Can Forest Bathing Really Reduce Stress

 

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Science of “forest bathing”: fewer maladies, more well-being?

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Reduce Stress and Anxiety with Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku)

Video taken from the channel: Matthew Hatson


 

Prescribing Nature for Health | Nooshin Razani | TEDxNashville

Video taken from the channel: TEDx Talks


The primary benefit that proponents assign to forest bathing is a reduction in stresslevels. However, others go even further. For instance, the authors of a 2017 reviewconcluded that “forest. Instead, forest bathing (or “shinrin-yoku”) is the practice of spending time in nature for the purpose of benefiting your physical and mental well-being. The concept was first popularized in Japan in the 1980s, when stressed-out workers were encouraged to reconnect with nature as a way to de-stress.

There’s also emerging studies claiming that just being around nature in general can help improve our mental well-being. Of course, it’s clear that scientists need to conduct more research on forest bathing if they are to formally prescribe it to patients as a way to relieve stress and reduce depressive feelings. Forest bathing is not what it sounds like, assuming you think it sounds like taking a bath in the forest.

The first thing to know: You’re fully clothed, and unless it rains, there’s no water involved. Click on the text above for the full article. This article was written by Kevin Gray, who participated in. Forest bathing was coined in the 1980s in Japan as a form of ecotherapy to balance out the stresses of urban life, especially tech-burnout.

Despite its decades-long existence, the practice just. Forest bathing is said to help boost mood and reduce stress. ABC Participants listen to Ben Page at a forest therapy session at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. The primary tenets of forest bathing as connecting with nature through physical presence and also through mindfulness.

Because it’s difficult to enjoy the full stress-reducing effects of your environment if you’re on your phone or otherwise distracted. That’s why it’s suggested practicing awareness to really engage with your surroundings. A recent meta-analysis investigates whether so-called forest bathing really can significantly reduce levels of stress.The act goes beyond walking through nature, according to experts who explain that shinrin yoku “can be defined as making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest.”The Primary benefit that proponents assign to forest bathing is a reduction in stress levels.

Studies have shown that forest bathing can reduce high blood pressure, calm the mind and bring down stress levels. In fact, researchers are now looking into ways in which forest bathing may be used to treat those with heart disease and other chronic illnesses. This practice of shinrin-yoku – literally, forest bath – has the power to counter illnesses including cancer, strokes, gastric ulcers, depression, anxiety and stress, he says.

It boosts the immune.

List of related literature:

Since forest bathing can lower stress hormone production and elevate mood states, it’s not surprising that it also influences markers of immune system strength.

“Your Brain On Nature: The Science of Nature's Influence on Your Health, Happiness and Vitality” by Eva M. Selhub, MD, Alan C. Logan, ND
from Your Brain On Nature: The Science of Nature’s Influence on Your Health, Happiness and Vitality
by Eva M. Selhub, MD, Alan C. Logan, ND
Wiley, 2012

Psychological effects of forest environments on healthy adults: Shinrin-yoku (forest-air bathing, walking) as a possible method of stress reduction.

“International Handbook of Forest Therapy” by Dieter Kotte, Qing Li, Won Sop Shin
from International Handbook of Forest Therapy
by Dieter Kotte, Qing Li, Won Sop Shin
Cambridge Scholars Publisher, 2019

Findings from more than 100 studies of recreationists in wilderness areas have shown that stress reduction consistently emerges as one of the keyperceived benefits.

“The Biophilia Hypothesis” by Stephen R. Kellert, Scott McVay, Aaron Katcher, Cecilia McCarthy, Gregory Wilkins, Roger Ulrich
from The Biophilia Hypothesis
by Stephen R. Kellert, Scott McVay, et. al.
Island Press, 1995

There is also some evidence to suggest that woodland can be therapeutic in reducing anxiety and stress.

“Forests, Trees and Human Health” by Kjell Nilsson, Marcus Sangster, Christos Gallis, Terry Hartig, Sjerp de Vries, Klaus Seeland, Jasper Schipperijn
from Forests, Trees and Human Health
by Kjell Nilsson, Marcus Sangster, et. al.
Springer Netherlands, 2010

Nature contact may also help by stress reduction.

“Environmental Health: From Global to Local” by Howard Frumkin
from Environmental Health: From Global to Local
by Howard Frumkin
Wiley, 2010

Conversely, areas experiencing less stress will have less wood expended on them.

“Trees: Their Natural History” by P. A. Thomas
from Trees: Their Natural History
by P. A. Thomas
Cambridge University Press, 2000

There are, of course, positive mental health benefits from forest bathing, but that will come in the next chapter.

“Earth Emotions: New Words for a New World” by Glenn A. Albrecht
from Earth Emotions: New Words for a New World
by Glenn A. Albrecht
Cornell University Press, 2019

Although these patterns operate in both dry and moist forests, it is clear that phenological control by water stress is more prevalent in dry forest.

“Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests” by Stephen H. Bullock, Harold A. Mooney, Ernesto Medina
from Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests
by Stephen H. Bullock, Harold A. Mooney, Ernesto Medina
Cambridge University Press, 1995

Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function.

“The Handbook of Solitude: Psychological Perspectives on Social Isolation, Social Withdrawal, and Being Alone” by Robert J. Coplan, Julie C. Bowker
from The Handbook of Solitude: Psychological Perspectives on Social Isolation, Social Withdrawal, and Being Alone
by Robert J. Coplan, Julie C. Bowker
Wiley, 2014

Nature contact may also improve health through stress reduction.

“Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being, and Sustainability” by Andrew L. Dannenberg, Howard Frumkin, Richard J. Jackson, Robin Fran Abrams, Emil Malizia, Arthur Wendel, James Sallis, Rachel A. Millstein, Jordan A. Carlson, Carolyn Cannuscio, Karen Glanz, Jonathan Samet, David A. Sleet, Rebecca B. Naumann, Rose Anne Rudd, Lorraine Backer, William C. Sullivan, Chun-Yen Cheng, Caitlin Eicher, Ichiro Kawachi, Chirs S. Kochtitzky, James Krieger, David E. Jacobs, Donna S Heidel, Paul Schulte, Matt Gillen, L. Casey Chosewood, Liz York, Kenneth M. Wallingford, Greg Wagner, Craig Zimring, Jennifer DuBose, Jared Fox, Reid Ewing, Gail Meakins, Grace Bjarnson, Holly Hilton, Colin Quinn-Hurst, Timothy Beatley, Margaret Schneider, Lisa M. Feldstein, Manal Aboelata, Leah Ersoylu, Larry Cohen, Nisha Botchwey, Matthew J. Trowbridge, Jennifer C. Johnson, Sandro Galea, Anthony G. Capon, Susan Thompson
from Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being, and Sustainability
by Andrew L. Dannenberg, Howard Frumkin, et. al.
Island Press, 2012

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111 comments

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  • i take my son out. and he is so bored. just sits on the truck tail gate or inside the truck waiting to go home:( 
    i love nature and don’t know how to help him engage. i think he needs a friend to go out with?

  • I’d be interesting in seeing the result of a study that had subjects spend the time relaxing at a beach resort as a way to possibly match the stress lowering of the forest without the actual forest. The other tests didn’t account for that fully, IMHO, even the study that used the tree oil.

  • Fascinating research. I live near walking trails next to the American River. I’m going to practice breathing more deeply on my walks there.

  • I found this video absolutely fascinating. It is my belief that things of the natural world hold healing powers naturally. Just as people and animals are able to heal themselves much of the time, so can trees, plants, insects, etc. When we are depleted in our own ability to heal ourselves due to our unnatural environment, borrowing this healing capacity from the forest or plants makes sense. We do not have the instruments to measure all that is in our world. Healing vibrations, smells, chemicals and natural forces go unidentified and unmeasured, and that makes it easier for scientists to say it’s hogwash. If they cannot identify that something is there, then to them, it is not there. Big mistake. Huge. Thank you for this. I will send it to others who I think will appreciate it.

  • Kirsten you are so lucky to be able to travel to all these interesting places & meet such interesting people. My dream cells are all a twitter to go to the forest for an extended time. Honestly, I would be content with simply being to live far enough out of the city to be able to see all the tiny stars you can only see if you get away from all the city lights. I don’t want to be able to hear the highway traffic, sirens of emergency actions, slamming car doors, car alarms, all that stuff. That was nice,but now it is time to return to reality, damn.

  • MARVELLOUS DOCTOR. Bring Nature home!!!!! Don’t mow the lawn till it looks like your living room carpet. Let it thrive together with all the living beautiful creatures that depend on plants to live. Observe them, breathe with them. You’ll heal your body and your soul.

  • I think you have to look this documentary by the creator of the forest bathing method who conducted the scientific study. I came across this by accident and you video crossed my mind. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jPNll1Ccn0

  • Many thanks for your research and presentation. I confess that in college back in the 1960’s, I avoided biology in my science requirement because the required labs were so long (taking “Natural Science” a sampling of astronomy, computer science [Fortran!], etc.), but I am learning, very belatedly, a good deal about cellular and molecular biology from you, and much appreciate that education.

  • Commenters should have a look at England’s research on this subject before going on and embarrass yourself any further…Talking beta vs teta waves ppl! I sense too much conspiracy hypers bringing ignorant statements that clearly show that they have trust issues. Even when the topic is the obviousness of Nature.

  • Les phytoncides, des molécules ancestrales qui protègent notre environnement et notre système immunitaire, certainement une des plus belles révélations de notre siècle: être proche de nos arbres, nous renforce et nous apaise, le bien-être que cache la forêt 😉

  • Great I have 40 acres of woods…and I’m allergic to the pollen of every deciduous tree in the Southeast.
    I wonder if taking antihistamine counters the effect of the essential oils.

  • So what was the take-away on anticholinesterase pesticides Where are they typically found, or the details on damage they may cause under what circumstance?

