Why is Shinrin Yoku healthy?

The term Shinrin Yoku is Japanese and in English means "forest bathing" or "taking in the atmosphere of the forest". In Japan and Korea, Shinrin Yoku is well established. And it is far more than just a wellness fad: Doctors recommend forest bathing to their patients, aiming to prevent illness but also to support conventional treatment of diverse health issues - for example of stress related disease (Burnout, psychosomatic illnesses), but also of grave sickness such as heart problems, health issues regarding the circulatory system or even cancer. 

They have good reason to do so: While in Western countries the positive effect of time spent in the forest are (still) often seen as merely individual perceptions, Asian scientists have done extensive research on the topic since the 1980's.

One of the pioneers of forest medicine is Qing Li (Nippon Medical School, Tokyo), who over the decades has been able to prove quite a number of healing effects of the forest. According to his research, stays in the forest are enhancing health in multiple ways: For one, there are the effects of aroma therapy and color therapy. The color green is said to be soothing; in the uncountable shades of green the forest has to offer, the color influences the subconscious most intensely. 

The scents of the forest also help visitors of the forest relax: The manifold mixture of aroma greatly varies with the time of day or season, with the vegetation and with the weather.

In addition, some truely fascinating and unexcpected effects have been proven by Qing Li and his international colleagues: A multi-hour stay in the forest will lower blood pressure, lead to a decline of stress hormones in the blood and will greatly strengthen the immune system.

Responsible for these impressive effects, among other substances, are so called phytoncides. Trees are using phytoncides for communication among each other. The forest air is saturated with these substances; their concentration is especially high in forests with conifers and/or after a nice rain.

Our human immune system reacts to inhaling phytoncides among others with a significant increase of so-called Natural Killer Cells (T-cells) in the blood - after just a couple of hours in the forest by up to 50 percent. The cells then are not just more in number, they are also significantly more active - meaning not just more killer cells fight pathogenic germs, they are also doing so more intensely.  This effect even lasts for several days after a prolonged stay in the forest.

Additional body functions are also positively influenced, leading for example to a reduced production of the stress hormone cortisole.

These effects can be intensified by practising easy, yet intense exercises for enhancing perception and mindfulness as well as by including meditative Elements. A pleasant and absolutely desirable side effect is that the participants will (re-)establish a highly personal connection to Nature.