Forest Bathing for Stress Reduction and Immune Support

Forest bathing has been shown to have many health benefits including reductions in depression, anxiety, and anger; strengthening of the immune system; improved cardiovascular and metabolic functioning; lowering of blood pressure, and much more. However, today I’d like to focus on stress reduction and immune support, for a couple of reasons: 1.) Stress reduction and a healthy immune system affect all aspects of our health and wellbeing: 2.) It is one of my personal favorite means of stress management.

The idea of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, was first introduced by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 1982. Two-thirds of Japan is rural, yet the vast majority of its citizens live in urban areas. In the 1980’s it became clear that highly urbanized living was taking a toll on the stress levels and overall health of its population. Realizing that Japan’s rich forested lands were being underutilized, a plan was hatched. A national campaign was launched to promote forest bathing for improving one’s mental and physical health. Now, approximately 2.5 million people take advantage of those beautiful forests every year.

What is forest bathing and how does it work for stress reduction and immune support?

Forest bathing in its simplest form is, essentially, taking a stroll through the woods while engaging your senses. Listening to the rustling of the trees and the birds chirping, feeling the breeze on your skin, the sun on your face, touching the soft leaves of a nearby shrub, etc. Humans are made to live in nature, as we have done for the majority of our evolution. The nuanced sounds, sights, and sensations of being in nature have a calming effect on the mind and body. The modern disconnection from this more natural way of life has led to what author Richard Louv calls Nature-Deficit Disorder – a term used to describe “the human costs of alienation from nature”.

According to Dr. Qing Li, author and co-founder of the Japanese Society of Forest Medicine, the average American spends 93% of their time indoors. Furthermore, our modern culture has devalued the benefits of true nature, equating manufactured nature experiences, through nature documentaries, interactive “nature” displays in shopping malls, and the like (don’t get me wrong, I love a good nature documentary) with the real thing. Although simply watching imagery of nature has been shown to reduce stress levels, watching a YouTube video on a trek through a forest does not provide the same benefits as experiencing that forest first-hand.

The more oxygen-rich environment of a forest and the presence of phytoncides have been shown to have measurable health effects. Phytoncides are naturally occurring chemicals with antibacterial and antifungal qualities released by plants to protect themselves from insects and fight off disease. When we inhale these chemicals, our bodies increase the number and activity of natural killer cells (NK), a type of white blood cell. These NK cells kill tumor- and virus-infected cells in our bodies, giving our immune system a nice little boost. A series of studies, beginning in 2005, conducted by Dr. Qing Li, showed that after a 3 day/2 night forest bathing trip participants showed that “increased NK activity lasted for more than 30 days after the trip, suggesting that a forest bathing trip once a month would enable individuals to maintain a higher level of NK activity“.

When we breathe in higher concentrations of oxygen, the blood vessels in our lungs dilate causing higher blood oxygen levels. Increased blood oxygen levels lower our blood pressure and heart-rate, which triggers our relaxation response. The stress response and the relaxation response cannot co-exist in our bodies at the same time. Therefore, when we induce a relaxation response, we automatically begin to feel less stressed and more calm. Personally, I can’t think of a lovelier way to decompress than a nice stroll through nature. It’s also a wonderful way for the whole family to spend time together, stretch our legs, and return home feeling refreshed.

Perhaps the best thing about forest bathing? It’s free! If you don’t live close to a heavily forested area, a stroll through your local city park will suffice. Any time spent in nature can have a positive effect on our mental and physical health, so if you don’t have access to a forest, whatever type of natural landscape that is available to you will do just fine, too.

If you’re interested in forest bathing, but don’t feel comfortable venturing into the wilderness alone, look for local hiking groups. If you live in Southeastern Massachusetts, you are more than welcome to join me for my fortnightly forest bathing workshops. Please contact me for additional information and schedules.