Close your eyes and try to remember the last time you were in nature. The greenery, the fresh air, the breeze on your skin, the sunlight passing through the tree branches. How did that make you feel?

It is no secret that being in nature can make you feel revived and rejuvenated. For centuries, people have known and enjoyed the benefits of connecting with nature. In the 6th century BCE, Cyrus the Great planted a garden in the middle of a city to increase human health.

With the pandemic, more and more people have picked up outdoor activities as a form of exercise. While working out outdoors can be very beneficial for your health, you don’t necessarily have to do physical activities to enjoy the benefits of nature.

Shinrin-yoku or Forrest bathing is the art of connecting with nature. It starts by picking out your spot. It would be best if you left all your electronics behind. Then, you begin with an easy stroll into nature. The trick is to open all five senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Using your senses, you can really connect with nature and be at one with it. Go where you feel like going. Move about freely and let yourself wander.

Many researchers in ecotherapy (nature therapy) believe a strong connection between time spent in nature and reduced stress, anxiety, and depressions. In fact, according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in 2015, people who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area, as opposed to participants who walked in a high-traffic urban setting, showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression. The participants in the nature walk had lower activity in the prefrontal cortex. "When people are depressed or under high levels of stress, this part of the brain malfunctions, and people experience a continuous loop of negative thoughts," says Dr. Straus, director of geriatric psychiatry at Harvard-affiliated Cambridge Health Alliance.

The picturesque scenes you find in nature are beneficial as well, according to Dr. Strauss. "Having something pleasant to focus on like trees and greenery helps distract your mind from negative thinking, so your thoughts become less filled with worry."

Forest Bathing can reduce stress, depression, and anger, improve your overall mood by making you feel more relaxed, and improve your physical health as well as your confidence and self-esteem. Calming nature sounds or even complete outdoor silence is even believed to lower blood pressure.

Some people may not have easy access to outdoor trails or forests, and some people work from home or ever on location and may not have the time to take a stroll in nature regularly. Not to worry, according to a 2017 scientific report published online, researchers used an MRI scanner to measure the brain activity in people as they listened to sounds of nature, and they found that listening to nature sounds can have a similar effect as being in nature.

While walking in nature can positively impact both your physical and mental health, meditating a few minutes a day to nature sounds can also help reduce stress and depression, not to mention putting you in a calmer state of mind and a better mood. We have curated a Spotify playlist of nature sounds to help you get started.

What Is Forest Bathing?