Recently, feeling the heaviness of the world, I decided I needed to get out of my own head. Living on Vancouver Island, in the Pacific Northwest, there is no shortage or parks and trails for me to explore. Places far away from civilization where I go to hear my own thoughts.
Today, however, I chose a trail in the heart of the city, one I'd heard of but never been to before. Hidden in a church parking lot, and sandwiched between two suburbs, I felt like I'd stumbled upon an unknown refuge. The further down the wooden stairs I went, the more the sound of traffic was replaced by babbling brooks and bird song.
I had found the peace I was looking for.
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku is a popular topic of discussion these days, and one that has been studied thoroughly for it's psychological and physiological effects. It is the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in the sensations of the forest, first coined only a few decades ago.
As a Recreation and Tourism student at university, it was something often discussed in our classes. We all knew the importance of getting away from dense urban spaces and back to nature, and our profs tried to get us out of the classroom setting when they could. It was instinctual. With over 55% of the global population now living in urban centers, however, I wonder if it is an instinct we are losing.
So without using flowery language, or waxing poetic about the babbling brooks and the bird song, let me break it down with cold hard facts.
In a study titled, "Effects of forest bathing trips on human immune function," Dr. Qing Li reviews studies that measured participants' NK cell (natural cancer-killing cells) levels, adrenaline levels and other stress hormone levels before, during and after forest bathing trips. They also measured these same levels during trips into urban environments.
While the review itself is quite lengthy, the results found that forest bathing resulted in heightened levels of NK cells, and lower levels of stress hormones in the body. What is more encouraging, these effects were observed for up to 30 days. The urban trips, by comparison, provided no such results.
I share this information in the hope people will begin to consider their own health and explore the natural spaces in their area. With the increased stress of urban living, it becomes ever-more important to protect or natural spaces as they, in turn, protect us.
Stay positive, my friends.
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