Why Forest Bathing Is Good For You, And How to Practice It When You Don’t Have Access to Nature

Forest Bathing is Connected to Relaxation and So to Mental Health

Most of us spend most of our time indoors. In fact, according to a survey from the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend 87 percent of their time indoors, and 6 percent in a vehicle. Do some quick math and that leaves a mere 7 percent of our time to potentially be spent outdoors. 

For a handful of reasons, it’d be nice to see those statistics shift, and especially when you consider the perks of forest bathing and how easy it is. Here we dive into what forest bathing actually is, what the benefits of it are, and how you can reap the benefits of forest bathing when you don’t have direct access to nature. 

What Is Forest Bathing? 

Forest bathing—originally coined Shinrin-yoku by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries means making contact with and taking in the forest atmosphere.

Don’t worry: You don’t have to literally take a bath, or shower, in the woods. You keep your clothes on, too. You also don’t have to seek out a national park: any natural setting from a beach to the lake, a nearby urban park, or a local trail all count, according to Kaiser Permanente. 

Interest in, and the trend of, forest bathing is on the rise with major news outlets writing about it—from Time and National Geographic to NPR and even House Beautiful—in recent years. In fact, the Washington Post likened forest bathing (a few years ago) to “where yoga was 30 years ago.” 

So, why should you consider forest bathing? The short answer is it’s good for you. 

Is Forest Bathing Good for Your Health? 

Forest bathing has been shown to promote mental and physical relaxation. But also, the list of (research-backed) reasons to try it is growing. 

Here are a few of the most notable scientific benefits: 

• Walking in the forest, and even just viewing forest landscapes, has been shown to lower the stress hormone cortisol and lower blood pressure and heart rate. But per the study published in the journal Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, a walk in the forest elicits a more relaxed response in the body. 
• In people with diabetes, walking in the forest for a couple of miles lowers blood sugar. 
• A walk outside can improve your mood: a 2015 study found a nature walk (compared to an urban walk) decreased anxiety, lessened rumination, and negative affect, and preserved positive affect. 
• A nature walk has also been shown to bolster working memory.
• And forest therapy specifically may boost your immune system, per a 2021 study. 

To reap these benefits, you need to be mindful of your forest bathing. A strenuous hike, skiing or snowboarding down the mountain, or jetting around the lake on a motorboat aren’t really considered forest bathing. The benefits of forest bathing are said to kick in when you take a break from the stress of daily life, and slow down to a pace that you can see and hear elements of nature that you wouldn’t if you were moving at your usual clip.

How to Practice Forest Bathing When You Don’t Have Access to Nature

The idea of practicing forest bathing devoid of nature in 3D may sound like an oxymoron, but thanks to the growing world of virtual reality, it’s legitimately possible. Virtual Reality, or VR, is a multisensory experience that lets you fully immerse yourself into a relaxing environment (or choose from various environments). As soon as you put on the headset, you can transport instantly to the forest, or really any other setting that you select.  

But does forest bathing in VR actually work? Research suggests it does. In one recent study, participants were exposed to a mild shock (aka a stressor) and their stress response was measured. Those who were exposed to a forest or park environment had a lower stress response than their counterparts who received the same electric shock and were exposed to an urban environment. When researchers added both auditory and olfactory stimuli to the environments, they discovered that scent had the most powerful effect on stress. 

Taking a cue from these findings, it seems that to practice forest bathing via VR requires a multisensory experience.