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.

Look for Comfort - Ortho-Bionomy®

I was fortunate to attend the class by Luann Overmyer, a well-known instructor and practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy^®.  I heard of the approach and her name when I was still at massage school, but I didn’t know anything about it.

Her biography was pretty intense as she had a near-death experience from a motorcycle accident.  It sounded like a miracle that her body coped with such damage without permanent impairment.  Ortho-Bionomy is what she learned to care, correct, and re-educate her body and mind.  She believes it is the most whole modality. 

Her class was short, but hands-on from the beginning.  Since I didn’t have any prior knowledge, I couldn’t digest what we were doing at that time, but I at least knew the approach was completely different from what I knew and intriguing.  It is an indirect method, so you don’t manipulate soft tissue directly.  Instead, you touch lightly and hold or position parts of the body very gently.

To understand more about what we did in the class, I bought her book “Ortho-Bionomy A Path to Self Care.”  I like anything “self-care” as my first book about massage therapy was “The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook,” and I’ve been writing many posts labeled “self-care.”  I want you to be in charge of your own body and health, what’s going on and what will be good for you.  Her book has a lot of information and self-care exercises.  Unlike The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, you focus on the most comfortable position where pain subsides, not the pain itself. 

If you try to find pain, you will almost always find it.  We are anticipating pain in a sense, and making it almost like a habit.  Ortho-Bionomy shows you the opposite is true.  “Comfort can be learned as well” said she.  If you try to find comfort, you will find it.  Make the comfort a habit. 

If you want to learn more about Ortho-Bionomy^®, go to the official site. 

FAQ: Does a massage therapist tell me what’s “wrong” with me, and “fix” my problem?

Massage therapists are NOT allowed to diagnose any conditions.  Although more and more massage therapists work in clinical settings, they can only assess the condition, apply “the manipulation of the soft tissues” appropriate for the condition, and possibly suggest self-care you can do at home (the scope of practice varies by state).  Massage therapists cannot say and shouldn’t imply that you have “carpal tunnel syndrome,” for example. 

Some comments from people and even other massage therapists have caught my attention.  It is getting obvious to me that we were taught somewhere that we are “bad” if we have pain, knots, stiffness, or any other soft tissue problems.  It seems to be treated as a disease.  We even label the shoulder or any part of the body which gives us troubles, as “the bad shoulder.”

I understand you can’t help asking this question: “Do I have a knot there?”  It is a natural desire to know the cause of the issue because it’s supposed to be “bad” and should be treated.  Some people take it almost personally, but get relieved to know that many other people have the same problem.  Others seem to give in to the fact as “I-have-lots-of-knots-in-the-shoulder-you-will-see” and are even apologetic as if they did something wrong.    

I started to wonder if massage therapists are the ones educating their clients that they have “bad” knots or “bad” shoulders, so the therapists have to “fix” them.  I was taken aback when one lady told me that her massage therapist vulgarly said her body was “messed up (not the exact word),” so she “had to fix her.”  I wonder if playing a doctor really makes anybody feel better and positive about their body and themselves. 

I believe any massage therapists intend to help their clients feel better.  It’s just that my approach is different (A Holistic Approach explains how my view changed).  First of all, I do not judge no matter how the condition is, by tightness, the numbers of knots and etc.  I accept as it is.  I only feel for them for their discomfort and frustration.  Secondly, I try to use only positive expressions, and avoid negative words, especially “bad.”  I want each of my session a positive experience.  Human body has the innate power to heal itself to maintain equilibrium called “homeostasis.”  As I always emphasize, the body and mind are strongly connected.  My goal is to offer them confidence that they are in charge of their body and can go through a positive change.  I am only here to help, not to “fix.”  

Art of Pressure

It seems pretty common that some people got a massage from friends and family, and it got sore or even painful, next day.  The reason why you got hurt next day is your muscle fibers got damaged (bruised) because of too much pressure.  Just because the muscle is tight, you can’t pound on it expecting it getting tender (your body isn’t meat!).  Besides, “No pain, no gain" isn’t always true.  As much as I want to promote self-care, I don’t necessarily recommend your friends and family give you a massage.  It’s not the techniques that they lack,  but the art of pressure, speed and depth, in my opinion.  

I get comments from my clients that the pressure I use is “just right.” I immerse myself in the feel of tissue (it’s a mentally and physically hard work), and I don’t go deeper than what the tissue lets me.  Although we usually talk about “pressure,” it is actually a combination of pressure, speed and depth.  My pace may be a little slower than the average massage therapists’ because I “listen to the tissue” every inch.  It requires both sensitivity of my palpation (touch) and intuition.  It is as if tissue calls out for me to get my attention.  If I move faster, I may miss it.  If something gets my attention, I stop, work on it, and, when I feel a change again, continue.  

I don’t normally analyze what it is, why it is there, or what it means when I notice some change in the tissue, unless I apply Trigger Point Therapy.  The great thing about the massage therapy profession is that massage therapists are not allowed to diagnose – it’s out of the scope of practice.  We can’t name or label what the condition is.  To me, it’s such a freedom because I want to see a person as a whole, not the collection of conditions and symptoms.  Like in the Eastern medicine, you can only find imbalance in the body, whatever it manifests.  

A Holistic Approach

I have a holistic view of health and wellness. The word is related to “holism,” which emphasizes the interconnection of the parts reference to the whole, but now it’s strongly associated with medicine.  While Western medicine tends to analyze only the physical symptoms, the holistic approach takes a whole person (mental and social factors) into consideration.  

When I started my massage school, I was only interested in “clinical massage.”   I wanted to offer pain relief because I was always goal-oriented, so I wanted to “fix” their problems once and for all.  However, I learned that massage therapy was more than just fixing problems.  Don't get me wrong; my ultimate goal is still to help clients improve their conditions.  My view changed to the following:

私の目指すマッサージセラピー

私が目指すものは、単なるマッサージではなく「マッサージセラピー」です。マッサージはコリをほぐしたり、痛みを和らげたり、ストレス解消になり健康にいいことはご存知かと思います。「マッサージセラピー」はもちろんそれも含まれているのですが、それ以上を目指しています。心理療法が「話す」ことを媒介とした「心」のセラピーであるのとは異なり、マッサージセラピーは「触れる」ことを媒介とした「体と心 (body-mind)」のセラピーです。マッサージは、身体的な変化(血行が良くなるなど)を起こすだけではなく、身体への刺激がさらに精神的／心理的変化(リラックスするなど)を起こします。よく「心身ともに」とか「病は気から」と言いますが、体と心は強く結びついています。感情が顔の表情に出ます。心の痛みが体の痛みとなって表面化します。過去に怪我をしたり、辛い経験と関連のある体の部分に触れられると、その時の感情がよみがえることがよくあります。 そのため、マッサージセラピストは体に触れるだけではなく「心」にも触れる仕事だと言えます。そういう意味で、包括的 (holistic) なセラピーと言えます。