by Gary Diedrichs | July 12, 2018
Even an hour of forest bathing can boost mental and physical well-being, and Japan is not alone in recognizing this. South Korea invested more than $14 million in a National Forest Therapy Centre, and New Zealand has long championed a “green prescription” that incorporates getting out into nature to address obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and depression. Even in the United States there are no fewer than 150 park-prescription programs, in states from Alaska to Wisconsin, through which people can reap the health benefits of being outdoors in a natural environment. At the national level, the National ParkRx Initiative is dedicated to using nature and public lands to improve both individual and community health.
“Our species has experienced a staggering shift from having a deep relationship with the Earth to a reliance on technology, yet we are not healthier or happier for it,” says Jenny Harrow, a certified forest therapy guide based in Northern California. “In fact, studies purport that individuals who spend more time indoors than outside are more likely to suffer from depression and chronic disease.”
Go bathe with the trees.
Σχόλια