Summer “Forest bathing”
5 July 2018
On the eve of the summer season, synonym of relaxation, take some time to get a bit of rest in forest and to discover all the benefits of forest therapy.
On the eve of the summer season, synonym of relaxation, take some time to get a bit of rest in forest and to discover all the benefits of forest therapy.
The health benefits of trees have been known since ancient times. In the 5th century BC, Hippocrates of Kos recommends to walk and to stay in forested mountains (On Airs, Waters and Places). More recently, during the second half of the 19th century, forestry cures were developed at the same time as balneotherapy, thalassotherapy and heliotherapy cures.
Today, it has been scientifically established that to walk in forest is excellent for health and for the well-being of individuals, notably for Qing Li’s studies which were conducted in Japan. “Forest bathing” (shinrin yoku) qualities are many because of the air that we are breathing, colors one can admire (chromatotherapy), plants one can touch, the absence of noise…
In that respect, you have to choose the specie of tree that is of interest to you (depending on the benefits your are looking for) and lean back on it, after hugging it, to read one of the last books on “forest bathing”:
- Your Guide to Forest Bathing: Experience the Healing Power of Nature – Discover the Secrets of Shinrin-Yoku by Amos Clifford, Conari Press, 2018
- Forest Therapy: Seasonal Ways to Embrace Nature for a Happier You by Sarah Ivens, Piatkus, 2018
- Forest Bathing: The Art and Science of Forest Bathing by Qing Li, Penguin Life, 2018
©Christophe Deschanel
