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The forest bathing
"Shinrin Yoku" is in Japan:"The Word of All Natural Health"
Freely translated, it means "bathing in the forest", quite deliberatelydive into the forest atmosphere.
(森林 浴, 森 Mori = big forest,
林 Hayashi = small forest,
浴 Yoku = a bath)
In Japan and South Korea, forest bathing is a recognized stress management method that is recommended and prescribed by physicians and has been practiced as a preventive health care since the mid-1980s.
Forests, trees, mosses, ferns, herbs, the whole plant world sends out terpenes, which are fragrances (essential oils) that are absorbed by the lungs and skin of humans.
It has been proven that an intense forest stay lowers blood pressure and pulse rate. The immune system is strengthened so that even immune cells can be formed against diseases.
Twenty minutes of forest bathing is enough to lower the cortisol level (stress hormone) by 21%. (Study from the University of Michigan USA)A wonderful experience to reduce stress and counteract it.
Spending a day in the forest also means that the physical defense (killer) cells are still elevated for about 7 days.
Uncoupling from hectic everyday life and immerse yourself in the tranquility of nature. Leave everything behind, dive into the atmosphere of the forest and stroll mindfully through the forest with all your senses.
Mindfulness means to intensively perceive all the senses: seeing, feeling, smelling, hearing and tasting.
Even short mindfulness exercises will show us how the forest can support us, to relax and decelerate.
The goal is to enter a state of deep relaxation.
Summary: The scientifically proven benefits of Shinrin-Yoku in Japan are:
- Improved immune function, increasing the number of natural killer (NK) cells in the body.
- Lowering blood pressure
- Reduced stress
- Mood enhancement, animation of the feeling of happiness
- Increased ability to focus, even in children with ADHD
- Accelerated recovery after surgery or illness
- Increased energy flow
- Improved sleep