Walking in the forest is healthy
In Japan they have known for a long time: walking in the forest keeps you healthy and makes you happier. This ‘forest bathing’, or shinrin-yoku, has many health benefits. What is it exactly? And what is it all good for?
In Japan people practice ‘the art of forest bathing’, or shinrin-yoku. That’s more than just a stroll through the woods; you use all your senses. You see and smell the trees and plants, feel the ground beneath your feet, hear the leaves rustling in the wind. The Japanese government encourages forest bathing and the country has dozens of forest therapy centers.
Contact recovery
According to Francesc Miralles and Héctor García, authors of Shinrin-yoku, ‘the Japanese secret to better sleep, less stress and a healthy, happy life’ we suffer from disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders because we in the West are cut off from nature. We sit behind our computer, move by car and hang out in front of the TV. We should not only exercise more, but also go out into nature. By ‘bathing in the forest’ you reconnect with nature.
Good for the memory
We already know that nature has a stress-reducing effect. According to a study by Dr. Qing Li, it even strengthens your immune system. Yet another study showed that forest bathing can lower elevated blood pressure in the elderly. Forest baths also boost your memory.
University of Michigan students were given a memory test and then divided into two groups. One group took a walk through a park, the other in a city district. After returning, they took the test again. Park walkers now performed 20 percent better. The city walkers didn’t make the test any better than the first time.
Happy and relaxed
British researchers asked people via an app where they were, who they were with and how happy they felt. The answers showed that people feel most comfortable in nature, even on a rainy day.
To experience all those health benefits, according to García and Miralles, it is essential that you completely surrender to the experience. So don’t use shinrin-yoku to think through your problems or have a good conversation with your partner. You surrender completely to the here and now of the forest; a kind of mindfulness in nature. In fact, shinrin-yoku is the ultimate relaxation therapy. With the additional effect of a boost for your immune system.
Sources):
- Plus Healthy
