In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries created the term shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing” or “absorbing the forest atmosphere.”
The goal of forest bathing is to live in the present moment while immersing your senses in the sights and sounds of nature. The more in-depth practice of forest bathing has been found to lower blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of harmful hormones — like cortisol, which your body produces when it’s stressed.2 This can help put you in a more calm and relaxed state. For a guided tour through the forest please contact: Jadranka Pešt, M.D. 00385-98-9592577--- Zagreb, Croatia, Zagorje County
It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Shinrin-yoku is like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world. A two-hour forest bath will help you to unplug from technology and slow down. It will bring you into the present moment and de-stress and relax you. Let your body be your guide. Listen to where it wants to take you. And take your time. It doesn’t matter if you don’t get anywhere. You are not going anywhere. You are savoring the sounds, smells and sights of nature and letting the forest in. The key to unlocking the power of the forest is in the five senses. Let nature enter through your ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet. Listen to the birds singing and the breeze rustling in the leaves of the trees. Look at the different greens of the trees and the sunlight filtering through the branches. Smell the fragrance of the forest and breathe in the natural aromatherapy of phytoncides. Taste the freshness of the air as you take deep breaths. Place your hands on the trunk of a tree. Dip your fingers or toes in a stream. Lie on the ground. Drink in the flavor of the forest and release your sense of joy and calm. This is your sixth sense, a state of mind. Now you have connected with nature. You have crossed the bridge to happiness. When you have been busy at work all week, it can be hard to slow down. You may have been rushing around so much you no longer know how to stand still. Walking with a guide who is a trained forest therapist can help you feel more comfortable and find the right environment to fit your needs. The forest-therapy program can include guided walks. Doctors are on hand to offer general health assessments. But it is just as easy to forest-bathe without a guide. And there are many different activities you can do in the forest that will help you to relax and to connect with nature. Here are some of the things people do: forest walking, yoga, eating in the forest, hot-spring therapy, T’ai chi, meditation, breathing exercises, aromatherapy, art classes and pottery, Nordic walking and plant observation. It doesn’t matter how fit – or unfit – you are. Shinrin-yoku is suitable for any level of fitness. You can forest-bathe anywhere in the world – wherever there are trees; in hot weather or in cold; in rain, sunshine or snow. Istraživanja koja je od 2004. proveo japanski profesor Yoshifumi Miyazaki pokazala su da polagano hodanje kroz šumu snižava razine kortizola, hormona stresa, za 12,4% u odnosu na šetnju gradskom sredinom. Provedeno je još jedno zanimljivo istraživanje, tijekom kojeg se uspoređivalo zdravstveno stanje osoba koje su jedan dan provele u gradskoj vrevi i onih koji su tijekom jednoga dana 30 minuta hodali šumom. Rezultati su bili zapanjujući: kod onih koji su boravili u šumi puls je bio usporeniji, a krvni tlak niži. Ova skupina ljudi bila je smirenija i opuštenija te je imala niže razine kortizola. Osobe koje često borave u prirodi, u okruženju stabala, puno se bolje mentalno osjećaju, bolje su raspoložene i prijateljski su nastrojene prema drugima. Boravak u prirodi znatno utječe na vaše emocije. Osim što smanjuje ljutnju, tugu i umor, potiče lučenje hormona sreće te pridonosi osjećaju radosti i užitka.
Šumsko kupanje, pokazala su istraživanja, utječe i na vaš krvni tlak, i to tako da ga snižava. Na taj način uvelike štiti i zdravlje vašeg srca. Jedna studija u Japanu, koja je uključila više od 700 sudionika, pokazala je da se krvni tlak u šumskom ambijentu snižava, za razliku od gradskih ulica, gdje tlak kod osoba raste zbog povećanog stresa i buke. Priroda zaista može znatno ubrzati oporavak od bolesti i proživljene traume. Dr. Roger Ulrich, arhitekt zadužen za gradnju objekata koji pogoduju zdravlju, proveo je zanimljivu studiju, koja je pokazala da već sam pogled s prozora na zeleno okruženje ubrzava oporavak od bolesti. Jedna je studija iz 2014. pokazala je da se kod osoba koje su 4 dana u tjednu provodile u prirodi bez elektroničkih gadgeta za 50% povećala sposobnost pronalaska kreativnih rješenja problema. Studija je također otkrila da se djeca s ADHD-om bolje koncentriraju u šumskom ambijentu nego u onom urbanom.