    BTW, regarding ‘shinrin-yoku’, Ben Greenfield / Clint Ober suggest walking barefoot as a way of grounding and getting into contact with beneficial bacteria. However, Dr. Dickson Despommier’s podcasts (TWIP, TWIV), he mentions how hookworms can penetrate unbroken skin! Perhaps using essential/stem oils (Phytoncide hinoki/japanese cypress tree) is a way to get the benefit of increased Natural killer (NK) cells without the risk? Is there anything close that can be purchased commercially?
    UPDATE: On The Kevin Rose Show (podcast), they talk about the potential benefits of forest-bathing may be due to some soil bacteria and the essential oils (hinoki, habi wood, etc) (28m). They suggest the SoundsTrue courses.

  • What an absolutely fantastic documentary. This is remarkable. Very grateful to have seen it. This is the cutting edge of a new way of healing…

  • Kirsten, Thank you! I find your vids with your wonderful family grounding. The vacation in the camper van is priceless. Forest immersion is valuable to me after a week in the mechanical/industrial workplace. Something about the moss on the rocks and water flowing takes me ‘Home’.I think I would be worn to a nub in a short time without wilderness. I think your children would enjoy my ‘Fish Life’ vid. Best…

  • Hypothesis: walking in the forest will yeld higher probability for us to face pollen and micro organism. These will certainly effect the immune system and the percentage of the white blood cells in the body. So the main question would be; why is it positive that the immune system gets activated? Possible answer: more pressure on the immune system = stronger immune system.

  • Daily walks near trees (anywhere)  make us healthier and happier. Thank you Kristen Dirkesen for this video with the Japanese Forest Bathing pioneer, Quin Li.

  • We know from autopsies that the lungs of city dwellers are dirty, damaged and diseased, compared with rural folks. It’s too much for our lungs to endure pollution, second-hand smoke, and now the onslaught of cleaning chemicals.

  • Damn they are slow. I will go up my mountain shortly and I will do 3 1/2 miles in a little over an hour. That includes 450′ rise in elevation. So should I go slower? 😉

  • huh, in korea, we call it, San Lim Yolk. Did the japanese coin the term? i’m pretty sure it was the Chinese since the word is based on the Chinese language.

  • has anyone done any research on how it affects autoimmunity? for several years i was developing a hyperthyroid(graves disease). i was undiagnosed for many years. i developed a tradition of going into the woods to “reset” every once in a while. if i did not do this the symptoms would return. very good video:)

  • Thank you for bringing this to MedCram I wonder what the NK cell count would have been if the men had walked barefoot or at least stood barefoot for 30 minutes in that forest in regard to the Schumann Resonance of the earth.

  • Another great video! The forest, mountains, and just generally interacting with nature is where I feel alive, free, and at peace. Shinrin Yoku makes perfect sense.

  • The “Forest Bathing” study, yes I agree. I grew up in Georgia and realize the benefits of being outdoors. I work at one hospital(Mercy) that is in the middle of the city-concrete jungle, and dread going/being there. On the converse, Good Samaritan, in Towson has more trees, etc surrounding it, and i like being there. Even at home, Randallstown, the trees, birds, my wife’s garden just seems to recharge me. In fact, i eventually want to move back to Georgia or Jamaica, where the weather is better and the natural splendor, I can enjoy year round. Weather and environment, yes seems to affect people tremendously!!!!!

  • You can’t even forest bathe here anymore thanks to Chinese tree insects and diseases killing so many trees. Globalism ruins everything.

  • Send me 5 payments of 200.00 and I will send you a guidebook. It will tell you how to go outside and where to find a local park. But wait there’s more, for a limited time only I will send you a real flower from the ground for only a one time payment of 1000.00 These offers will expire soon, so hurry pick up the phone and call now.

  • Is an increase in killer Ts always good? Maybe the body is interpreting the unfamiliar plant molecules as toxic or just significant foreign material that may present a danger. Wouldn’t you want to test people who live surrounded by trees to see what their baselines are? Or assess people who have moved to a forested area from the city ( or vice versa) to see if there is an adjustment over time? And would this boost in killer Ts be non specifically or specifically protective? Thanks, very interesting.

  • I really enjoyed this video. Definitely one of your best yet. This research will be changing our understanding of health. So excited to have more reasons to go out into the nature!

  • Fantastic video. Would be great to compare forest versus urban with combinations of different variables such as mediation, reiki, listening to music, singing, chanting ” ah” hiking, etc. Also studying these variables alone or in groups. Essential oil companies should be interested in promoting this research. Thank you you so much for posting this topic.

  • Makes me wonder how much the types of trees matter (deciduous vs coniferous). And also makes me wonder what the results of similar experiment in a rural area without a lot of trees like corn and bean fields (like in the Midwest).
    I would be very interested in knowing this. I guess I’ll use google a bit and see if I can find some studies.
    Thanks as always for such a great lecture and helpful channel.

