Forest Bathing.

ShahdagMountains

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Has anyone tried this?

There is a moment of awe that washes over you when you step into a forest. Century-old trees tower above, sunlight twinkling through them. Birds tweet. Spiders weave their elaborate webs. The smell of pine needles fill the air.

The act of spending time in the forest is what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, a term originating in the 1980s that means "bathing in the forest atmosphere," says Qing Li, a researcher on this topic and a professor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo.

Not only is "forest bathing" a magical way to explore nature, decades of research has shown that it's good for your health. It can boost your immune system, lower blood pressure and help with depression. It can also reduce the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline and turn down the dial on your body's fight-or-flight response.

Li and Gary Evans, director of the Forest Bathing Institute in the U.K., talk to Life Kit about the science behind forest bathing and how you can reap these

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You’re becoming a person of interest, Zafira Cherry.

Don’t give too much away.
 
Well, if I'm in the forest most of the time I'm looking for table fare.

I must say though that it is nice during Spring Gobbler season to get in before daylight and watch it come alive while listening for that first gobbler to come off roost and sing out.

Then it's game on!

If I was looking for some "Zen" experience I'd prefer to go down to the river and just sit watch it roll by. It sets your mind right. Even a small creek or stream works.
 
"Winter is coming" which means that the fall leave changes are right around the corner. My favorite time of the year to hike.

Last fall in NC.

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When we were in the "field" in Norway, we were required to do like a hobo's bath using our helmets and canteen cups to melt snow for water, wash ourselves, and rinse off.

One day, I decided to explore the woods. I walked quite a way from camp (up a big hill) and found a spring. The water was about a foot deep, with rock bottom. . . I decided to wash up in the runoff of that spring, and to this day, I think that was the cleanest and most refreshed by a bath or shower I have ever felt.
 
Why does everything need a trendy name? They should call it Forest Frosting since Robert Forest walked alone in the woods contemplating things 75 years before shinrin-yoku? I think he even tweeted about it back then, though he probably should have taken some snaps for his insta. He would have gotten a lot more interactions. Now all he gets is a retweet at every graduation ceremony ever.
 
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