Have you walked through a forest in silence, without effort, simply enjoying the fresh air and the surroundings? What do you feel? Losing myself in the fragrant eucalyptus forests of Galicia is one of my favorite pleasures. In different countries of the world - especially South Korea, Finland and Japan, whose forests cover 67 percent of its territory - walking through the forest is recommended as a very effective therapy.
In Japan, the government launched a public health program for shinrin-yoku, or "forest baths," in 1982, and today up to five million Japanese use this natural therapy annually. It is being proven that this way they reduce the heart rate and blood pressure, reduce the production of stressful hormones, boost the immune system and improve the feeling of well-being.
Those who practice forest baths also have less anxiety and are less likely to have a heart attack. It has even been proven that when you take a bath in nature, the NK cells - natural killers, which fight against infected or cancer cells - are significantly increased. These effects last one month after the forest bath.
WHY DOES SOMETHING SO SIMPLE, SO NATURAL WORK?
There are many reasons why forest bathing is beneficial. One of them is that evolutionarily the forest was our natural environment and we are still adapted to it. Immersing ourselves in the natural world calms the activity of our prefrontal cortex, with which we plan and make decisions, and instead activates the areas of the brain related to emotion, pleasure, empathy and creativity. In this way we are able to momentarily turn off or slow down the automatic reflection of our mind, which consists of anticipating problems and that leaves a negative mark on our mental and physical health.
Another reason is that the essential oils found in wood, plants and some berries, which are emitted to protect ourselves from germs and insects, are balsamic. By inhaling deeply, humans participate in the beneficial effects of the forest.