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EXPLORER STORIES
SHINRIN-YOKU - WHY FOREST BATHING IS SO GOOD FOR US
FOREST BATHING AS A NEW TREND
Basically, we know how good it feels to be in the forest. Nevertheless, many people have lost touch with it. Shinrin-Yoku is the chance to reconnect intensively with nature. Forest, city park, your own garden, tree-lined avenue or balcony - no matter where you prefer to be: just 10-20 minutes outside make a difference.
- Blood pressure and heart rate drop.
- The release of stress hormones is reduced.
- Studies have also shown that natural colours or shades of green and blue have a particularly positive, calming effect on people.
The result: you immediately improve your physical and mental well-being and connect with the environment. This effect is well known and in fact the love of nature is almost as old as mankind itself: As early as the 6th century BC, the Persian king Cyrus the Great deliberately laid out a garden for his people to increase their general well-being. The alchemist Paracelsus was also a great fan and in the 16th century repeatedly praised the healing power of nature on humans.
And today? Is a normal walk in the forest being made hip again as "Shinrin-Yoku"? It's not quite that simple after all...
ORIGIN AND DEFINITION OF FOREST BATHING
The term was created in the 80s by the head of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to attract more visitors to the forests: Shinrin means "forest" and Yoku means "bath". This gave rise to an entire movement, in both senses: behind the beautiful image of forest bathing is the intention to consciously absorb the forest by perceiving it with all one's senses.
The goal: to let the border disappear, to connect and become one with nature.
Sounds complex, but anyone can do it. We tell you how!
FOREST BATHING: TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
1. Digital time-out
Technology off, senses on! This way you can focus much better on your surroundings because there are no text messages or music to distract you. Let your mind drift and your thoughts wander. This will clear your head.
2. Take your time
Finally, no traffic lights that you have to catch in a hurry. What walking pace feels good? Find your own pace. And your own rhythm.
3. Concentrate on the simplest thing: breathing
You breathe in what the plants breathe out, and vice versa. Just imagining this makes you feel the connection to your surroundings. Apart from that, conscious, deep breathing in and out is a good way to relax physically and recharge your batteries at the same time.
4. With all your senses
Take small breaks to pause for a moment so that you can notice things more clearly. For example, you could take a leaf carefully in your hand. How does it feel, how does the fibre structure run? Look for the small insects. What does the leaf smell like? What does the rustling sound like?
5. Shinrin-Yoku at home
No green space nearby? No problem! Even photos with pictures of trees and plants and the care of indoor plants can have health-promoting effects, and furnishings with wooden surfaces have a calming effect. With high-quality essential oils and the incomparable smell of wood and coniferous trees, you can bring peace, freedom and relaxation into your home.
So, nature is waiting for you - what are you waiting for? Get outside!
