It might sound hard to believe, but doing something as simple as taking a stroll in the woods, could drastically improve your health and wellbeing! For many of us, nature has been pushed out of our lives, but now forest bathing is becoming ever more popular in the world of alternative health, and there’s a good reason for it.
As bizarre as it may sound, once you get to grips with key the principles, it makes perfect sense. Otherwise known as forest therapy, it was knowingly practiced by our pagan ancestors many years ago. As with traditional mindfulness approaches, forest bathing involves spending reflective time to quieten the mind. Except with this method, you are outside in a woodland environment, bathing in the aromas of oil emitted from the trees and the positive energy fields of the plant life.
Forest bathing involves an outward focus on the beauty of nature observed through the five senses. Spending time amongst nature in such a way encourages outward attentional focus on the beauty of the forest. It has been proven to provide more instantaneous wellbeing benefits than say, practicing mindfulness in the more conventional way.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the city streets, you can be at one with yourself and nature. Switch off your phone to escape the constant bombardment of notifications, radiation, and negative energy patterns that emanate from technological and man sources.
Many of today’s pharmaceuticals wouldn’t have been produced without the aid of trees and plants. To mention a few; aspirin comes from willow bark, tea tree oil treats skin infection, and pine tree bark can protect against deep vein thrombosis.
Researchers have found that being in a green space can reduce stress levels and blood pressure within three minutes. Doctors now advocate the benefits of forest bathing and claim patients who suffer from anxiety and depression benefit more from participating in outdoor community projects than conventional medicine.
So next time you feel stressed or unwell, sit your back against the trunk of a tree, press your hands and feet to the ground and make a connection.
