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FOREST BATHING “N


The Healing Power of a Walk in the Woods by Maggie Spilner


ature doesn’t bang any drums when she bursts forth into flowers, nor play any dirges when the trees let go of their leaves in the fall. But when we approach her in the right spirit, she has many secrets to share. If you haven’t heard nature whispering to you lately, now is a good time to give her the opportunity.”


~ Osho, in Osho Zen Tarot: the Transcendental Game of Zen


As we all innately know, spending time in nature is good for our body, mind and spirit. It’s why we’re attracted


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to green places, flowers, lakes, fresh air and sunshine. Taking a nature walk—affording plenty of fresh air and exercise in a quiet setting—has traditionally been prescribed for good health. That raises a question: How much natural healing are we sacrificing when we spend most of our days indoors? In Japan, a group of medical researchers and government- affiliated forest organizations support the creation of forest therapy centers, where people enjoy the trails and guided walks and also receive free medical checkups under the trees. Since 1984, they have been studying the health benefits of walking in the woods, termed shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. There are now more than 30 such officially designated sites. In related studies, scientists from Japan’s Nippon Medical School and Chiba University tracked positive physiological changes in individuals walking in the woods compared with city walkers. Early results were published in the International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharma- cology, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents. Forest walkers showed:


n Lower concentrations of salivary cortisol, known as the stress hormone


n Lower blood pressure and heart rate n Reduction of adrenaline and


noradrenalin, also stress-related hormones


n Increase in immunity-boosting natural killer (NK) cell activ- ity, and the numbers of NK cells and anti-cancer proteins known to combat cancer


Newest Findings


The researchers theorized that organic compounds called phytoncides, produced by trees and other plants as a protec- tion from disease, insects and fungus, were also producing beneficial natural killer cells in people in the forests. In a study that exposed participants to phytoncides via aromatic oils fed through a humidifier in a hotel room, the researchers found similar increases in NK levels.


A 2011 study by Nippon Medical School’s depart- ment of hygiene and public health showed that the resulting increase in NK cells lasted for 30 days. They concluded that a monthly walk in the woods could help people maintain a higher level of protective NK activity and perhaps even have


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