by Bee Harris
Photo by Bee Harris
Living under an umbrella of urban stimulation — trying to stay in step with the demands of our fast-paced society, keeping current with international and local news, caring for family, setting high standards, neglecting ourselves/our emotions –can cause stress and anxiety 24/7.
The popular remedy: Have a headache? Pop a pill. Anxiety? Pop a pill. Weak immune system, high blood pressure, foggy brain? Pop a pill.*
Perhaps, there’s a reason we were commanded to be good stewards of our land. Could it be –if we do our planet good, it will do us good in return? There is scientific evidence that points to that. Sunbathing –what the Japanese call Shinrin-yoku –is a forest immersion practice that is therapeutic to our body, mind, and soul.
When we remove ourselves from urban stimulation, forest bathing can boost our immune system and decrease production of stress hormones thereby, releasing anxiety, lowering blood pressure, and enhancing mental well-being –which in turn –improves creativity, recall, and concentration. In other words –by design –forest bathing presses our body’s reset button.
Forest bathing is a powerful activity with many years of scientific backing. For further reading, note the bibliography** and past articles from your TMN Piney Wood Lakes archives.
The How To’s:
Forest bathing is a deliberate act that purposely stimulates our senses –observe the movement of the wind, feel the sun on your back, smell the juniper, taste the dewberry, splash in the creek. For example –to use our 5 senses –we could pluck and chew pine needles, or crush them with our hands for pine needle tea.
Materials:
Take nothing. Or, take a pencil and notepad for observation notes. Sketch or snap pictures. Write a poem. Say a prayer of thankfulness. Be still or meander slowly. You are intentionally immersing yourself in your surroundings. You will come out as fresh as a butterfly that has released itself from its cocoon.
*Disclaimer: Like millions of people, I take medication. Please, do not take your prescribed medications lightly –follow your doctor’s advice… and add forest bathing to your life –it’s the real deal. -Bee Harris
Bibliography:
Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol
2008 Jan-Mar;21(1):117-27. doi: 10.1177/039463200802100113.
Visiting a forest, but not a city, increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins
Q Li 1, K Morimoto, M Kobayashi, H Inagaki, M Katsumata, Y Hirata, K Hirata, H Suzuki, Y J Li, Y Wakayama, T Kawada, B J Park, T Ohira, N Matsui, T Kagawa, Y Miyazaki, A M Krensky
Environ Health Prev Med
. 2010 Jan;15(1):18-26. doi: 10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9.
The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan
Bee, it’s been way too long since I have taken to the woods. I live down the road from Lake Livingston State Park, so I have no excuse. As the weather warms up, I need to do some forest bathing, maybe with my dog. It’s good for him too! Thanks for this article.