If you follow me on Instagram, then you know how much I love to spend time in the great outdoors and specifically in the forest. For my birthday this year, I even drove all the way to Algonquin Provincial Park just for the day because that’s where I wanted to be on my special day!

Growing up on a farm, I think I took for granted that spending time in nature was an important part of day-to-day life. It wasn’t until I had been living and working in downtown Toronto, that I realized how much impact that regular exposure to trees and nature had on me. The pace and energy of living in the concrete jungle started to take a toll and I yearned for the peace and calm of the forest.

In the last year, I had the opportunity to go to Alberta and spent a week hiking in the mountains; and then co-led a wellness retreat in Killarney Provincial Park where we did daily yoga by the lake, hiked, and paddled. These two experiences really reminded me that time in nature has a profound positive effect on me, and since then I have intentionally made a trip to a forest for a hike at least twice per week, and started a Forest Bathing practice.

Forest Bathing or shinrin-yoku, is a practice that originated in Japan - it’s not a hike or just a walk in the forest, it is bathing in the forest atmosphere and taking in your surroundings through all five of your senses: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. “By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world. And when we are in harmony with the natural world, we can begin to heal. Our nervous system can reset itself, our bodies and minds can go back to how they ought to be.” (Taken from Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li)

I don’t think my story is all that unique. Most of us are spending more time indoors, on our devices, and in urban centres or cities these days. Homo sapiens officially became an urban species sometime in 2008. (The Nature Fix by Florence Williams) So, here are seven of the key benefits of spending time in nature, since we need to be more intentional about it these days.

7 key benefits of time in nature:

1. Promotes relaxation and stress reduction

2. Can improve pain thresholds

3. Lowers blood pressure and blood sugar levels

4. Improves concentration and memory

5. Improves cardiovascular and metabolic health

6. Boosts immunity

7. Improves energy

A recent study of 20, 000 people found that 120 minutes of nature time per week or greater, is associated with self-reported good health and high well-being vs. no contact with nature.
That’s it, just two hours total, and this can be simply going to your neighbourhood park, it doesn’t have to be going for a hike deep in the forest.
White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and well-being. Sci Rep 9, 7730 (2019). Read the full article here.

Want to learn more? Here are some of my favourite books on the topic:

• Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li

• The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

• The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing by Julia Plevin

• Forest Bathing by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

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