Why forest walks are so good for us

By Sharon Quigley

We don’t need a prescription to go for a walk in the forest and experience the immense benefits of forest bathing. A growing number of physicians around the world are now prescribing exactly this.

Where did it all start? With the incidence of stress-related illness rapidly on the rise due to the boom in high-tech jobs in 1980s, the Japanese Forestry department devised an ingenious public awareness campaign to encourage people to spend more time in nature for their mental health and wellbeing.

A practice was developed which focused on sensory engagement to connect with the forest to reduce stress levels. This public awareness campaign was named Shin-rin Yoku, or ‘forest bathing’.

The campaign was so successful as forests have something special – an abundance of trees. We all know trees produce and emit oxygen into the air as part of their natural metabolic process, but what most people don’t realise is that certain types of native trees, especially conifers, also emit natural chemicals into the air as part of their defence against invading micro-organisms. Some of these natural chemicals in the forest are therapeutic for people.

Research has shown spending time in the forest can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, lower blood pressure and heart rates, and may be a valuable contributor to cardiovascular health.

So next time you go for a forest walk, remember to pause for a moment, breathe slowly to connect, and give thanks to our wonderful friends the trees.

Australian Sharon Quigley is based in Cork and is the founder of Mind Body Health Clinic and Sacred Earth Institute and offers a range of forest bathing activities incorporating the Australian native spiritual practice of nature connection. She also offers expert training for professionals who wish to become certified to lead forest eco-therapy groups.