Being in the lap of any form of nature is a therapy in itself. Be it the view of snow-covered mountains , the thrill of waves hitting the sand, or the joy of being surrounded by the sounds of the forest.
A lot of people recharge by going on a social media detox, or taking a few days off from work, or even spending time in some reading nook of the house. But these rituals don’t even come close to the level of recharge one gets when they’re in the forest.
Forests are the ideal venue for many lesser-known wellness therapies that not only have mental health benefits, but also general health and skincare benefits. The best thing about these practices is that you could be just going about your plans normally, without realising that you’re doing them. It’s very unlike yoga or other exercises that require you to be in a certain position or focus.
Here are six wellness practices one could carry out while in the woods:
Shinrin-Yoku
Also known as forest bathing, this simple act of being among trees has been part of the national public health program for almost four decades in Japan.
More recently, the Japanese government spent 8 years and $4 million dollars looking into the physical and psychological benefits of forest bathing only to unveil more benefits provided by this humble practice. Studies discovered that human natural killer (NK) cells, a type of white blood cell associated with a healthy immune system, increased in individuals who spent time in the forest. Many trees and plants give off a type of natural essential oil called phytoncide–a secretion when inhaled has positive effects on the immune system.
In conclusion, without nerding it out, our bodies respond to this process better when we are not connected to the chaos of city with longest name life. Only then do we fully open ourselves up to build a hospitable environment for this practice.
Earthing
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