The Benefits Of Forest Bathing In The UK
Spending time in nature is undisputedly great for your physical and mental health, especially in today’s climate where many of us spend extensive amounts of time indoors or in urban spaces.
At Lake Country House, we are situated between the multiple Welsh nature reserves, our hotel sits on the precipice of a lake and a river, and we are surrounded by enchanting woodland. So we have a deep understanding of the impact nature has on our day-to-day lives and the effect it has on our guests.
Our background in natural remedies and holistic relaxation is a huge part of why we're excited to talk about the new concept that has taken the UK by storm: forest bathing.
In this blog, we discuss what forest bathing is, where it comes from, and its benefits for both your physical and mental health.
What Is Forest Bathing?
Despite what its name suggests, no actual bathing is required when forest bathing. Forest bathing is the act of spending time amongst the trees calmly and silently while breathing deeply and observing the nature that surrounds you.
It is based on ancient Shinto and Buddhist practices and focuses on the sensation of absorbing your experience of nature through all five of your senses. Intentionally directing your thoughts towards this kind of observation helps connect you with nature and achieve a balanced state of mind.
Where Did Forest Bathing Start?
The term 'shinrin-yoku', which translates to 'forest bathing', originated in Japan in the early 1980s and was coined by Professor Yoshifumi Miyazaki. His research into mindfulness in nature was sparked by the chronic-stress crisis seen in Japan, which had been impacting Japanese citizens' mental and physical health. These issues had, in turn, been linked to issues such as increased auto-immune diseases, increased blood pressure, and even heart attacks.
After conducting numerous studies on the impact of forest bathing on treating chronic stress and the ailments associated with it, they found that forest bathing significantly reduced the cortisol levels, the primary stress hormone, of its participants.
With its success, the practice of forest bathing spread, eventually becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Now, people across the globe are exploring their local woodland in search of the perfect forest bathing spots.
After conducting countless studies on the impact of forest bathing on treating chronic stress and the ailments associated with it, they found that forest bathing significantly reduced the stress hormone cortisol levels in the test subjects.
The practice of forest bathing has now become a worldwide phenomenon and people across the globe are exploring their local woodland in search of the perfect forest bathing spots.
What Are The Effects Of Forest Bathing?
Forest Bathing Reduces Blood Pressure
Although it is normal for our blood pressure to rise slightly in moments of stress, having continuously high blood pressure increases your risk of developing chronically high blood pressure. In the UK, 74% of adults report having experienced chronic stress, which has been linked to:
- Heart Dieses
- Heart Attacks
- Stokes
A study found that after partaking in a forest bathing session, the test subjects experienced a noticeable blood pressure reduction.
The study concluded that incorporating forest bathing into a good diet and light exercise regime can over time help to lower blood pressure.
It Reduces Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is the hormone our body produces when we have a rush of adrenaline, which often happens when we are put under stress. There are cortisol receptors throughout our body, and cortisol helps to perform functions, such as:
- blood sugar regulation
- inflammation reduction
- metabolism regulation
- memory formulation
Cortisol is crucial in a legitimately life-threatening situation as it heightens our senses. However, day-to-day stresses have been known to raise our cortisol levels as well. High levels of cortisol can cause:
- Weight gain, mostly around the midsection, upper back, and face
- Thinning skin and easy bruising
- Weakened immune system
- Slower healing
- Muscle weakness
- Severe fatigue
- Trouble sleeping
- Reduced memory function
- Irritability and mood swings
- Difficulty focusing
- High blood pressure
- Headaches
All these symptoms of high cortisol can affect your quality of life; however, some studies have found that just one session of forest bathing can reduce your cortisol levels by 12.4%!
Through the relaxing effect nature has on humans, and by reducing stressful thinking, it can bring your body out of fight or flight mode and into a calm state.
Forest Bathing Can Help Reduce Depression And Anxiety
One of the most notable effects of forest bathing is the reduction in feelings of anxiety, depression, and anger. While it's perfectly natural to come across these feelings during the course of our lives, the frequency with which they occur can be a source of concern. This is especially true when taking into account that diagnoses of chronic, anxiety and depression in the UK have been on the rise.
Coping with these feelings can be difficult, whether they are a regular occurrence or not. Forest bathing has been shown to drastically reduce these feelings after just one session. All test subjects in the Japanese study reported a happy and calm mood after just one forest bathing session.
It is no secret that spending time in nature centring our minds within it has been proven to improve mental health. Yet, many people remain unaware of just how effective a tool it is when it comes to actualising our mental well-being.
It Can Even Affect Your Immune System
Our immune system is the way in which our body fights our illness and disease and gets us well again, but when this isn’t functioning as well as it should find ourselves unwell for much longer.
When you go forest bathing you breathe in phytoncides which as produced by the surrounding trees and plants. Phytoncides have been proven to enhance the activity of the cells our bodies use to fight disease.
Where Should I Forest Bathe?
The UK is littered with woodlands and forests, some ancient and some small. Although forest bathing can work in your local woodland you will gain the best results in woodlands further away from civilisation, where you can’t hear cars or towns.
Tips for Forest Bathing
If you have never forest bathed before, here are some tips to help you have a successful first session:
- Turn off your devices and remove any distractions.
- Slow down when you move through the forest so you can see and feel more.
- Take slow breaths deep into the abdomen and control your exhale.
- Be mindful of your thoughts, when your mind wonders about the future of past stress bring it back to your surroundings.
- Be present and in the moment.
- Stop, stand or sit, and ask yourself: what can I smell? What can I hear? What can I see? What can I touch and how does it feel?
Contact Us
Wales is the perfect place to forest bath as it is covered in protected woodland that expands for miles! If you are looking to escape your town or city to a lakeside paradise nestled in woodland, then Lake Country House is the perfect setting for your forest bathing getaway as you can see from the photos in this blog.