Forest Bathing
Shinrin-yoku is a term that means “taking in the forest atmosphere” or “forest bathing.” It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. Researchers primarily in Japan and South Korea have established a robust body of scientific literature on the health benefits of spending time under the canopy of a living forest.
The idea is simple: if a person simply visits a natural area and walks in a relaxed way there are calming, rejuvenating, and restorative benefits to be achieved.
Just be with trees. No hiking, no counting steps on a Fitbit. You can sit or meander, but the point is to relax rather than accomplish anything. Don’t effort.
I subscribe whole-heartedly to this concept.
Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity for a forest bath (walk) in the woods of Ohio while visiting my daughter. I can definitively tell you, I feel better!
Learn more about the health benefits of forest bathing.
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