Category: Forest Bathing Science

December 16, 2020

Forest Bathing for Anxiety

*Portions of Forest Bathing for Anxiety were originally published on ForestTherapyToday.com, which no longer exists.

I don’t know about you, but I can feel the collective anxiety right now.

As an empath and already anxious person, it seems to viscerally seep in through my pores.

I tend to internalize it.

So, I’ve had to learn how to manage the nervousness in natural ways.

Forest bathing is one of my favorite ways to combat stress. And it’s so effective!

Studies have established the therapeutic benefits of nature for mental health, which I’ll share with you below.

Forest bathing is the perfect marriage of nature therapy and mindfulness for anxiety.

So, let’s look at how forest bathing can help you if you have anxiety, based on science and personal experience.

The Science of Forest Bathing for Anxiety

If you’re familiar with forest bathing, you know the practice of forest bathing involves awareness of the forest using all the senses.

So, at least two major known therapeutic elements come into play when you forest bathe: mindfulness and nature exposure.

Mindfulness

First, the element of mindfulness is built into forest bathing. Mindfulness is about tuning into only the present moment as you take the environment in with each sense.

By paying close attention to what’s going on around you, you stop the vicious cycle of negative and ruminative thought patterns that perpetuate anxiety. There’s not much room left over for brooding when you’re concentrating on the details surrounding you.

Key findings from research: A review of 39 studies and 1,140 participants found that “mindfulness-based therapy is a promising intervention for treating anxiety and mood problems.”

Therapists often incorporate mindfulness practice into their treatment protocol for anxiety. Since forest bathing involves the benefits of mindfulness, it also provides relief from stress and worry.

Nature exposure

Second, exposure to nature, greenery, and forests, enhances mood and lowers markers of stress. It relaxes the vicious rumination cycle, has a pronounced relaxing effect, and increases a bunch of positive emotions.

Key findings from the research: Participants who went forest bathing in 24 forests across Japan enjoyed lowered cortisol levels, lowered blood pressure, slower heart rates, and lower sympathetic nervous system activity–all physiological signs of anxiety!

Just the sight of the color green, the smell of tree essential oils, or the sounds of nature can calm the nervous system. You put all these effects together, and you have a great source of stress relief.

I mean, the entire field of ecotherapy is built around the therapeutic benefits of being in nature. Forest bathing is a form of ecotherapy that provides emotional and mental health benefits.

Forest bathing is the perfect therapeutic mixture of nature exposure and mindfulness.

[Related reading: Check out this page for all the studies about the benefits of forest bathing.]

Personal experience

I’ve had my own lifelong relationship with anxiety. I’d describe it as a long-lost cousin that’s related to me and co-exists in the world with me, but doesn’t interact with me very often and I forget he’s there most of the time.

Part of the reason it’s not prevalent most of the time is because I take daily actions to keep it suppressed and manageable. One of those things? Ah, you guessed it. Forest bathing.

Now, first off, let me just say, forest bathing isn’t a “cure” for anxiety. Anxiety requires daily ongoing maintenance and forest bathing is one tool that can be incorporated into the repertoire. (Along with pharmaceuticals, CBD, meditation, relaxation, and more).

I’m no doctor or therapist. I’m just a girl who has a distant cousin named Anxiety that knocks at the front door unexpectedly from time to time.

I can spout out all the different studies and measurable effects of forest bathing like above, but it doesn’t fully explain the feelings shinrin-yoku invokes, does it?

Think about how you feel after spending time outdoors.

We might not know how all the science works at a fundamental level, but you can feel it, right?

It relaxes, yes, but not just the muscles. It relaxes the mind, body, and thought patterns. It captures attention and releases you in a way that TV, reading, and other engrossing indoor activities can’t.

I can tell you that forest bathing makes me “feel” different. I can be tied in knots at home or work. But, the moment I step into the woods, some other mechanism takes over and smothers the anxiety.

I see the same in my kids. Even when they were tiny newborns, they could be crying all day, and the moment we stepped outside with them, they were fine. Instantly.

That response to nature is likely buried in our DNA from our ancestors.

I can tell you that a routine forest bathing practice is far more powerful than simply meditation or mindfulness alone. The addition of nature exposure takes the benefits of meditation and mindfulness up a notch, or six.

I usually return home from a forest bathing experience changed. As in, my disposition changes, my feelings about my troubles changes, my sense of livelihood changes.

