Shinrin-yoku – Forest Bathing

   © Naoko Otani

Shinrin-yoku (森林浴): A visit to a forest for relaxation and healing

I was lucky to have grown up close to nature for the Japanese, who live in a crowded city.  My parents frequently took me to the mountains, rivers and lakes.  I loved the sound of rivers and sweet smell of earthy air in the forest and mountains.  I feel at home when I’m in the woods because that’s where I can totally relax, get energized, and, above all, feel being part of the universe. 

I often heard of the term, shinrin-yoku, in Japan, so I was surprised to come across this Japanese word in English articles recently.  It’s no surprising that being in nature makes us feel better and relaxed.  However, the recent studies show scientific evidence that being exposed to the forest air has positive physiological effects.  In Japan, as of now, there are 64 accredited areas and trails for shinrin-yoku therapy.

Major effects noted in the studies are:

• Boosted immune system: increased natural killer (NK) cell activity, the number of NK cells, and levels of anti-cancer proteins
• Reduced stress: lowered cortisol (stress hormone) and pulse rate
• Lowered blood pressure
• Greater parasympathetic nerve activity  

The effects in the studies are often associated with phytoncides, aromatic volatile organic compounds released from trees and plants.  However, forest environments affect us through all of our senses: sight of scenery, smell of wood and flowers, sound of running streams, chirping birds, or the rustle of leaves, feel of grass and trees, and for some people, taste of edible plants.   

Let’s head out for the forests and relax! 

No time right now?  Watching a 5-minute Forest Therapy Break made by Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs might help you relax.

Nurture Our Mind

I’ve been talking about body-mind connection all the time.  We can’t talk about healthy self without considering healthy mind.  There is a Japanese saying, “Sickness originates in mind. (Yamai wa ki kara.)”  If we want to be well inside out, we need healthy thinking to nurture our mind. 

A source of routine nutrients for my mind, so to speak, is a weekly e-newsletter “Just One Thing (JOT)” by Rick Hanson, PhD.  It’s a short essay about “a simple practice each week for more joy, more fulfilling relationships, and more peace of mind.” His topics deal with everyday experiences, and the solutions are simple.  I first came across his writing "Relax and Contended" when I was looking for an article about relaxation and the nervous system for one of my first posts “Benefits of Massage Therapy.”  He is a psychologist interested in modern neuroscience.  I like his approach incorporating physiological aspect (body) into psychology (mind) because it mirrors my approach to massage therapy (mine is incorporating mind into body).

This week’s Just One Thing, “Relax anxiety about imperfection,” came at the right timing.  I’ve been anxious about a relatively minor thing this week, which didn’t cause a big damage, but could have been prevented or better.  Imperfections are everywhere.  Instead of reacting to each imperfection, which makes us feel even worse, he suggests we should accept them as they are, and “realize the impossibility of perfecting anything.”  I try to tell myself that everything will be all right in the end, even with a few imperfections.  And, peace of mind - that’s what matters most.

Listen to Our Innate Wisdom

INNATE WISDOM or INNER DOCTOR: I have heard of these words many times by now, and it also relates to the introduction of “Ortho-Bionomy A Path to Self Care” by Luann Overmyer mentioned in the last post.  In the holistic approach, maintaining equilibrium within us is important for our well-being.  We do have an INNATE WISDOM or INNER DOCTOR in us to heal ourselves, self-regulate and balance itself.  Have you recently listened to your innate wisdom?

When it comes to our health care, we are used to being told what is wrong, and what to do by health care professionals.  And, medical professionals rarely ask us what we have to say about our pain or discomfort.  When one client tried to tell his doctor what he thought was wrong, he was silenced by “Are you a doctor?”  I would say, “yes, everybody has a doctor within!” 

Some people are aware of what their body needs, but most people don’t know how or never thought about it.  Next time you feel discomfort or pain, I encourage you to take a moment to tune into your body and ask yourself BEFORE thinking about inconveniences and worst scenarios.

