Shinrin

Shinrin-yoku

It means forest bath and is an anti-stress technique practiced by the Japanese since the 1980s. Its creator is Dr. Qing Li, who has just published The Power of the Forest. How to find happiness and health through trees (Ed. Roca Editorial).

And what is?

It means immersing yourself in the environment of the forest and absorbing everything that it can contribute to us through the senses. You don't have to exercise; just be in nature and connect with it. It is a form of mindfulness.

Benefits

Its continued practice reduces blood pressure, stress, improves cardiovascular and metabolic health, lowers blood sugar, and improves concentration and memory.

And not only that…

It fights depression, recharges energy, boosts the immune system by increasing the NK cell count and helping to lose weight.

As practiced?

First, you have to go to a forest or a lush park. Take a leisurely stroll and observe your emotional response. Are you able to walk with your eyes closed? What do you feel when you look at the trees? And when you smell all the smells? Do you taste the fresh air?

Full attention

As you can see, the shinrin-yoku invites you to consciously enjoy a forest, feeling every step you take. The key is to disconnect the autopilot.

The science behind

Biophilia is a term derived from the Greek and it means love of life and the living world. It is a concept popularized by the American biologist EO Wilson in 1984. The reason: as we have evolved from nature, we have a biological need to connect with it.

Also in your house

Filling your home with indoor plants can help recreate the sensations of a forest bath. NASA created a list of the best plants to purify the air in your home: Spatiphile, Potus, Common ivy, Chrysanthemums, Gerbera, Sanseviera, Hall Palm, Azalea, Red-edged Dracena, and Ribbon.

Aromas

Essential oils will also bring the spirit of shinrin-yoku home. Use wooden wands and oils as pure as possible. The aromas preferred by the Japanese are white cypress, wood, hinoki leaves, rosemary, cedar wood, eucalyptus, pine. Candles also work, but be careful that they are not made of oil.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93 percent of their time indoors. That means that a person only spends half a day outdoors in a week. And the data for Europeans are very similar. Much of that time indoors is spent looking at screens. These are habits that have few benefits in terms of physical and mental health. In fact, the WHO claims that stress is the great epidemic of the 21st century. And finding a way to deal with stress is one of the great health challenges ahead.

To counteract this harmful trend, an anti-stress practice arrives from Japan that, although they have been applying it since the 80s, is now when it is becoming super fashionable in the West: shinrin-yoku or taking a forest bath. The book The Power of the Forest has just been published. Shinrin-yoku. How to find happiness and health through trees (Ed. Roca Editorial) by Dr. Qing Li, the world's leading expert on the subject.

A two-hour forest bath will help you disconnect from technology and slow down. It will make you feel the present and it will take away the stress. Connecting with nature with all the senses brings immediate relaxation and that has great benefits for your health, as we have explained in the gallery above.

Dr. Qing Li's years of experience have shown that shinrin-yoku can help lower blood sugar, improve concentration and mental health, decrease pain, and improve the immune system.

How do you practice a forest bath?

The idea would be to take a relatively long walk through a nearby forest or a lush park. You can book the longest walks in forests further away from the city for the weekend and try taking micro walks during the week through the parks of your city.

Don't walk around in any way. The goal is to apply mindfulness techniques –mindfulness– on this walk. You have to experience with all your senses what the forest offers you. What colors do you see? What does it smell like? What sounds do you perceive? It's basically about turning off the autopilot and enjoying nature in a conscious way.