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Walking through a bamboo forest in Arashiyama, Kyoto

Shinrin-Yoku (森林浴) or “Forest bathing” can be defined as taking in a forest’s atmosphere with the intentions of practicing holistic health and/ or improving ones physical and mental well-being.[1] This commonly includes, but is not limited to, meditating in a natural setting, walking through natural paths without urban distractions (cell phones, tablets etc.), or participating in other hobbies such as sketching or writing while in a forested area. The practice originated and is most widely practiced in Japan, and has since gained traction in international heath communities in North America[2], the United Kingdom[3], Australia[4], China[5] (sēnlínyù (森林浴) in Mandarin), and Korea[6] (sanlimyok (산림욕) in Korean).

Shinrin Yoku Samurai 侍

A forest-bathing trip often involves visiting a forest for relaxation and recreation during which participants inhale volatile substances called phytoncides (wood essential oils). These antimicrobial volatile organic compounds derived from trees, such as α-Pinene and limonene are believed to be the primary source of the mental and physical health benefits attributed to “forest bathing.

Formal studies in Japan have aimed to measure changes in immune markers and stress hormones in people who regularly visited and/or walked through specific forests in Japan. Additional studies have aimed to demonstrate that people suffering from diabetes found that forest bathing provided substantial benefits by lowering blood glucose levels without the additional injection of insulin[7].

Condensed History

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The origin of the “forest bathing” concept is often contested. The first formal recognition of ‘Shinrin-Yoku”, however, appears in Japan’s 1982 National Public Health Program when the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) first coined the term to help promote “time in nature” as a form of therapy.[8] This recommendation was also intended to help combat Karōshi (overwork death), a growing medical concern at the time caused by stress and starvation. Since it’s initial promotion, it has become a recognized relaxation and stress management activity in Japan. It's prevalence prompting an increasing number of studies focusing on the mental and physical health benefits of “forest bathing” and/or the detrimental affects of human isolation from natural spaces. These studies have primarily been undertaken in an effort to specify and quantify the qualitative health benefits stated by participants.

As the practice became a formalized section of the Japanese’s government’s recommendations for a “good life”, it began to spread to neighbouring states that were also observing an increasing number of deaths associated with overwork including South Korea [gwarosa (과로사/過勞死)] and China [guolaosi (Traditional:過勞死 Simplified:过劳死)].

As an increasing number of studies demonstrating the benefits of Shinrin-Yoku are completed, the number of Western holistic health practitioners showing an interest in incorporating forest bathing into their practices is growing. This trend is most evident in North America[2], the United Kingdom[3], and Australia[4] where the number of forest bathing guides has been readily increasing annually. For more information on location specific tours or to find an expansive list of registered guides guests can visit can visit the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy’s website. There are also an increasing number of resources narrated/ written in English on the market and online that target a Western audience.

Psychological effect

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Forest environments have also been found to be advantageous with respect to acute emotions, especially among those experiencing chronic stress.[9] These results align with the aforementioned studies that found greater expanses of time spent in natural settings can reduce cortisol levels in participant’s endocrine systems.[7][9] Healthy adults participating in Shinrin-Yoku have also demonstrated significant drops in hostility and depression after a session, and have shown increased psychological and physiological liveliness.[10]

There is also a growing number of studies directly demonstrating the impacts forest bathing, or interaction with natural settings more generally, have on children. The surrounding impacts can be referred to as “Nature Deficit Disorder” (NDD), a term originally coined in Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods” (2008). While the term has not been directly integrated into the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems has been used to describe the increasing negative impacts a lack of direct contact with nature and unstructured free play children as they are increasingly deprived of time spent outdoors.[11] Studies show children that spend decreased amounts of time in natural settings are not only more likely to experience childhood obesity, but are slower to develop critical thinking skills, have more difficulty focusing, have higher rates of diagnosed stress and anxiety, may have a more difficult time connecting to others, and are more likely to be diagnosed with depression in their later years of life.[11][12][13]

General benefits of being outdoors in nature

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Forest bathing fits in the more general recognition that there are benefits from being outdoors in nature.[14][15][16] These concepts are intrinsically related to the greater concept of an ecosystem approach to human health, which focuses on holistic, proactive well-being rather than “end of life” reactive care.[17]

Western healthcare in it’s current accepted is widely accepted to focus on reactive treatment and care that is concentrated in the least 6-12 months of an individual’s life, and it heavily focused on pharmaceuticals. [18][19] Many instructors and participants of Shinrin-Yoku believe that healthcare as a whole could be more effective and efficient if it shifted to these more holistic approaches that focus on mental, emotional, and physical well-being. These practices have been deemed pseudoscience in the past, however, in recent years a growing number of modern health practitioners are suggesting holistic, proactive approaches to health, deemed ecohealth, are going to be the future of health and well-being.[17][18][19]

Further reading

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  • Li, Q; Morimoto, K; Nakadai, A; Inagaki, H; Katsumata, M; Shimizu, T; Hirata, Y; Hirata, K; Suzuki, H (2007). "Forest bathing enhances human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins". International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology. 20 (2 Suppl 2): 3–8. PMID 17903349.
  • Li, Q; Morimoto, K; Kobayashi, M; Inagaki, H; Katsumata, M; Hirata, Y; Hirata, K; Suzuki, H; Li, YJ (2008). "Visiting a forest, but not a city, increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins". International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology. 21 (1): 117–27. PMID 18336737.
  • Li, Q; Morimoto, K; Kobayashi, M; Inagaki, H; Katsumata, M; Hirata, Y; Hirata, K; Shimizu, T; Li, YJ (2008). "A forest bathing trip increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins in female subjects". Journal of biological regulators and homeostatic agents. 22 (1): 45–55. PMID 18394317.
  • Li, Qing (2009). "Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function". Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 15 (1): 9–17. doi:10.1007/s12199-008-0068-3. PMC 2793341. PMID 19568839.
  • Li, Q; Kobayashi, M; Wakayama, Y; Inagaki, H; Katsumata, M; Hirata, Y; Hirata, K; Shimizu, T; Kawada, T (2009). "Effect of phytoncide from trees on human natural killer cell function". International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology. 22 (4): 951–9. PMID 20074458.
  • Park, Bum Jin; Yuko Tsunetsugu; Tamami Kasetani; Takahide Kagawa; Yoshifumi Miyazaki (2 May 2010). "The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan". Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 15 (1): 18–26. doi:10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9. PMC 2793346. PMID 19568835.

