A New Type of Bathing Hikers Can Get Behind

The Japanese, the same people that North Americans can thank for karaoke, anime, can now be thanked for bringing us forest bathing.

No, forest bathing isn't stripping down and jumping in a stream or rubbing yourself down with leaves in the middle of the woods. Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku in Japanese, is the idea of visiting a forest for relaxation and recreation and breathing in substances secreted by the plants and trees. By doing so, people generally find themselves more calm and relaxed, less stress an demonstrating great physical and mental health.


The term forest bathing may be new to North America, but the idea isn't. I was introduced to the idea of the The Nature Effect on the S'more Outdoor Podcast, and I've also heard it referred to as Vitamin N, thanks to the book Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to a Nature Rich Life by Richard Louv.

The whole idea of nature as a restorative property can seem very new age and hippie, but I feel like there's something to it. I can sincerely say that after a stressful week I spend a few hours out on a hike, surrounded by sunlight, trees, plants and animals and so much of that stress washes away.  I find it so rewarding in fact, that if I go for more than about a week without a big hike my body and mind crave the activity and the outdoor surroundings.

Now, much of the notion that this nature thing works is anecdotal, but a quick google search reveals a host of academic studies that demonstrate that there is something to the forest bathing/vitamin N/nature effect idea.

The moral of the story is if you're having a stressful week in the office or you're feeling a little over-tired there's a solution that's even better than a cup of coffee or a stiff drink.  Get yourself a dose of vitamin N, get out and experience the nature effect, take a forest bath.  Whatever you want to call it, getting outdoors is good for you!