As though an entirely new sense of tranquility and okay-ness has washed over me.

Do you feel that too?

I don’t always have the right words for it.

And that’s probably the best place to leave you. With your own thoughts. With your own considerations, where the words end…

I hope this article has given you a new appreciation for forest bathing as an anti-anxiety tool. If you have anxiety, you too know that anxiety management is an ongoing process and requires you to be kind to yourself daily.

How about you?

Do you use forest bathing for anxiety? How has it helped?

October 30, 2020

Sound Bathing + Forest Bathing

*This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through the link, I make a small commission to keep this platform running. The cost to you doesn’t change, and I appreciate the support.

Sound bathing is the perfect complement to forest bathing.

Both practices are therapeutic in nature and work synergistically to change the entire energy state of your body.

The same way greenscapes can change your mood, certain musical notes can change your brainwaves. Think about this: You walk out of the forest and the concert hall feeling different than when you went in.

The same mechanisms are at work here.

There’s a lot of science behind both sound bathing and forest bathing that comingle.

We’ll talk about those next.

(And some things just make more sense outside the science lab.)

Sound and forest bathing just fit nicely together. They create a pleasant, nourishing experience.

Benefits of forest bathing

We have an entire page dedicated to the (known and measured) benefits of forest bathing. From mood to productivity, shinrin-yoku can give you major physical and psychological boosts.

Some of the major benefits include:

Reduces stress
Improves attention, memory, and focus
Leads to more positive emotions and lessens negative ones
Improves immune function
Anti-cancer protein production
Makes you feel more alive!

If you’re a nature lover, you just sort of intuitively know the intrinsic value of being in nature. You don’t need studies to tell you. But science is starting to unravel a deeper picture here.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what else research uncovers about the forest!

Benefits of sound therapy

In the same way, certain sounds seems to have a beneficial effect on the body. Data is starting to build around the effects of sound therapy as well.

Binaural beats are kind of a buzzword right now. Certain tones can change your brainwaves and help you get into the right headspace for certain tasks. Some help you concentrate, some energize your body, and some help you fall asleep.

Cool research findings are also showing that sound therapy can help with:

Some of the benefits are similar to the benefits of forest bathing. And actually, nature sounds are therapeutic in and of themselves too. The sounds of critters and wind through the trees have a more relaxing quality than meditation apps.

Forest and sound bathing have a rich medicinal synchronicity.

Both practices soothe our souls.

And I don’t know about you, but I want more of that^^^^

[For further reading, this article has a cool explanation about the Solfeggio Frequencies and this article goes deeper into music as medicine.]

So, let’s talk more about how to bring both practices together.

How to incorporate sound therapy with forest bathing

As you’ve read, the sounds of nature have an inherent therapeutic effect. So simply sitting among and becoming aware of the sounds of nature while you’re forest bathing gives you those benefits automatically.

But, you can also take a sound bath along with your forest bath.

You can take singing bowls, a flute, drums, or a finger piano along with you to the forest.

I recently grabbed a mini steel tongue drum from Amazon that came with a carrying case. It’s the perfect size to take into the forest for a little mesmerizing riff.

Here’s a short video about that.

You can incorporate music into your opening or closing ceremony or into your forest bathing practice itself.

Some other ideas for incorporating music include:

Striking a note during your threshold exercise to signify entering the forest
Playing a tune during your sensory work, adding an auditory layer to your sense of hearing
Signaling your companions to come back together after group sessions
Integrating music into your closing ceremony

However you use it, use music in a way that brings more joy to your life.

I love bringing integrating the artistries of haiku, poetry, cacao, music, journaling, and dance with forest bathing. These beautiful practices enrich one another and enliven your spirit, which is what it’s all about!

I want to know…

What is your experience with sound therapy? When have you felt the impact of music completely change your state of mind?

March 31, 2020

Forest Bathing During Pandemic

Welp, I’m sure everything you’ve read lately has had something to do with coronavirus.

And here I am bringing it up again.

But I don’t feel right just starting a post right now without acknowledging it, since it’s consuming our lives right now. I can’t just ignore it.

And this widespread disturbance is more reason than ever to advocate the benefits of nature when it’s so good for everyone’s wellbeing right now!

So, that’s what I’m doing here. Because this platform is dedicated to being a source of forest bathing inspiration.

What better time than now?

