Regardless of whether we know much or little about them, there is one thing that everyone who has ever walked in a forest will agree on: that time, long or short, changes something in me. Those who walk in natural environments often describe that this activity makes them feel better, less stressed and more at peace. This is not accidental; we know that direct contact with nature leads to physical (Twohig-Bennett & Jones 2018) and psychological (Kotera et al. 2020) health benefits. Also the opposite phenomenon is proven in the scientific literature: a predominantly urban lifestyle away from nature increases the risk of ailments such as obesity, diabetes and depression (Hidaka 2012). In fact, these non-communicable diseases are currently among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity globally (World Health Organization 2018) and nationally (Ministry of Health 2020). These data become particularly important if we take into account that the urban population currently accounts for more than 50% of the world's population, and this proportion is expected to continue to grow (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division 2019). In this context, the European Union's public policies subject health are aimed at promote healthier lifestyles, inviting people to change their attitudes and behaviors (European Parliament and European Commission 2014).
The logic is clear: if certain habits lead to poorer health, they have to be changed. But logic alone is not enough: who has not broken New Year's resolutions that were very healthy and praiseworthy? Who has not abandoned a gym membership or a per diem expenses that he or she was initially eager to adopt? The very rhythm of life in our society, with its rush and excess of tasks, does not make it easy for us to adopt healthier habits. However, in this same unflattering panorama, a proposal that comes from the East is becoming known. In recent years, the so-called "forest baths", the Spanish translation of the Japanese word shinrin-yoku, have become popular in several European countries. This activity, originally from the Japanese country, is defined as "the internship of walking slowly through the forest" (Miyazaki 2018). Although it was born as a way to promote Japanese forests, scientific programs of study were developed to understand why and how forest stands are beneficial to human health. Currently, Japan's health care system includes forest baths as a medically prescribed therapy, and there are more than sixty forest therapy centers in the country (Miyazaki 2018).
What differentiates the forest baths from other proposals? I would summarize it in two interconnected elements: environment and rhythm. This activity can only be developed in a natural environment, so it carries in itself the aforementioned benefits. Although the ideal is to be able to access wild places, we should not forget the potential of urban green spaces, whose positive effects range from mental health (Guan et al 2017) to academic performance (Kuo et al 2018). The second differentiating element of forest bathing is the pace at which it takes place. Typically, in a forest bath, one does not walk long distances (about 2-3 kilometers in an hour and average), nor does one cross steep slopes. The idea is to walk slowly, without physical effort, in order to focus all our attention on what our senses perceive. The forest bathing guides have the role of marking this leisurely pace, and interspersed with activities that encourage the use of the five senses to connect with the environment, and to which participants are invited, never forced, to join. In this sense, it is an activity that is aligned with others such as mindfulness or contemplation. There is no competition or records to beat, not even one's own. It gives an opportunity for a reunion with oneself and with nature, which improves our well-being and renews us for our day to day life. And in the midst of it all, the opportunity perhaps to discover that "something" that really changes me, that gives me the impulse to improve from within and not as an external imposition. A bird's song, the drops that adorn a spider's web, the touch of moss, the smell of wet earth... Nature speaks many languages, which say something to those who stop to listen. This stopping sounds utopian to us, impossible with the pace we are going at, countercultural. But it is not; those who have tried it know it, and repeat it.
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Ana Villarroya
Researcher at Biodiversity and Environment Institute and professor at School of Sciences of the University of Navarra.
