through all five senses. Unlike hiking, forestbathing is not about exercising. Rather, forest bathing is about connecting with the forest andletting go of worries.
Hartley decided to give it a go. She was led out into the forest with 30 others by a certifiedforest bathing guide. Under the treetops, she was encouraged to see, hear, feel, smell andtaste the forest in new ways.
Afterward, she headed back to the city where she had a mountain of work to do. But insteadof feeling stressed and agitated, she thought of the forest. Suddenly, the words flowed freelyfrom her fingers. For Hartley, forest bathing had been a success.
In Japan, forest bathing is considered standard preventative medicine. And now, studies haveconfirmed its incredible benefits. That’s why other countries are beginning to follow suit. Instead of prescribing medications, some doctors are writing prescriptions for forest bathing.
Research shows that just a 15-minute leisurely walk in nature decreases the stress hormone,cortisol, by 19 percent. Blood pressure and heart rate also dropped. Considering that in theU.S., 75 to 90 percent of all doctor’s visits are stress-related, this is very good news.
Forest bathing doesn’t just help humans to cope with stress. It also boosts the immunesystem. It turns out that trees produce a chemical that supports disease-killing cells in thehuman body.
In one experiment, participants walked in the forest twice a day for three days. Afterward,studies showed that they had 40 percent more white blood cells. These cells boost theimmune system. A month later, their immune system still showed a 15 percent elevation.
Time in nature also works wonders on our cognitive performance. College students took testsbefore and after being in the wilderness for three days. They performed a whopping 50 percent better on cognitive tests after being in the wild. Humans evolved in nature, and studies now show that’s where our bodies feel most at home. The next time you’re feeling down, remember just 15 minutes under the trees does a world ofgood.
If you happen to be one of the majority of humans who live in cities, don’t lose hope. Evenlooking at a picture of nature or diffusing pine tree essential oils in your home improveshealth.
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