So, let’s talk about one of the biggest benefits of forest bathing that can actually help your fight against coronavirus (well, not as much as social distancing and proper handwashing technique, but you get it…)

It’s freaking amazing for your immune system!

Immune Benefits of Forest Bathing

One of the most relevant benefits of forest bathing is its immune-boosting properties.

Study after study shows a boost in immune cells after visiting the woods.

I don’t know about you, but I’m doing everything I can to galvanize my immune system against sickness. And getting outside when I can is one of them.

I’ve also stocked up on my favorite herbal antiviral and am taking other vitamins and eating vitamin-C rich foods every day.

Although we all feel like we’re just sitting here waiting for the virus to either happen or pass, we can still take measure to protect ourselves.

Forest bathing does your immune system a nice favor.

It’s also helpful for reducing the anxieties you may feel around this pandemic.

Safe Practices for Social Distancing

Okay, so social distancing seems to be proving most effective in this pandemic. No doubt.

But, social distancing doesn’t mean you have to isolate yourself inside your house. Unless you live in a location where you’re actually not supposed to leave your house.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds rather…claustrophobic and lonely.

Yes, we have to stay 6 feet away from other people, but no one said we can’t go outside.

Nature is a safe place to counteract the stir-crazies when you’re shut in.

My family and I have found quite the relief in spending as much time outside as we can, when weather allows.

Even if it means sitting on your front stoop or propping your back on a tree in your yard, forest bathing provides welcome relief from all these days in isolation.

Educational Opportunities in the Forest

If you live in the US, your kids are likely at home, doing remote learning right now.

We’re all realizing why we didn’t become teachers in the first place. (Except the actual teachers, God bless you!)

But we have to. Our kids education is in our hands right now.

And forest bathing provides a wonderful educational opportunity for your kids.

You can homeschool your kids with nature science, physical fitness, and so much more outdoors.

Here are a some ways to turn the outdoors into an educational opportunity:

Art:
- Create mandalas
- Decorate a walking stick
- Weave with bits of nature
- Create bark or leaf rubbings
- Sketch trees
Gym:
- Create an outdoor obstacle course
- Take walks or hikes
- Climb trees
- Do some stretches with a tree
Science:
- Grab some nature bits and look at them under a microscope
- Start your garden from seed
- Learn about the phases of a tree, and go check out all the new buds
- Study tree rings
- Start a nature journal
Math
- Create a scavenger hunt with multiple items (5 acorns, 16 pine needles, etc)
- Use bits of nature to practice counting
Music
- Grab a bunch of recyclables and pans and start an outdoor band (or create this sweet drum set)
- Tap out the rhythms of bird calls
- Grab a speaker and dance outside
Reading/literacy
- Do your daily reading time outside, under a tree

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A post shared by Jessica Collins (@jess_flashfit) on Dec 1, 2016 at 3:49pm PST

Priority Re-evaluation

Right now, while we’re surrounded by our families and the pace of the world has slowed down, we’ve all been given an opportunity to reevaluate what’s most important to us.

Obviously our senses of stability have been shaken to the core (with lost jobs, economical crisis, supply shortages, and whatnot), but we’ve also come face-to-face with what matters most: our health, our families, our contributions, and our inextricable connections to the world at large.

How clearly we can all see how much we rely upon one another.

It’s important to stop and reflect on these things.

Now more than ever, I can feel the importance of honoring and protecting nature and reducing waste, among so many other things.

And now, more than ever, do we have the time and space available to do all those things we’ve been meaning to do.

Like re-painting and decluttering every room in your house…

…finger painting with the kids,

…and forest bathing.

I don’t mean to downplay the seriousness of this crisis, but we can choose to spend our time in responsible, life-enhancing ways rather than in fear.

And forest bathing happens to be one of the ways that helps me feel grounded, safe, and interconnected. It really does improve my life, even in the darkest times.

If you’re interested in shinrin-yoku but you haven’t tried it yet, I encourage you to at least try your first exercise. See what it’s all about.

Forest bathing during pandemic is one of the most healthy, productive things you can do right now.

Have you seen that post on Facebook about all the amazing ways nature has been regenerating itself as humans pull back for a little while?

Air pollution and smog levels have gone way down
The canals of Venice are crystal clear, with swans
Dolphins are moving closer to shore

Nature knows what to do.

There’s still beauty out there to be had! Go, take your kids on a walk through the forest today.

I’m sincerely wishing you all health, vitality, and wellbeing as we navigate this uncharted territory together.