  • Thanks for the detailed video on forest bathing. I coach people in Seattle around Green Lake and I make it an explicit part of transformation that we talk with trees and plants and animals instead of seeing them as silent. I teach loving kindness meditation to give to trees and all the flora and fauna.

  • I have always taken sabbaticals to the woods and called it checking on trees…I felt something there that was essential to my well being.

  • Ha, different slippers for the lab; I love it. I felt this benefit as a child and never doubted it.

    The money worshipers will laugh for decades and then when the proof is undeniable; claim that they knew it all along. Because they have a great gut for such things! haha

  • Loved this video, thanks!  I am especially aware of the “green light” that comes from being in a forest, it is soothing to my spirit and I just feel better with that natural green light emanating from the trees and vegetation.  I feel protected in a forest and this helps me feel better overall.

  • Using “poetic language” to describe this activity was the most lazy and counter-productive thing they could have chosen to do with their hard work. Nothing says Quack-Medicine like “Forest Bathing.”

  • I’m a massive fan. I appreciate your care in distinguishing suggestive evidence from randomized trials. But 2 quibbles about how you sometimes discuss RCTs. Some studies you give a lot of publicity to have N’s in the single digit per arm. I suspect most very small studies with estimates that have P< 0.05 are wrong, for familiar reasons that under-powered studies that get published are usually wrong. Even if a few small studies support a claim, it is worth cautioning listeners the evidence remains provocative, but not conclusive. Also, if 2 effects are not statistically significantly different from each other, but only one has P< 0.05, you should not claim the treatment with a not statistically significant coefficient shows a smaller effect. Probably the n.s. point estimate is not statistically distinguishable from estimate of the treatment with P< 0.05.

  • Thank you for this! I love the forests, but unfortunately rarely walk through them anymore. Been an avid user of essential oils for many years and look forward to continue using them.

  • Passing these studies on to someone I love who needs immune system management. You’re the best kind of science person devoted. Thank you.

  • This is great. Thank you for sharing. Since, I first watched this video, I’ve been more conscientious about walking my dog to the river. Not sure about my immunity, but I’m sleeping better at night!

  • evidence based research is the way to go. and reconnecting with nature will help us love and respect our environment more. This is where it starts

  • Thanks for this study! I’m a resident dentist, during this pandemic, and while our profession has been hit hard, the research is just as novel as this virus. Thanks Dr. Seheult, for being an avid pioneer during this Co-Vid19! I’ve followed you since I was a dental student, studying for Boards—-probably even as an aspiring dentist (2014 until present. And I graduated, just last year (May 2019). May I add: You are a blessing to doctors from all aspects of medicine! Thanks again, for all of your hard work����).

  • I have moved to the forest and can attest to the benefits to my own personal health. Old growth trees in particular have superb calming effects. Please go out and enjoy them before they are gone and help save the remaining forests where you can. Thank you.

  • Interesting….combine this study with the human endocannabinoidal system,..under the concurrent influence of CBD (CANNIBADIOL). I surmise all forms of CA would be killed in combination therapy here.

  • The government has been too heavy handed on this. Going for a walk in a park is not equivalent to gathering in a restaurant or movie theater. I am so thankful that in my area I can still go out and get some exercise in the park. I think a good brisk walk in the park is still the best was to boost your immune system. Strange how in some areas one of the most beneficial activities to combat this virus is banned.

  • I’m going to go fishing this weekend along Connecticut’s Farmington River. Among the trees, and maybe I’ll also catch a few trophy brown trouts. Sounds like a win-win!

  • I totally agree, different cultures have known how beneficial nature is, the air is cleaner, trees are alive. I myself have been practicing this for many years. the Japanese have a beautiful culture of respecting the earth.

  • Trees produce oxygen that we require vitally to survive every crucial seconds of our lives. It only makes logical sense that spending times around trees will have significant benefits to our health and happier life. I’ve never seen a any person who was happy while out of breath in my years working as a nurse.

  • I love that expression, forest bathing. A meteorologist at the University of Washington has taken a look at the folly of closing parks and nature areas during the pandemic.

    “All of these closures are predicated upon the assumption that coronavirus infection is a serious threat in outside air and that virus spread is significant outdoors.  As documented in this blog, such an assumption is not consistent with the best science.  Furthermore,  there is strong evidence that restriction of public access to parks and natural areas threatens both the physical and mental well being of the population and thus is counterproductive.  Many politicians claim that parks must be closed to prevent large groups from gathering and spreading the virus.  As we will see, such worries appear to have little basis in fact.”
    https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/04/why-outside-air-is-safe-and-park.html

  • Very interisting vidéo. I live in tokyo. Could you give me the name
    and address of the association. Thank you very much.

  • No control group? How is the placebo effect accounted for? I’m all for a walk in the forest, but I’m not convinced by this study design.

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    Coronavirus Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment: https://youtu.be/UCG3xqtcL3c
    Coronavirus Outbreak Transmission & Updates: https://youtu.be/9vMXSkKLg2I

  • I call it being one with God nature… every tree, every bird, I give thanks the Lord for his magnificent amazingly perfect creation.

