By Lynn Bartosh, Transylvania County Master Gardener
Forest bathing, known as shinrin (forest)- yoku (bath) in Japan, where the term emerged in the 1980’s, is based on scientific evidence that time spent in nature is good for you. Very good for you in fact. That feeling, after a stressful day in the office, of walking outdoors on a beautiful day and taking a deep breath of mountain fresh air…well, it’s instantly calming. We feel it but are we consciously aware of it?
Making a conscious effort to immerse yourself in nature can profoundly affect your health, your day to day interactions with others, your mood, your outlook, and your overall well-being in general. Many scientific studies back up the findings that spending well-intentioned, quiet time in nature increases Natural Killer (NK) cells (a type of white blood cell that destroy infected and diseased cells, such as cancer cells). It also increases the intracellular levels of anti-cancer proteins and reduces blood pressure and heart rate. Spending quiet time in nature reduces stress hormones (cortisol) which increases your body’s ability to manage stress. It has been proven through a Profile of Mood States test to reduce anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion while increasing vigor…which has preventive effects on depression.
So, knowing this, and having the woods literally in our own backyards, if not just a short drive away, why not take advantage of what the beauty of nature here in Transylvania County has to offer us? It’s easy to do. It does not involve strenuous hiking, it is simply immersing yourself gently in nature. Being aware of the beauty around you. Using your senses to bring the natural world close around you. Walk into your yard and look around. (Resist any temptation to pull a weed or to think about anything other than the plants around you.) See the beauty of the flowers, the trees, the shrubbery. Step with intention toward a tree and as you do so, appreciate its beauty and function. Close your eyes as you touch the bark and take a few deep breaths. When you open your eyes, look up into its branches and smile. You will feel noticeably calmer. I put a wooden bench, made from a Red Oak that fell last year, next to undisturbed woodland nearby and planted a cedar tree next to it. I sit on that bench, close my eyes and literally pet that cedar. Walking through the little paths in our woods I put my hands out and gently touch the leaves of the mountain laurel, rhododendron, and pines as I pass by. It is pure bliss… my happy place.
There have been many studies done to substantiate the benefits of forest bathing. I invite you to give it a try and then to make it a regular part of your daily life. Your yard provides many opportunities to connect with nature and there are so many resources close by. In Brevard, try a walk around the labyrinth behind St. Philip’s Episcopal Church on Main Street, the trails at Silvermont Mansion and Park, also on Main Street, and South Broad Park on Broad Street. In other areas within Transylvania County, walk along the Davidson River or through any of the beautiful trails in Pisgah National Forest, Dupont State Forest, or Gorges State Park. Holmes Educational State Forest is close by too. We are so fortunate to have these forests right here, just waiting for us to come do some relaxing, healing, and meditative shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) in them. All we need to do is step outside, and into nature.

References:
Book: “Forest Bathing” by Dr. Qing Li
Website: Nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health
Website: Health.clevelandclinic.org/why-forest-therapy-can-be-good-for-your-body-and-mind

Photo of Master Gardener Lynn Bartosh, photo credit to Craig Bartosh