From my roots to yours,

~Jess

June 21, 2018

The Health Benefits of Grounding and Negative Ions

Why the heck am I talking about grounding and negative ions on a forest bathing site?

Stay with me, here.

I promise, it’s relevant and fascinating!

By the end of this article you’ll understand how negative ions affect your health and wellbeing and how to cultivate them.

You’ll also have the indelible urge to kick your shoes off and walk through your yard.

Hopefully…;)

So, before we go any further, let’s break down the science of matter, ions, and grounding. A little middle school chemistry and physics lesson. It will help you understand this so much better.

Let me just tell you, I’m a huge skeptic when it comes to pseudoscience-y type stuff. I’ve been known to scoff at salt lamps and crystals.

Grounding though?

Completely rooted in science.

If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be here.

The Science of Charged Particles

Like you learned in school, everything on earth is made up of matter.

All matter consists of atoms, which consist of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

If an atom has more protons than electrons, it has a positive charge.

Now, even though we tend to appreciate positivity in an emotional sense, when it comes to atoms and our health, negative is actually better.

Negatively charged particles abound on the earth’s surface, and you can get negative electrons by planting your feet on the earth.

Everyday items that emit a positive charge, on the other hand, include cell phones, televisions, pollution, and Wifi.

High concentrations of positive ions are actually detrimental to your health.

You can remove any charged state by grounding.

Grounding your feet is the same process as grounding a gasoline tank to keep it from exploding.

The only way to ensure electrostatic energy (static) doesn’t explode the gas is to connect it to the earth and neutralize the charge.

You can change your own charge by getting a transfer of electrons from the earth too.

The human body, when connected to the ground, creates a closed circuit for energy transfer.

The earth literally supplies you with electrons to neutralize your charge.

So, does your charge really have any effect on your health?

According to science, it totally does!

The Health Benefits of Grounding

Earthing, or grounding with your feet, has significant research-backed scientific benefits. Don’t take it from me, take it from the research on the benefits of grounding. Essentially, negative ions are antioxidants; they neutralize oxidants, or free radicals. They allow your body to achieve equilibrium or homeostasis at a cellular level.

Negative ions:

Reduce inflammation, which contributes to chronic disease
Improved sleep
Reduced cortisol levels
Relieve pain
Faster healing
Calms the sympathetic nervous system

I don’t even like to limit these amazing benefits to bullet points, but for the sake of readability, I will. We could go into depth about each one of those! They’re not just a side note, they’re the headlines!

As the study authors state, the Earth’s surface is “the ‘battery’ for all planetary life.”

Another study of the effects of earthing indicates how “earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity.”

Real scientific proof that we need to reconnect with the earth.

Best Ways to Neutralize Your Charge

So, just like you exercise and eat healthy, you should get your negative ion infusion every day.

Your morning routine is a great time to practice earthing. My personal morning routine consists of spiritual time, journaling, personal development, and now grounding.

Shoes are an insulatory shield against the negative ions, so kick ’em off.

According to my research, the areas with the best saturation of negative ions is near water, grass, or sand.

To get the most effective dose of negative ions:

Walk in bare feet in wet grass, either after it rains or in the morning dew
Walk in the sand along the shoreline
Use a humidifier or diffuser to take the static (positive ions) out of the air
Use a Himalayan salt lamp

Doesn’t that sound rather spa-like?

You can now add grounding to your list of benefits of forest or nature bathing. Next time you’re in the forest or out on your back lawn, kick off your shoes and let nature have access to your body.

I was going to say, “hey, try this, it couldn’t hurt,” but I think that would belittle this entire article and all the science behind it.

No, I think you should definitely try it! And I think it definitely helps!

If you’d like to learn more about grounding and negative ions, check out these resources:

More earthing resources

*For a full list of earthing studies (to prove its benefits), check out these resources from the Earthing Institute.

If you’re a visual person, these thermal images show pain reduction after grounding in real time.

And if you’re a total science nerd like me, or still a skeptic, you can even check your own voltage with a voltmeter before and after earthing.

Try this ASMR foot friction exercise to get your daily dose of grounding and negative ions.

What do you think?

June 8, 2017

Forest Bathing Studies: Why You Need To Start Today!

Note: I will keep adding to this library of forest bathing studies as I come across more research, so make sure to check back! Feel free to make suggestions too!

When I first learned about shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, I was skeptical.

I knew there was something about nature that helped the world make sense.