  • It would be interesting to study if potpourri oil diffusion would have a similar effect. It has always been used to reduce stress in aromatherapy.

  • I wonder if these findings could be replicated in Europe or America? I certainly think these findings are worthy of further exploration. Fascinating!

  • ………..Bridge…..to………???
    In Western Europe there are also Concept for childern (most for them)!Maske you’re intrested in, because you are doing sience, isn’t it funny?
    Please can you tell me the ISBN of the books? Don’t want ebooks!

  • wow you’re helping them get even more out of their experience by guiding their attention tontine more or discover specific answers their life questions. i get it!

  • This reminds me of the book ‘blue mind’ the similar effect of water on people. To the point even the color blue makes people calmer/happy.

  • I have watched all 56 of the MedCram videos on COVID-19, and found them all to be very well done, science and fact based and unemotional. This video about walking in the forest, in my opinion, is the most subjective one to date. Could you find a study that compares the immune systems of a city dweller to someone who lives in an ocean front home and walks on the beach everyday? Also, the comment about the stay at home order doing a dis-service to people because they can’t take a hike in a forest? Hmmmm. Why would you bring that question up?

  • The test was before and after sleeping? Which time was the test made. Doesn’t sleeping help to boost the immune system. So is it the sleep or the cypress oil that increase the NK… I would say maybe forest bathing decrease stress.. not sure about the trees.

  • Your comments on policy in respect of social distancing and restrictions are very apt; we are currently excluded from reserves for bush walking in Australia. This is highly resented by many who crave contact with nature. If only policy makers could see these studies. Another key factor is access to sunshine and Vit D. Also restricted. Then there are the stressors of being cooped up and the financial uncertainty stemming from partial lockdown. None of these mandated restrictions are supportive of healthy immunity!

  • This shows us that living in cities is bad for our health but very often we have to,so getting out to the nature at weekends is very important,even our great writer DH Lawrence said that city life makes people mentally sick and we see now from this mans test results that it also makes us physically sick,a great insight into our bodies needs for a return to spiritual essence of nature and how much we all need it.I personally always have a feeling that is not describable when I am with the great outdoors and trees give us such a feeling of well being,long may they live.Thankyou so much for this.

  • When indians told about it.. About ayurvedic and nature they are mocked… To say something significant you need to have white skin. ����

  • in India, the state of Kerala has cottages lined all across the state together with relatively dense rain forest and plenty of rivers and back waters. and they have managed to decrease the Covid 19 numbers significantly within 3 weeks. I had a feeling that the forests were contributing to elimination of viruses as well as probably there may be better NK cell activity in keralites. Do you agree?

  • “Don’t take a picture.” I like that. To me that means experience the experience rather than needing to post it on Facebook to show others what we are experiencing. 

    I thought of this last week. good to post things, but sometimes it can take away form being present with whatever it is that we are experiencing.

  • Sounds kooky at first, but then ends up making perfect sense. We evolved in forests, so it makes sense we’d be indelibly and advantageously connected to their environment. I❤️trees.

  • Thank you very much for your research and tips. God bless you!
    I take therefore since some month daily vitamin C, D, E, K2, zinc and green tea with ginger or cistus tea with licorice root, go into the sun and have since april begun to walk daily 10-15 minutes in a river with actually 10 degree Celsius until the knees. The latter is know in Germany as “KNEIPEN” according Sebastian Kneipp, a bavarian cold water hydrotherapist, naturopath and priest of the 19th century in south east Germany. “Keipen” in the river improves blood circulation and sleep. And once all 2-3 weeks I go for forest bathing. The latter I do since my childhood, because it is an old tradition in the Alpes that families and also friends go on weekends for a walk through the forest on the top of a mountain, make there a picknick in the midnoon sun and walk then back through the forest. In winter I prefer forests with firs and pines.
    I am convinced that also the essential oils from firs and pines may have a positive effect. There is a long known remedy in the Alpes against bronchial and lung diseases, which is an extract from buckhorn (Plantago Lanceolata), which is so high antibiotic that it cannot rot, and fresh young tops from firs (genus Abies) collected in spring. Its taken spoonwise.
    People in the Alpes eat in spring also some fresh young tops from firs or larch (genus Latrix) and a lot of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) for enhancing the immune system and the wild garlic also as spring cure for cleaning the blood. The wild garlic one must wash and grate well every leaf due to the danger of fox tapeworm. Then you can eat it fresh with salads, asparagus, potatoes, other vegetables, soups, bread etc.
    Another renowned remedy against flu from medieval monastic medicine is a tea from yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and Sage (Salvia officinalis) 50:50, which has according newer studies end of the 90ies from Prof. Saller, pharmacy ETHZ Zurich, an effect like 600 IE penicilline.
    I am not a physician, this is only renowned knowledge in the region of the Alpes = high mountains in Central Europe.

