It’s something about being outside.  Something more than a lot of us today actually understand. The air in the morning is amazing. The first parts of the morning air bring with it benefits to support you throughout the rest of your day. And even when it’s not the morning, the health gains are still ever present. In other parts of the world the health advantages of Forest Bathing are even being studied down to the laboratory level and with case studies proving the astounding science behind the benefits of this practice. The proof is in the, well, TREES.

On the forefront of this groundbreaking information is , Dr. Qing Li, M.D, Ph.D, a doctor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, Japan and president of the Japanese Society of Forest Medicine. He’s conducting pioneering research in the  area of forest bathing. Dr. Li even facilitates classes with people where he leads them through the forest and/or parks as a guide called a forest bathing session.  Forest bathing doesn’t require that one employ vigorous exercise and speed up the heart rate but that she takes in every part of nature… the sights, the smells of the outdoors, even the feel of the trees, grass, brush, etc. Taking it one step further, Li also brought some of the tree salve to the laboratory in an effort to extract the essences from one of Tokyo’s native trees. The goal was to see if he could duplicate the natural healing benefits that took place in the body, in an indoor setting, and then afterwards, run blood work on himself to review it’s findings. Professor Li streamed the tree essence through a vaporizer in a room setting and inhaled the air for ? time. The results were conclusive. Even though there was a small benefit in his blood work, it was not nearly as beneficial to the body as the other results that came back when he was actually outside incorporating ALL elements of the senses while on a forest bathe. 

It would be great for all of us to get outside, especially since we’ve been indoors coping with a pandemic for the past couple of years! Dr. Li mentions that most of us spend about 93% of our time inside. What a wonderful thing to walk outside and discover that, not only will you be able to enjoy the beautiful green colors of the outdoors, but also experience the other sights, smells and sounds that work together to increase your well being.  It’s been proven that this practice reduces the production of stress cells, lowers heart rate and blood pressure.  Shinrin yoku (Forest Bathing) has even been said to speed up the recovery process after illness. Chronic stress contributes to ailments like insomnia, anxiety and even depression. There are also physiological effects of not attending to perpetual stress in one’s life. Things like high blood pressure, lowered immune response to adversity in the immune system and muscle tension are some of the results of stress that contribute to the body’s decline.  Due to most of us having busy stressful lives and operating daily in high intensity environments, forest bathing can really be described as essential to the livelihood of most humans and is even being prescribed in Japan as treatment. As Dr. Li furthers his research into this practice, whose origins go back into the 1980s, he continues to make increasing developments into the benefits of forest bathing and is continuously documenting its amazing effects on numerous people in Japan. With his book, “ Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness”, he goes on to promote the natural, mental and physical benefits of forest bathing and works to spread the news extensively.

Overall, it’s pretty much a widely accepted view that spending time outdoors in nature definitely promotes a better You. And now, with Dr. Li being instrumental in sharing with the world the rewards of  shinrin yoku, the evidence is clear that being outside amongst the trees and colors and sounds of the forests and nature are good for your health. So nevermind that apple a day, well, still eat the apple, cause it helps too, lol. However, that conscious walk each day, engaging all of your senses in the essence of the trees and forests around you could not only help us live longer fuller lives but also assist in uplifting the spirit of the world.