In Japan as in the United States, walks in the great outdoors are real cures. Baptized “forest bathing”, the Japanese consider this practice as preventive medicine. Scientists from the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo have shown that large green spaces have considerable effects on human health and well-being.
By comparing 250 people after 30 minutes in the forest with 498 other volunteers, Professor Qing Li revealed that walking in the forest would lower heart rate and blood pressure, reduce stress, boost the immune system and provide a feeling of general well-being. One could easily think that all these benefits are closely linked to moving around, doing physical activity, but this is not the only case. The different essential oils emanating from the wood that we breathe while walking in the forest would be the cause of these benefits on our health. Another factor to take into account and not the least:staying away from screens (mobile phone, computer, television, tablet) would further reinforce this feeling of well-being. In our hyper-connected society where we can spend more than 7 hours in front of screens, "forest bathing" appears to be an excellent way to disconnect and refocus on oneself and on what surrounds us.
