1. Escaping the toxic environments of cities and towns is an important adjunct to healing.
2. Retreating to nature, especially the abundance of a forest, can recharge your batteries and allow for deep healing to occur.
3. Regularly supplying your body with negative charge through sunlight, grounding, and deep breathing is no longer optional; it is necessary to attain optimal health.
In Japanese, Shinrin-yoku (森林浴) literally translates as “forest bathing,” a term that became popular in Japan during the 1980s. But this natural therapeutic has been a part of Japanese culture and religions since ancient times. (1)
Forests cover two-thirds of Japan and are considered sacred spaces. The country’s major religions, Buddhism and Shinto, recognize the forest as being part of the Divine, and many people believe spirits reside among the trees. So, it’s not surprising that many of Tokyo’s residents eagerly retreat to the woods to restore balance and recharge their batteries. (2)
Taking time out of your busy life may, at first, seem inconvenient, but the health benefits can be enormous. Not only does stepping away from schedules, social media, indoor lighting, and non-native electromagnetic frequencies (nnEMFs) reduce tension, but doing so also encourages the body to ease into a relaxed, parasympathetic state of being—the opposite of fight-or-flight mode, where many people have become stuck.
Sunlight exposure, grounding, and deep breathing have all been shown to lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels, stimulate nitric oxide release (which relaxes blood vessels), and increase negative charge throughout the body. This negative charge naturally thins the blood, increases energy flow, and reduces oxidative stress and inflammation.
Escaping to nature doesn’t mean loading your car with all the devices and tech you think you “can’t do without.” Every phone, tablet, and Bluetooth peripheral emits an electromagnetic field that causes chronodisruption (dysregulation of your biological clocks) and adds chaos to your body’s natural negative charge. This chaos damages your cells, which reduces your ability to produce energy and heal. (3)
Towns and cities are filled with energy-draining pollutants. Exhaust emissions from gas-powered vehicles, nnEMFs from 5G towers, WIFI signals from store and restaurant hot-spots, and circadian-disrupting light from LED and fluorescent bulbs name just a few of them. These toxins bathe you twenty-four hours a day as you walk, drive, or dine within any metropolitan area. (4) (5)
Because of the near-continuous exposure to nnEMFs in today’s world, it is imperative that you take regular breaks from such environments and give your body a chance to recharge, restore, and heal. Shinrin-yoku is a great way to do just that.
The benefits of forest bathing are many and work synergistically to magnify their effects. They come to us primarily through sun exposure, earthing, and breathing fresh air.
Sunlight offers countless health benefits and even motivates you to get outside by making you addicted to it, thanks to oxytocin, one of the feel-good hormones. Infrared light (IR)—which dominates sunlight’s spectrum—penetrates deep into your skin and increases energy production within your cells. Additionally, IR stimulates the release of nitric oxide, which lowers blood pressure and improves circulation. Exposure to ultraviolet wavelengths is also important for the production of vitamin D and melanin, both of which are protective against oxidative stress and stimulate the production of important hormones. (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
Grounding to earth recharges your batteries by improving your REDOX potential—your ability to keep electrons flowing freely through your system. Earthing also protects you from nnEMFs, which cause a build-up of positive charge on your skin and interfere with the electrical flow of your central nervous system. (11) (12) (13)
Outside, amid the trees, the air is loaded with electrons. These electrons flow into you with every breath you take. Through slow, deep breathing, you can use this fresh air to recharge your entire system for free. Focused breath work also shifts you out of sympathetic—fight-or-flight—mode and into parasympathetic—rest-and-digest—mode, which reduces stress and anxiety. Additionally, deep breathing has been found to increase blood oxygen levels, improve lung and immune function, and reduce muscle tension and headaches. (14) (15)
When you put sunlight, earthing and breath work together, you will find that you can supercharge your cells by infusing energy back into them. (16) (17)
While there really is no wrong way to commune with nature through forest bathing, you could begin your journey by finding a quiet space to settle and recalibrate. For maximum benefit, these few minutes should involve slow, deep breaths into the belly. Imagine yourself inspiring a radiant light and letting it rise up until it shines out of the crown of your head. As you let your breath out, tighten your pelvic floor—or root chakra—as you pull your diaphragm inward and up under your heart.
These slow, gentle breaths will help you become more present and aware of your surroundings: the forest scents in the air, the textures under your feet and fingers, the light and shadows as they dance with the motion of the trees and leaves.
Natural sounds also provide potent healing frequencies: the subtle whisper of wind and rustle of leaves; the creak of tree limbs and trickle of water; songbirds, crickets, or cicada, lending overture to the melodic woodland chant. All you have to do is quiet your mind, away from the high-speed fervor of daily life and into the gentle rhythms of Nature.
With your senses now tuned to the natural world, you might choose to rise and embark on a walking meditation. In order to earth, you must bare your feet, and it is wise to step with focus, care, and clear intention. Imagine yourself floating a millimeter above the ground, leaving no footprints behind you.
As you walk, mottled sunlight might kiss your skin, radiating infrared light deep into your tissues to breathe fresh energy into your cells. The scent of the earth may smell sweet, while fallen leaves and flower pollen excite your olfactory nerves and flood your mind with memories of other times and places. A childhood camping trip, perhaps, or a family weekend adventure.
You come to a stream as you wander and step into the cool water up to your ankles. This is the ultimate form of earthing: feet plugged into the ground through water. Your system recharge shifts into high gear.
Feeling satisfied and perhaps a little sleepy, you find a new place to settle, on a moss-edged rock or a warm patch of grass. Again, you open your senses and breathe, receiving blessings from the trees, the scent of wildflowers, the woodland’s symphony, and its tapestry of light and shade.
A handful of breaths later, you might rise, offer a quiet prayer to thank Mother Earth, and wander slowly from the woods. With a grateful heart, you pause to thank yourself for making the time to commune with Nature and recharge your cellular batteries. (18) (19) (20) (21)
The first step to exploring the gentle art of Shinrin-yoku is simply to get out into Nature. Once there, you are free to choose a well-beaten path or to blaze your own trail. That is what healing is all about. You learn to listen to the innate wisdom of your body and follow what feels right for you.
Alex Hayes, CHN, is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, healer, researcher, and writer. She helps women rewrite their health journeys so they can experience the “happily ever after” they deserve. When not writing, she is studying the latest in nutrition, refining her own wellness practices, or connecting with nature.
