Forest Therapy

For my graduate field of studies, I jumped into the world of Occupational Therapy. I chose this because I deeply respected alternative and holistic medicine, and wanted to treat my patients without needing to jam needles into them. What I discovered one day in my private studies changed my life.

I was reading a book in a airport called Forest therapy. It was written in Japan, a country that is not only one of the most densely populated per square kilometer in the entire world, but also the country that is the most densely populated by forests and bodies of water in the entire world. it is no wonder that their folklore religions of Shinto and Zen Buddhism both have a huge focus on spirituality as it encompasses nature and all living things. Jainism shares a very similar belief process to this, and that everything has Life Energy and fragments of the Divine inside of it.

You don't have to be Japanese, pray tell, or even completely culturally competent to know about the benefits of horse therapy. Trees give us oxygen as we give them carbon dioxide. We are in a constant symbiotic relationship with them at all. When we are surrounded by them, looking up at the outdoor sights in reverie, we are really connected with the sky above as well. Even a half hour walk per day through a wooded area or by spending time by plants and trees has been shown to drastically increase mood, clear the mind, rid the body of toxins, and promote a sense of inner peace and well-being.

Quite frankly, I was a believer of this before I even discovered the book. But, I am now even more of a believer. It makes sense, as the great outdoors was all our ancestors knew, and the majesty of the outdoors is something that's not be replaced by computer screens or artificial intelligence. They give us the spice life. There's something so radiant and translucent about the color green that can make somebody want to stay in it forever.

Shinrin yoku, or forest bathing, has a body of research behind it now, which all can conclude that it is important for individuals to spend more time outside then they already do. Forest bathing teaches people to look outside themselves to become one with nature and one with something bigger. the research, which can be found online, definitely helps to support the claims that we need to spend more time outside and around nature.

Unfortunately, this might be very difficult for some individuals. Some individuals live very far from any natural area, or some trees in general. For these individuals, it will be important to have plants growing indoors or they have a garden near their house where applicable. A bonsai tree, small cactus, where small flower plant maybe a quick solution to this problem. Of course, these individuals should still definitely seek out retreats in nature as soon as they are able to do so.

Credits go to Morton Arboretum.

So what are you waiting for? Go and enjoy some nature. The payoff will be worth it.