I take my nature baths regularly. You may be imagining me in a bathing suit jumping into a lake, but that’s not exactly what I mean.
One of my staple rituals is to take a weekly walk or go for a run on forested trails. Even if I start my walk sad, stressed, or sifting through a host of other emotions, I always feel like I leave whole and at peace. There’s something about the sounds of nature, the fresh air, and the trees that just brings me back to life.
Well it turns out, there is science behind it that suggests that exposure to nature can have remarkable benefits on human health. Not only can regular time in natural environments promote positive emotions, lower stress levels, improve working memory and increase feeling of being alive it also has been associated with increasing physical and mental energy, and accelerating the healing process when disease is present in the body.
The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture jumped on nature bathing full force in the 1990s when they coined the term Shinrin-yoku, which literally means forest bathing! Some researchers say that the health benefits of forest bathing may be attributed to organic compounds called phytoncides that are given off by plants and allow those who breathe them in to achieve a more relaxed state. Others say benefits may come from the pure wonder and awe one feels when immersed in nature.
Although the reasons are not necessarily definitive, we do know that taking a bath in nature is a good thing. So leave your bath salts and swimming trunks at home, grab your trail sneakers and a jacket, and try to find some time to hit a trail. Your health, mind, body and spirit will say thank you. –XO