  • More organic organisms and particles out in nature to stimulate immune response. Is a more active immune system mean a healthier immune system? Or will it increase risk for developing allergies and auto immune disorders? ����‍♀️

  • Would any forest give people immune system benefits or only forests in Japan? I live in rural Oregon surrounded by forest lands that I can walk to. And I have a small forest on my property. To get access to that area I would need to clear out the 12 15 foot high black berry vines and the underbrush. I used to do a lot of walking and mountain biking on the logging roads above my property until this one day (in 2014) when I spooked a cougar sunning itself on the road. There are at least 3 cougars that live in the forests surrounding my residence. The caretaker of the valley often sees half-eaten deer carcasses and sometimes they get one of his calves.

    So, would just spending time outdoors in a rural setting (such as mine) doing yard work and other such activities have a positive health benefit? (All my mowers and yard equipment are electric or muscle powered).

  • Shinrin yoku and namba aruki and other kind of breathing walking in the forests of my dear Pyrenees or on the Bebour’s forest in the Réunion island.

  • I did this with a guide last weekend. It was beautiful and very powerful. I have taken thousands of walks in the woods in my life, many of which were very powerful and healing but I never experienced the depth I did with this experience. It was a total immersion of all the senses combined with a level of mindfulness and intention that took it to a whole new level. I had an extremely healing experience and look forward to finding a guide in my area to do more of this practice. This IS a practice by the waynot just a random walk in the woods.

  • This was superb. I practically lived in the woods as a child. At 39 years old I find myself more and more craving to be out in the trees. I hold near to my heart the image of that ‘special place’ that as a 10 year old I went to to be alone and to be in awe. It was a small creek that was filled with small boulders, each one covered with thick, beautiful green moss. I remember it vividly to this day, can hear the trickle of the water and smell the total green-ness around me. To this day I find comfort, solace and plenty of awe every time I visit the woods and try to get there at least a few times a week. Thank you for a great Ted talk! The work you are doing is important.

  • Why would we bottle some of the medicine of nature instead of accepting that living in concrete cities is making us sick and going back to nature?

  • Ah this might explain why I was able to go to work feeling energetic even when I had been awake way over 24 hours. I went on a 5 days backpacking trip, near Gracier Peak, full of blueberries so I did have a lot of blueberries as well.

  • Is there a lot of confirmation bias here? Here is a study on citrus scent that was referenced in the forest bathing article; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8646568. Citrus was an arbitrary choice.
    Good doctor, I love you work but can you also find articles that re-frame, disprove or call into question your hypothesis. Forest walking is great, I love it, but to even suggest that its proven by one series of studies is not scientific. One of the contributors to the study is an organization that studies Japanese forests for ways to create products. Mission statement “Through research associated with forests, forestry,and forest products industries, as well as through forest management and protection by insurance, we will contribute to the development of a sustainable human society that utilizes the gift of resources bestowed by the rich and diverse forests in an environmentally sound way.” The mission sounds nice but it still means the study was funded by industry and not psychologists looking at the alleviation of human suffering. Quite some potential for bias there.

  • I admit I was sceptical when I clicked on this video, however I trust Kirsten to always deliver something that is touching/affecting people in a good way and I was not disappointed. On the one hand, probably everyone knows that a walk in the forest is relaxing and makes you feel great. I sometimes long to be in a forest and I definitely feel a great effect for days when I went there. However, I think most people ignore this knowlegde. Even though I know that it has a positive effect on me (and after watching this I know even more), I don’t do it often enough. Spreading this knowledge might help save forests and help improve peoples’ health. So thank you, Kirsten, for filming this, and especially thank you to Mr. Li and his assistant. Also watching Mr. Li’s positive attitude is awesome:-)

  • Curious…. Here in NewJersey they closed all State and County parks and forests. They know…. and want us sick…. I wondered how being in a forest could be a hazard…but its not.they just don’t want us to benefit from it.

  • I wonder if something as simple as placing some aromatic tree branches/cut wood around city apartments could help. I could also see essential oil sellers capitalizing on this, but I am still skeptical of the actual contents of many essential oils.

  • This idea about “Forest Bathing” as a way of boosting one’s immune system is further supported by this video about the 19th Century tuberculosis epidemic which was killing 1 in 7 Americans. The medical community noticed that people got better by living out in the country, in woods, etc. They were likely boosting their immune systems unknowingly and in the process slowly becoming cured of this wicked disease (TB).

    The Forgotten Plague | American Experience | PBS
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lv0vAWbj74

    So, I agree, it may be time to open the forested wild-land parks to the public with the understanding that they still must adhere to social distancing rules.

