Forest Bathing is the perception of the forest atmosphere through our senses. It connects us with nature and uses nature to help relieve stress and fatigue caused by work or life.
With the current lifestyle, for example in Bangkok, urban society makes us see only buildings, condominiums, townhomes, townhouses and office buildings popping up like mushrooms. On the other hand, green space has clearly decreased. Even though we have many large and small public parks, they still cannot replace the green space or the number of trees that have been lost.
With social and economic development, many people have flocked to the capital, working in tall office buildings, living with electronic devices and spending a lot of time online, causing them to be physically and mentally distant from nature. The result is a lack of life balance.
“Many people spend more time on social media than they sleep.”
Dr. Qing Li, a Japanese researcher, presented statistics from his research that by 2050, according to the United Nations Population Division, three-quarters of the population will live in cities instead of rural areas or remote provinces. Even now, for example, the average American spends 93 percent of their time at home, and while they are at home, they spend about 10 hours a day on social media. This fact shows that they spend more time on useless things than they do sleeping. That is where the search for a way to bring humans back to a balanced life comes from.
The beginning of forest bathing
Japan is a developed country, densely populated and densely forested. Two-thirds of the country’s land area is covered by trees. However, Japan has become the most crowded city in the world because most Japanese people choose to live and work in the city, choosing to live in a crowded and cramped environment. Green spaces in the city are reduced, leading to higher mental health problems such as loss of concentration, stress, depression, and various physical pains. The government now sees that these problems are becoming a major problem, so it launched a national program to support forest bathing in 1982.
Forest bathing is a Japanese therapy. It is not about going into the forest to exercise or go hiking or climbing. “Forest bathing” here means Shinrin-yoku, which is divided into Shinrin, meaning forest, and Yoku, meaning bath. Therefore, it is combined to mean “forest bathing”. Forest bathing is a method that helps connect us with nature through the five senses of sight, taste, smell, sound, and touch. It uses nature therapy to cleanse our thoughts and minds of stress, anxiety, and fatigue. It is considered a simple way to treat yourself in a short period of time, or you can invite others to do it as a group, such as in your family or at work.
“More than 2.5 million people in Japan take a walk on forest trails each year to relieve stress and improve their health.”
Forest bathing is a slow walk in the forest that allows us to absorb the atmosphere through all our senses. After the forest bathing promotion program was launched, studies have found that forests and human health are interconnected. Medical students who were stressed out after camping in the forest found that it restored their physical and emotional health. Forest bathing has inspired researchers to explore the benefits of forests for human health and well-being.
“Wherever there are trees, we are healthier and happier.”
About 20 years ago, American biologist E.O. Wilson observed that humans have a strong connection to the natural world, meaning that being in nature has a positive effect on human health. After years of studying this subject, Qing Li found that spending time in the woods can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and anger. It also strengthens the body’s immune system and improves cardiovascular and metabolic health, all of which improves overall well-being.
“We sleep better when we spend time in the woods, even if we don’t exercise more.”
A study by Dr. Qing Li found that forest bathing can improve sleep among middle-aged office workers living in Tokyo who have trouble sleeping due to high levels of stress from work or school. The volunteers who participated in the study went for a walk in the forest for the same amount of time as they would normally work in the city. The results showed that they had significantly lower levels of stress and anxiety, and they were able to sleep easier and longer. They also found that walking in the afternoon was more beneficial than walking in the morning.
“What we have to do is accept nature’s invitation and let nature take its course.”
Forest bathing is a science that can help treat nature deprivation that can be done easily. The method is simple and here are the steps we need to do when forest bathing.
- Find a place: Finding a good nature spot depends on where you live. You don’t have to travel deep into the woods to find the best spots. Just look for green spaces. This could be a city park, a nature reserve, or a suburban forest trail.
Dr. Qing Li suggests that our bodies determine where we should go. Some people respond to open spaces, some respond to open spaces. Listen to the needs that our bodies are trying to communicate. For those who are not comfortable traveling into the forest or cannot leave their homes, for whatever reason, they can still have a simple forest bath at home by mixing essential oils from trees in our homes, which is sufficient.
- Attract all our senses: Allow the body to absorb nature in every part of us, be it our ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet. Listen, smell, touch and look around with interest. Allow yourself to immerse yourself in the scent of the forest and enter into bliss and peace.
- Don’t Rush: Forest bathing doesn’t have to be rushed to finish. Take it slow and absorb the forest. The longer you spend, the better it will be for you. You will notice positive results after about 20 minutes of forest bathing. However, a good forest bath should last longer than 4 hours for best results.
- Try different activities: While forest bathing, we should try different activities together such as forest yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, picnic, writing or studying different trees. We can do this adventure alone or with friends.
- Soak up the silence: Of course, living in a city is one of the unavoidable drawbacks of all. If we’re lucky, we can find areas of forest that are free of man-made noise. Silence is revitalizing and forests have healing sounds. Take some time to listen to the rustling of leaves, water drops, birds chirping, or just spend some quiet time with your favorite tree. When we connect with nature, we are reminded that we are part of a bigger picture, and that makes us less selfish and more considerate of others.
Benefits that everyone can get from forest bathing
A study by Dr. Qing Li’s team at Nippon Medical School found that 50% of the positive effects of forest bathing come from the chemistry of the forest air, such as the higher amount of oxygen in the air. Most importantly, trees can release chemicals that help us fight off diseases, which can greatly boost our immune systems.
And now, there are many research studies from Japan that have proven that forest bathing has many health benefits for people, such as reducing blood pressure, reducing stress, improving heart health, blood vessels and metabolism, helping with weight loss, reducing blood sugar levels, improving memory, reducing depression, increasing the production of cancer-fighting proteins, restoring energy, and increasing immunity by increasing the body’s natural cell count, etc.
Conclusion
Forest bathing is a great option for people living in cities. Some of us look at screens like computers, tablets, and smartphones more than our family. We are entering nature deprivation mode without even realizing it. Focusing on stress-relieving activities away from the source of our stress, such as screens, will not really help us.
Spending a little time in nature through forest bathing can have a positive impact on our health in many ways. As little as 3-4 hours of forest bathing allows us to unplug from technology and enter a moment of de-stressing and relaxation. When we connect with nature through our five senses, we begin to reap the many benefits that nature has to offer us.
The idea of forest bathing is not only to help people in the city heal and give them excellent health. Another purpose of forest bathing is to make them aware of the importance of nature. They will feel value, love and cherish their nature. They will be more likely to want to protect and take care of the forest after receiving satisfactory results from forest bathing.
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