Shinrin-yoku is the practice of 'forest bathing' and began in Japan in the 1980s. Since then, the art of shinrin-yoku has grown in popularity across Asia, and in parts of the United States, and around the world. Scientific studies of the health benefits of nature exposure have been of interest in Asian countries and European countries much longer (in my opinion, according to published journal articles on the topic) than in the United States. The scientific study of nature exposure seems to have taken flight in the 1990s and continues to this day.
First, what is shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, exactly? Are you envisioning a certain pharmaceutical company's commercial with an elderly couple bathing in twin bathtubs, in nature? Well, that is not what shinrin-yoku is at all! Thankfully!
Shinrin-yoku is an experience you have when you leave your phone and all other technology (camera included, put it down) and head into the forest for a relaxing stroll. No pace. No agenda. Just breathe in the smells, digest the visual beauty around you, savor the sounds of the forest: crickets, birds, the breeze in the trees, the squirrels scurrying across the forest floor. Or silence. Go alone, or with a group, just practice silence. No talking, just listening. Let your mind wander. And enjoy.
This relaxing experience not only reduces your stress responses, but improves your immune system, heightens mood, lowers heart rate, reduces anxiety or depressive symptoms, and increases the body's production of certain cells that act as cancer fighters. There is an abundance of research that shows that just spending time in or around nature (green space like trees, blue space such as water, white space such as snow) can have great impact on our physical and emotional health, and shinrin-yoku is one great example of one of the best ways to spend time in nature.
I am a big fan of exercising in nature. As a matter of fact, my research focuses on the many benefits of exercising outdoors. But shinrin-yoku is NOT exercising in the forest. Shinrin-yoku is RELAXING in the forest. Bathing in the beauty around you!
So, getting outside is important, and finding ways to practice shinrin-yoku would be very beneficial. Easy if you live near a safe green forest, right? But what if you don't? Well, getting to a city park or just a tree lined street can be a great substitute for the official 'shinrin-yoku forests' of Japan. While the outcomes may not be as strong, you can get a similar effect by watching videos on YouTube (free, of course) or nature channels. Discovery Channel had a beautiful series called "Sunrise Earth" about 10 years ago that you can find on Amazon Prime or other outlets online. This show quietly exposes you to the beauty of sunrise across the world.
So, while getting outside in nature, with no technology and no agenda, provides great benefits for your physical and emotional health, thus contributing to your pandemic resilience, you can also get some of those benefits at a park, a tree lined street, or on your mobile device or television. Nature is here for all of us to enjoy and to benefit from, so get your dose today. Or this weekend. Or whenever you can.
Meanwhile, stay safe, be well, and take care.
Comments