  • I actually run a Forestbathing company in NYC called Cultured Forest. I studied Shinrinyoku in Japan with Dr. Li. I am now leading Virtual Nature Therapy and talk about Essential Oils. Check out culturedforest.com

  • I loved this video Kirsten! I actually used to go into big forests in North Carolina and I remember loving the smell of the trees and the entire atmosphere-feeling that it made me feel so happy and healthy! I heard of forest therapy but I had no idea just how spot on my intuition about it was.
    Keep on producing great videos Kirsten! You are inspiring so many of us:)

  • The response to a study with non-representative sample size of 12 and no controls (none!) shouldn’t be oh wow look at what they found, it should wow what a bad study design.

    This study is so badly confounded that there is nothing that can be concluded from it. Not even that forest bathing can enhance immune responses. Could have been the bathing, could have been the drive out of the city, could have been having a vacation, it could have been how those men’s bodies responded to blood draws or so many other things.

    How did that thing ever get past peer review? No wonder there is a replication crisis in so many sciences.

  • I’ve watch some of your videos and love how they’re narrated. I see that you try to look at both sides. Thank you for doing so. I’m getting ready to start publishing a lot of nutrition videos as it is my passion and hope I can come across in the same manner but I feel like I’m going to be very biased towards supplements and natural healing since the opposite is synthetic chemical drugs…do you have any videos or tips. While I totally agree with your videos your not dogmatic or in my face so to say, a unique and refessing quality. Also if your able to say any info as to how you’ve edited you videos. I see camera cuts, quality sound, audio overlay and added text over video. Thanks for the videos. If your too busy no worries. Just keep doing your videos!

  • Interesting, as everything at MedCram. I wish there had been a comparison of deciduous verses coniferous forests. Do the type of trees make a difference?

  • I have live-threatning hypotension. I guess I need to stay AWAY from forests if it LOWERS your BP, that would be DANGEROUSLY LOW for me, NO, thanks!

  • I live close to a forest and de-stress by walking and just sitting and breathing in the clean air
    for an hour -sometimes I’ll hug a tall tree, close my eyes and feel the energy of the tree.
    I’ll imagine being one with the tree and see what it sees from the top. I try not to do this when
    there are other people but the experience is very exhilirating. Then I’ll jog back home and
    take a cold shower, eat something hot and nutritious. Read before bed. Life is good.

  • Actually,…not to be ” funny”, but walking in the forest with a bit of cannabinoids in one’s system, is great for the immune system too. Don’t need an MD, RN or pH to know that. Nice vid.

  • Yes!! I got to spend a few hours in the forest after weeks of being indoors on quarantine. By whole nervous system felt reset, I slept better, and It even released Jaw tension and I stopped grinding my teeth at night.

  • The Malay people have for hundreds of years practiced what is known as ‘Mandi Embun’, literally translated into english as ‘bathing in the forest dew’. In which walks are taken into a rainforest at dawn when the dew are still on the leaves of the trees. They believed that this is one secret for longevity.

  • In our series, Pay Attention, we explore ways to sharpen our focus and re-capture our attention from distracting technology. Americans spend an average of 93 percent of their time indoors or inside a car, which means just 12 hours a week is spent outside. There is mounting evidence that spending time in nature is good for your body and your brain. That led us to explore a popular activity prescribed by Japanese physicians for years known as “forest bathing.”

  • How can covid 19 death numbers be accurate if they include patients who 1) Have not been tested for the virus and 2) Have underlying serious medical conditions? I think these death numbers are skewed and misrepresent reality.

  • Thanks for the great video and information. In our science-based, logical, first-world minds, sometimes some people need science to confirm that our natural world and bodies hold the keys and confirmation and ‘permission’ to follow our natural instincts for well-being.

  • This reminds me of that Sarah Silverman skit on Saturday Night Live where she said, “I’m going to hike, and camp!” and then the other white guy said, “I’m going to camp. And hike!”. I know other races consider hiking to be a white activity.

  • Since I started this shinrin-yoku and received Dr. Qing Li’s book, “Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health And Happiness,” I have a calm within not present prior to forest walks. My stress levels are much lower. Thank you Dr. Qing Li.

  • These studies should be done again with control over the diets of the participants. My gut says, processed foods and hydration factor into the blood/urine work as much or more than tree oils.

  • Sounds similar to grounding/earthing which also sounds a little “out there”, but it works and it’s free! https://www.earthing.com/pages/what-is-earthing

  • To me, this just strengthens my belief in natural medicine, in all aspects. Our tie or attachment to the earth has been, for the most part lost. I’m no tree hugger. I do believe in conservation and balance. I hunt, fish, hike, backpack, etc, etc, just a general outdoorsman, but I have been limited because of time and schedule/work constraints, and can see a visible and emotional difference in myself, my physical health declining the last few years. Call it a loss of balance. I’m a huge advocate of natural/herbal medicine, although I also strongly believe in the benefits of western medicine, especially in acute cases/situations. All in all I think it’s time get my priorities back in order and do some woods running more often. ��

  • Outside of taking Vit C, B1, D3, zinc and masking, I place a few drops of Astyptodyne in a small dish and place that on top of a room air filter. Hopefully this will boost T’s.

