When someone first told me about “forest bathing” I looked at her with a stupefied face & could barely get out “say WHAT?” She told me it was “a Japanese thing” so I of course Googled it & lo & behold, forest bathing is a real thing. It is based on the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku, which translates to forest bathing or “taking in the forest.” The basic idea is that meandering through a forest has scientifically proven health benefits. Japan & Korea are so serious about this stuff, they supposedly cover it with medical insurance. I might just move to Osaka.
It seems to be trending in the US right now, so all you turmeric & Buddha bowl fans should jump on this right now!!!
Before you read further, I highly recommend reading this article first: “Forest Bathing: A Retreat To Nature Can Boost Immunity And Mood.” It explains forest bathing much better than I can & you’ll appreciate my post a lot more. Another good article is “Forest bathing is latest fitness trend to hit U.S. — Where yoga was 30 years ago.” AMEN! Finally, something I can do that doesn’t cost a fortune or require me to remain stationary in awkward positions. [Sorry to all my family & friends who love yoga…I see the health benefits, I just haven’t yet been converted].
I’ve got to commend the Japanese for taking something as passé as “walking in the forest” & re-branding it into this new, sexy, healthy way of living. I mean, who knew spending time outdoors could actually be GOOD for us!
Doctor, you’re telling me if I go walking in the forest it will increase my circulation & lower my blood pressure? That’s genius! Where can I sign up for a class?
All kidding aside, the marketing & trending element of all this may be easy to poke fun at, but the truth behind it is irrefutable. Spending time in nature IS good for us & there’s something unique about being surrounded by a quiet forest. You notice your body reacting the minute you step foot in one — your breathing changes, your senses heighten, your worries seem farther away. I’m glad that the US is trending something that actually IS good for us, but I must admit to being a little worried that someone sees a NEED to market this concept. It’s like the media suddenly saying “Just in! Repeated head trauma might cause health issues.” Shouldn’t that be common sense? But when you see organizations like the EPA saying that Americans spend an average of 90 percent of their time indoors, I guess there IS reason to be concerned.
I wonder if John Muir were alive, would he be proud of us with our “forest bathing” or would he be shaking his head thinking “SERIOUSLY?!”
But I guess it could always be worse. We could decide that cryogenics was de rigueur. Oh wait, that’s trending this year too!