References

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  1. ^ Tsunetsugu, Yuko; Park, Bum-Jin; Miyazaki, Yoshifumi (2010-1). "Trends in research related to "Shinrin-yoku" (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing) in Japan". Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 15 (1): 27–37. doi:10.1007/s12199-009-0091-z. ISSN 1342-078X. PMC 2793347. PMID 19585091. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: PMC format (link)
  2. ^ a b Kim, Meeri (2016-05-17). "'Forest bathing' is latest fitness trend to hit U.S. — 'Where yoga was 30 years ago'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
  3. ^ a b "Where to go 'forest bathing' in the UK". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
  4. ^ a b "Have you ever taken a bath in a forest?". ABC News. 2017-06-18. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
  5. ^ Mao, Gen Xiang; Lan, Xiao Guang; Cao, Yong Bao; Chen, Zhuo Mei; He, Zhi Hua; Lv, Yuan Dong; Wang, Ya Zhen; Hu, Xi Lian; Wang, Guo Fu (June 2012). "Effects of short-term forest bathing on human health in a broad-leaved evergreen forest in Zhejiang Province, China". Biomedical and environmental sciences: BES. 25 (3): 317–324. doi:10.3967/0895-3988.2012.03.010. ISSN 0895-3988. PMID 22840583.
  6. ^ Lee; Insook; Bang; Kyung-Sook; Kim; Sungjae; Choi; Heeseung; Lee (2016/6). "Effect of Forest Program on Atopic Dermatitis in Children - A Systematic Review -". Journal of the Korean Institute of Forest Recreation (in Korean). 20 (2). ISSN 1226-5519. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b Ryan, Richard M.; Weinstein, Netta; Bernstein, Jessey; Brown, Kirk Warren; Mistretta, Louis; Gagné, Marylène (2010-06-01). "Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature". Journal of Environmental Psychology. 30 (2): 159–168. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.10.009.
  8. ^ Hansen, Margaret M.; Jones, Reo; Tocchini, Kirsten (2017-8). "Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 14 (8). doi:10.3390/ijerph14080851. ISSN 1661-7827. PMC 5580555. PMID 28788101. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: PMC format (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  9. ^ a b Ryan, Richard M.; Weinstein, Netta; Bernstein, Jessey; Brown, Kirk Warren; Mistretta, Louis; Gagné, Marylène. "Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature". Journal of Environmental Psychology. 30 (2): 159–168. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.10.009.
  10. ^ Morita, E.; Fukuda, S.; Nagano, J.; Hamajima, N.; Yamamoto, H.; Iwai, Y.; Nakashima, T.; Ohira, H.; Shirakawa, T. (2007-01-01). "Psychological effects of forest environments on healthy adults: Shinrin-yoku (forest-air bathing, walking) as a possible method of stress reduction". Public Health. 121 (1): 54–63. doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2006.05.024.
  11. ^ a b Driessnack, Martha (2009-01-01). "Children and Nature-Deficit Disorder". Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing. 14 (1): 73–75. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6155.2009.00180.x. ISSN 1744-6155.
  12. ^ "Childrens Time Outdoors: Results and Implications of the National Kids Survey - ProQuest". search.proquest.com. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
  13. ^ Faber Taylor, Andrea; Kuo, Frances E. (2009-03-01). "Children With Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walk in the Park". Journal of Attention Disorders. 12 (5): 402–409. doi:10.1177/1087054708323000. ISSN 1087-0547.
  14. ^ Tyrväinen, Liisa; Ojala, Ann; Korpela, Kalevi; Lanki, Timo; Tsunetsugu, Yuko; Kagawa, Takahide. "The influence of urban green environments on stress relief measures: A field experiment". Journal of Environmental Psychology. 38: 1–9. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.12.005.
  15. ^ Bratman, Gregory N.; Daily, Gretchen C.; Levy, Benjamin J.; Gross, James J. "The benefits of nature experience: Improved affect and cognition". Landscape and Urban Planning. 138: 41–50. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.02.005.
  16. ^ Bratman, Gregory N.; Hamilton, J. Paul; Hahn, Kevin S.; Daily, Gretchen C.; Gross, James J. (2015-07-14). "Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (28): 8567–8572. doi:10.1073/pnas.1510459112. ISSN 0027-8424. PMID 26124129.
  17. ^ a b Asakura, Takashi; Mallee, Hein; Tomokawa, Sachi; Moji, Kazuhiko; Kobayashi, Jun (2015-02-16). "The ecosystem approach to health is a promising strategy in international development: lessons from Japan and Laos". Globalization and Health. 11. doi:10.1186/s12992-015-0093-0. ISSN 1744-8603. PMC 4340288. PMID 25880569.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  18. ^ a b "The end of medicine: The beginning of health". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
  19. ^ a b "Ecosystem Health: Prescribing a New Vision for the Future of Medicine". Alternatives Journal. 2005-08-01.
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