  • In my own personal experiences, it has been wilderness in general which seems to provide that unique feeling of both relaxation and regeneration regardless of the level of physical exertion. I liken it to simply being and living in the moment,; a very worthwhile endeavor.

  • Great work, Roger! We had featured “shinrin-yoku/forest bathing” in our book “Thirty Days to Natural Blood Pressure Control” for its role in hypertension-but this series of studies was not on our radar screen. We too have been concerned about possible social distancing rules that restrict access to nature. I do have a short paper that looks at immune linkages with other lifestyle factors. If interested, feel free to drop me a note at drderose@ compasshealth.net. David DeRose, MD, MPH.

  • This is my favorite subject. I’ve been studying forest bathing like crazy. I wish I could get my hands on Qing Li’s textbook. It’s on Amazon for hundreds. Any ideas? Jessica @ ForestBathingCentral.com

  • Fascinating! I’ve been an ‘outdoor person’ all my life, and firmly believe it has helped me stay strong and healthy… I would like to add, that I teach/do a lot of yoga and Buddhist meditation, also, careful about diet. I share this bc I am 75 years old, most people think I’m in my 50’s or 60’s, point being, I don’t have weight issues, or ANY chronic conditions requiring meds on a daily basis. The study presented here, is research about a particular issue, I am being mindful of contact w/ others and using mask, gloves, etc. when in grocery stores, etc. We will see what happens as time passes… Thank you to the MedCram for making public your research!

  • As a forest therapy guide I find this really fascinating and very important to discuss in an open forum. As a researcher, it is important to note that the takeaway from these studies is that the effect of phytoncides has potential but is not yet conclusive. I am definitely interested in reading future research performed by independent groups to see if they can corroborate the findings and implement blind experiments to determine whether it is in fact the phytoncides which have an impact. The third study for example lacked a control group, which would cause it to fail most standards of rigor. You’ll note that each paper was headed by the same researcher, which is concerning from a bias standpoint. You’ll also note in each of the papers they state quite clearly that phytoncides MAY CONTRIBUTE to the health benefits of forest bathing. Forest therapy has loads of evidence behind it and is without question beneficial to your health! But the concept of phytoncides (which are essentially VOC’s) being the force behind this health benefit, is not supported by the wider scientific community, nor is it proven by these three papers. It’s an interesting topic that I hope to see expanded upon, and we may later find that those supporting it were right! But celebrating it’s benefit at this time is still preemptive as the research hasn’t been validated by replication studies. Supporters of forest therapy jumping onto exciting new results before they’ve been thoroughly explored run the risk of invalidating forest therapy as a whole, which would be a shame. Forest therapy ts a wonderful practice filled with wonderful caring people and it deserves inherent respect regardless of phytoncides

  • Now I am wondering if other aromatic plant compounds might also have this effect. Maybe it’s not just limited to forests. Inspiration to work out in the garden! I really love that you are exploring these other ways to boost immunity, and the idea of forest-bathing enforces how we should respect and appreciate nature.

  • New research suggests there are asymptomatic carriers, and that is going to make it more difficult to reopen New York City. That is such a big task since there are millions of people. I see a resurgence as a possibility in that scenario where asymptomatic carriers are present.

  • What a coincidence! I was thinking of doing this today…. I don’t think I have time though. I love shinrin-yoku though and I do it regularly. Thanks for uploading this! More people need to know about it!

  • Negative ions bathing from the natural surroundings. In Fiji we do the same by enjoying rain baths.and just get rained on and enjoy playing in the rain.

  • Great review of the healing power of essential oil compounds. I’ve been diffusing oils for more than 7 years now at my work and home and I did notice a great improvement in stress reduction and immune system improvement. Common colds and the flu has happened only in two occasions, compared to before that once a once a year the family members would get either one.

  • I was very skeptical of essential oils and regarded them as just another type of snake oil. However, one day a couple of years ago when my son was starting to experience upper respiratory congestion and the beginning of a cough I decided to try a “breath easy” blend of Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Basil, Tea Tree, and Rosemary in a diffuser I purchased from Wal Mart. I figured it couldn’t hurt. The next day he woke up completely congestion and cough free. I was pleasantly surprised and amazed. Now, whenever I notice any congestion starting we diffuse that blend and can usually stop the progression. In addition, we do vitamins D, C, A, K2 and zinc on a regular basis.

  • There is definitely a very nice smell in the forest. The essential oils must be making the smell, and apparently they smell nice, because they are good for our health.

  • Instead of dwelling where only the works of men can be seen, where the sights and sounds frequently suggest thoughts of evil, where turmoil and confusion bring weariness and disquietude, go where you can look upon the works of God. Find rest of spirit in the beauty and quietude and peace of nature. Let the eye rest on the green fields, the groves, and the hills. Look up to the blue sky, unobscured by the city’s dust and smoke, and breathe the invigorating air of heaven. Go where, apart from the distractions of city life, you can give your children your companionship, where you can teach them to learn of God through His works and train them for lives of integrity and usefulness.—The Ministry of Healing, 366, 367 (1905).