What am I feeling?

What is my body telling me?  

What should I do now to make it feel better?

It is likely that taking a moment to pay attention to our body alone relieves some of the pain and discomfort.  Be curious and responsible for our own body.  It will help us assess and cope with pain or discomfort more calmly and wisely.   

 *Disclaimer: I am NOT suggesting you ignore diagnosis or advise from medical professionals.

We Are What We Eat

Thy food shall be thy medicine. – Hippocrates

We can’t talk about health and wellness without discussing what we eat.  I’ve encountered many people who were ill, but became healthy after they changed their diet.  However, I’ve never discussed food since I started this blog one year ago.  Mainly because I do have very strong opinions about it, and some issues can be political (such as GMO – I won’t talk about it here).  I’m going to share a little bit of my background of diet. 

Our eating habit is more or less cultural and depends on what we ate growing up.  I grew up in Japan eating meals made from scratch and cooked with whole foods as most Japanese families did.^*1  We hardly ever used canned/jar food and ate little processed food except Tofu.  We ate a small amount of meat always cooked with vegetables.  We typically bought fish, vegetables and fruit available in that season.  We know we should eat in-season food because they are the best (and cheaper) only during that time.  The food was normally braised, sautéed, grilled (mostly fish), and very occasionally deep fried.  We drank green tea or brown tea (hoji-cha – roasted green tea) after meal.  We ate fruit as a dessert, or small-sized sweets (Japanese or Western).  I don’t remember what we ate for snacks, but definitely not a bag of potato chips or ice cream, and didn’t drink soda except on our birthdays.  I am aware that younger generations probably eat more fast food, chips and soda, but there are a lot of other alternatives, so they don’t have to eat fatty, sweet food all the time.

I almost always cook from scratch using organic ingredients as much as I can.  If I cook something with a packaged/canned sauce even though I use fresh vegetables and meat, I feel like I am not making a proper meal.  If I use a frozen package meal and just heat it up (always adding more vegetables), I don’t consider it “cooking.”  I now make spice mix myself even for ethnic food such as Mexican and Indian, that I usually bought packaged/canned sauce or mix.  I just want to use the ingredients I know, and more importantly, it tastes much, much better (also cheaper).  In the same sense, I never used a boxed cake mix or a frozen pie crust in my life.  If I make cookies, cake or pie, it must be from scratch.  I also occasionally bake bread and make fresh pasta.  Even with all this, I doubt I am considered a great cook in Japan because other Japanese women do as much as I do. 

I do have a high standard for what I eat, and a high expectation for how I prepare meals.  I place such importance on cooking with fresh whole foods because I believe we are what we eat.  That’s why I find the popularity of “supplements” and “superfoods” too excessive.  It is great that people try to be healthier, and I am not against buying dietary supplements.  However, I can’t help thinking why not eat whole foods as this country is abundant in them.  Some people seem to want a magic pill, or a short-cut skipping eating a variety of vegetables and fruit everyday and doing exercises regularly to have healthy life.  “Supplements” are called supplements for a reason.  I believe you need a good foundation of diet first to add supplements to see results.  If we only need a collection of nutrients, do we want to live in the world where everybody has to take just one pill to survive?^*2 

What about “superfoods”?  I believe ALL whole foods are “superfoods” and more beneficial than multiple supplements. The bottom line is to eat a variety of whole foods, not just ones publicized in the media.  Whole foods consist of numerous nutrients (including more complex micronutrients), minerals, fiber, and maybe something else we don’t know yet that is good for us.  Why abandoning the natural gift of Mother Earth?  Above all, eating fresh food would bring us the joy of life.      

*¹ Just for fun, you might want to read “Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat.”

*² I highly recommend a science fiction movie “Soylent Green.”  Made back in the early 70’s, it seemed to have predicted the current course of future already.  It is very profound.