Forest bathing incorporates many of the benefits of meditation while getting us outdoors and in motion. In a study at the College of Landscape Architecture at Sichuan Agricultural University, 30 men and 30 women were given a route of the same length to walk in either a bamboo forest or an urban area. The researchers measured blood pressure as well as electrical activity in the brain using an EEG, and they found that, among those who walked the forest path, blood pressure was lowered significantly as attention and concentration improved. The people walking in nature reported less anxiety and a generally happier mood than the urban group. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and myriad other sources maintain that the simple act of intentional, attentive time with trees:
Decreases fatigueIncreases the ability to focus, even in children with ADHDSpeeds up recovery from surgery or illnessRegulates the endocrine (hormonal) systemEnhances the ability to relax and get a better night’s sleepIncreases energy
Forest bathing is an active process, not just a matter of being near trees as static objects. Many species, including pine, yew, hop hornbeam, and sugi, emit biochemicals called phytoncides, pungent essential oils with antimicrobial properties that interact with our central nervous system and have calming, anesthetic qualities. They have been proven to boost the trees’ health as well as our own immune systems. Earthing involves walking barefoot and connecting directly to the soil without the barrier of pavement or shoes. It is a matter of contact with our soil, our planet—of truly touching Earth. The science is still fairly new and limited on this subject, but studies have shown how the electrically conductive contact between human bodies and Earth’s surface seems to have an effect on health: It may diminish inflammation, enhance immunity and wound healing, and may also lessen pain by altering the numbers of circulating white blood cells (neutrophils and lymphocytes) affecting inflammation.
Practice Forest Bathing
You need only the most basic equipment: walking shoes and natural insect repellent. Leave your camera, your journal, and your guidebooks behind, and turn off your mobile devices. Forest bathing is about being, not analyzing. Adapted with permission from The Green Cure: How shinrin-yuku, earthing, going outside or simply opening a window can heal us, by Alice Peck, CICO Books, 2019
