Cool Facts of ‘Shinrin-Yoku’.
The sounds of the forest, the scent of the trees, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh, clean air — these things give us a sense of comfort. Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us. In Japan, they practice something called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest,” and yoku means “bath.” So shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses.
- It helps prevent cancer — creating for Fighting cells aka Natural Killer Cells)
Forest bathing has been shown to prevent or reduce the risk of cancer. Forest bathing increases the number and effectiveness of natural killer cells which are important for the fight against cancer. Plus, forest bathing provides both physical and mental health, aspects that are very important in prevention of any kind of disease. The forest also has a wide range of anti-inflammatory terpenes which protect vital organs such as the brain, kidney and liver from inflammation thus keeping it healthy. Terpene D-limonene is also known for its ability to fight against tumors. Research has also shown that it is effective in the fight against breast, intestines, colon, and pancreas cancers.
2. Reduces blood pressure.
Taking a long walk in the forest, forest bathing, while taking in the surrounding using ones senses has been seen to greatly reduce blood pressure. As compared to taking a walk in the city, forest bathing. For this reason, Forest Bathing is an effective medical phenomena that should be incorporated into the treatment of patients with hypertension.
3. Reduces your stress
Yoshifumi Miyazaki, a professor at Chiba University in Japan, has been researching the benefits of Forest Bathing since 2004 and has found that leisurely forest walks yield a 12.4 per cent decrease in the stress hormone, cortisol, compared with urban walks. Participants in his studies have also anecdotally reported better moods and lower anxiety.
4. Protection Against Obesity and Diabetes
Increased adiponectin is also inversely related to obesity and insulin resistance. The substance is secreted by fat cells and regulates our fat metabolism, glucose levels and weight gain. Forest bathing reduces blood glucose levels, even in diabetics. Diabetic patients did a forest bathe walk every eight months for six years. Even though their time spent forest bathing was very spaced out, their blood glucose levels still showed significant improvement.