But I kinda thought forest bathing was some kind of woo-woo thing one might scoff at.

But then I saw the evidence as I dug deeper.

I guess I didn’t really need evidence, intuition was enough to tell me that nature is restorative, but I’m a person who likes evidence.

If you are too, take a read through these studies that show that forest bathing, or nature bathing in general, is really powerful for the mind and body.

Forest Bathing Studies:

Proof that Nature Bathing is Good For You!

Emotional and Mental Health Benefits of Forest Bathing

This NEW German study shows 1hr in nature decreases amygdala activity, calming the emotional responses of fear and fight or flight.

This Netherlands study showed that green spaces helped intercept stress.

Another study in the US showed similar effects on stress reduction.

The sounds of nature help with relaxation more than meditation apps.

Nature sounds relax our bodies from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest mode.

Even simulated forest environments with wood smells and sensations and forest sounds create a relaxation effect.

This study shows that negative emotions like sadness and anger were reduced after spending time in natural environments.

Research suggests that spending time in nature improves attention.

Researchers second that getting outside improves memory and focus, even in the dead of winter.

This study shows that forest settings create more positive emotions and heightened attention than urban settings.

This set of studies shows that forest bathing reduces cortisol levels, lowers pulse rate, lowers blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activation, and less sympathetic nerve activation. In other words, forest bathing reduces all the symptoms of anxiety.

Self-discipline is higher for inner city children exposed to green landscapes.

Self-esteem and mood improve after just 5 minutes in a green natural space.

This study shows that children with attention deficit experience better concentration after walking through a park.

Forest bathing has been shown to reduce hostility and depression and increase liveliness.

Yep, it definitely makes you feel more alive!

Forest bathers enjoy less rumination, a marker of mental illness. Urbanization seems to correlate with higher mental illness rates, so the antidote seems to be more exposure to nature.

Forest environments have a pronounced relaxing effect on the human body. Subjects of this study felt comfort, calm and refreshed after viewing or walking in a forest area.

Live plants and window views increase job satisfaction in the workplace. There’s a valid reason we all want the window view! And a valid reason for employers it to give us!

Natural environments make us more caring, autonomous, and generous.

Spending time with your kid in a natural environment improves your relationships with your children.

Physical Benefits of Shinrin-Yoku

Two hours a week (24 minutes a day) is the optimal amount of time to spend in nature for health benefits. (Hey, that’s just about as much time as you should spend exercising too–why not double up and work out outside for monster benefits?)

Exercising outdoors may help reduce migraines, notably migraines caused by exercise.

Forest bathing improves immune function, helping the body fight off bugs. The study showed that one trip to the forest created a month’s worth of immune system improvement. It seems that inhaling phytoncides, the forests natural aromatherapy, plays a part in this immune response. You can also read more here.

A newer study shows the psychological and physiological benefits of forest bathing in bamboo forests. It appears to improve mood, increase oxygen levels, lower blood pressure, and increase immune function.

This set of studies recognizes the impact of forest bathing and natural environments on every one of our five senses. They studied each separately: touch, sound, sight, smell, and taste and found a positive effect with all of them. It pays to engage all five senses in your practice.

Those NK cells that forest bathing produces not only improve immune function, but even produce anti-cancer proteins.

The correlation between forest coverage and cancer death seems to indicate that people living in forest areas are less likely to die from some cancers.

If you get outside in the morning, the light helps re-calibrate your circadian rhythm, which is responsible for metabolism and energy, and may even help you lose weight.

Forest bathing improves cognitive function, including working memory. This study also confirms again the stress reduction provided by green landscapes.

If you weren’t convinced about that one, here’s another study showing it improves cognitive function and has a positive effect on depression.

Nature bathing makes you feel more alive!!!! Vitality and restoration. We can all use more of that!

Even just viewing a natural landscape from a hospital window helps patients recover from surgery!

This study shows the cardiovascular and metabolic benefits of walking in the forest.

One study shows that the more vegetation inner city occupants were exposed to, the lower levels of crime, aggression, and mental fatigue they experienced.

Along the same lines, the high vegetation that children in rural areas are exposed to seem to increase resilience to stress.

Diabetic patients experienced higher insulin sensitivity and lower blood glucose levels after walking in the forest.

Views of natural environments reduce cravings for food, cigarettes, and alcohol.

Time spent outdoors saves the world trillions of dollars in medical expenses.