Friday Fact - Forest Air Bathing

 

In Japan, they have a special phrase to describe a relaxing walk in the woods:  "Shinrin-yoku"...loosely translated as forest air bathing. 

We all know that walking amid the trees makes us feel better.  It gives us a peaceful feeling.  But is the peaceful feeling all psychological? It turns out not.  It turns out there's actually something in the air.

A study done in the Sierra Nevadas of California found that there are 120 different chemical compounds in the forest air that gets "absorbed" by our bodies. Only 70 of them, however, could be identified!  Dr. Joan Maloof writes: "We are literally breathing things we don't understand...."

But what we do know is that we physically react to them. Medical researchers in Japan have now shown that breathing the volatile compounds released by trees actually lowers blood pressure, increases saliva, improves glucose levels in diabetic patients, and reduces depression in just a few hours.

And that's a Friday Fact!

You can help the trees by supporting efforts to stop Mountain Top Removal.  For more information, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[susan]

Another interesting fact! I often take a walk in the woods to feel better, but I just figured it was the change in scenery or exercise, or fresh air. Cool!

[Kerri]

Wow - I love this fact....and I have been feeling the effects of this for the past 6 months...I have spent many hours walking among the trees on a weekly basis...and feel the best I've felt in all my 40 years. Great Post!

[Crafty green Poet]

Japanese has so many wonderful phrases! I love walking in the woods and now I've found out antother reason why its good for me! Thanks!

[Beth]

"Forest Air Bathing." Oh, June, I love that! I take forest-air baths several times a day. So now I know why they leave me feeling so renewed and refreshed. As always, June, a wonderful Friday Fact!

[June]

There are few wooded areas to be found in south Florida. Perhaps that's why people there always seem to have their blood pressure perking! I'm gonna miss my woods.

[sandykessler]

I definitely believe this tree breathing- bathing- and do support the mountain top removal ban- look wht it did in mining states?

[Becca]

How interesting! I too love walking in the woods (and being by the water - I wonder if that has similar properties?)

And no, there aren't too many good forests in South Florida. Our home there is near the Corkscrew Sanctuary, which has about 10 miles of conserved land for walking and bird watching.

[colleen]

I'm so happy when science can back up what we instinctively know. I read somewhere once that pine was especially good for meditation near.

[colleen]

I'm so happy when science can back up what we instinctively know. I read somewhere once that pine was especially good for meditation near.

[Bonnie Jacobs]

Thanks, June. I'll go back into my post and publish a link to this information on forest air bathing. How did I miss this? Was it before I had "found" you? Maybe.