Forest bathing is the practice of immersing yourself in
nature in a mindful way, using your senses to derive a whole range of
benefits for your physical, mental, emotional, and social health. It is
also known as Shinrin-yoku. ‘Shinrin’ means forest and ‘Yoku’ stands for
bathing. The idea took birth in Japan in the 1980’s and proved to be a
very effective tool to overcome the ill effects of a hectic life and
stressful work environment.
Forest bathing in nature allows the stressed portions of your brain to
relax. Positive hormones are released in the body. You feel less sad,
angry and anxious. It helps to avoid stress and burnout, and aids in
fighting depression and anxiety. A forest bath is known to boost immunity
and leads to lesser days of illness as well as faster recovery from injury
or surgery. Nature has a positive effect on our mind as well as body. It
improves heart and lung health, and is known to increases focus,
concentration and memory.