Spotlight on... FOREST BATHING
This holistic wellness practice has nothing to do with water
Forest bathing is the translation of the Japanese term shinrinyoku – shinrin meaning forest and yoku meaning bath. It is the wellness experience of soaking up the environment of the forest, using all five of your senses, says Mayumi Kataoka, certified forest therapy guide and nature photographer.
The aim of forest bathing is not to get your heart rate up and exercise like you might during a bushwalk, but rather to slow down and relax, explains Mayumi.
“Shinrin-yoku focuses on connecting with nature and feelings of relaxation instead of walking from point A to point B with the purpose of exercise,” she says.
“When you slow down, your sense of awareness opens up and you can engage more with nature.”
Shinrin-yoku originated in Japan in the 1980s. It was a government-led response to combat the negative effects of the tech boom that city dwellers were experiencing, such as depression, aches,
pains, fatal heart attacks and strokes.
“Japanese Professor Miyazaki, who has been studying shinrin-yoku, proposed the term ‘forest therapy’ to describe [it] in 2003,” says Mayumi.
“Since then, the word of forest therapy has spread to the world, and nowadays it can be considered a preventative medicine.”
THE BENEFITS
We know how good spending time outdoors in nature can make us feel. The sounds of birds, the expansive greenness and the fresh air seem to lift away all our stress and anxieties, returning us to a state of comfort. And it turns out, there is scientific proof to back this up.
Mayumi explains that scientists have been studying the physiological effects of nature on humans and our wellbeing since the 1990s. Data shows that forest bathing can lower stress levels, improve sleep quality, strengthen immunity and increase your sense of wellbeing. This happens due to the activation of your parasympathetic nervous system (“rest and digest”) and deactivation of your sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight”).
As for why we experience this? Well, Mayumi says it’s in our DNA.
“In ancient times, nature was our home. We lived and spent most of our time there,” she says.
“That memory is deeply embedded in our DNA. So when we return to nature, we intuitively feel at home, with a deep sense of peace and relaxation.”
“Forests produce a chemical called phytoncides which activate natural killer (NK) cells that improve our immune system and are known to fight disease in our bodies,” Mayumi adds.
There’s no denying these benefits are relevant now more than ever. Before COVID-19 it’s estimated Aussies spent 90 per cent of our time indoors. And since the multiple lockdowns experienced around the nation in recent times, it’s safe to assume this number has only risen as more people stay at home.
GOING GREEN
For those who have the time, spending an hour or two in nature will have a huge benefit. “When you go to a forest, walk slowly and focus on each sense,” says Mayumi. “What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you see? Do you notice a different colour of green from a different plant?
“Walk slowly with a mind of curiosity to discover things that you normally don’t see.”
If, like many of us, you live in a bustling city and can’t access a forest, Mayumi suggests having a plant or two at home.
“Looking after plants increases the sensation of ‘connection’ with nature,” she says. “Or simply take a walk to a park nearby and take off your shoes and feel the grass or soil underneath your feet. Having a direct contact with nature increases the physiological relaxation.”
Mayumi describes this as Mother Nature welcoming you home. “Once you are in nature, you will realise how much you missed your true home.”
So go on, it’s time to give your other mother a call!
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