Sonata Leknickaite – forest bathing guide. This peaceful 27-year-old young woman, during the interview with Druskininkai Youth Activity Centre, agreed to share more about forest bathing, its benefits and applicability in everyday life. Although forest bathing may sound a bit exotic, this method is quite old, proven, and effective in improving mental health.
I am so curious, how did you discovered forest bathing yourself?
Although I grew up surrounded by nature, when I moved to Vilnius, like most young people, I enjoyed the opportunities that city offered. Still, I did not find happiness and peace there, on the contrary, my health began to slowly weaken. I reached such state that I could no longer be around people, in the crowds and even at home. Living in an apartment building made me feel anxious. That’s when I started spending more and more time intentionally in the nature: by the lakes, in the forests. Afterwards, my body, my mind and my heart calmed down: the difference of my mental state was simply impossible not to notice. I changed my lifestyle and began to love nature strongly, realising amazing health benefits it gives me. After some time, as I became more interested in psychology and listened to various podcasts about it, I discovered such disciplines as nature therapy, ecotherapy and forest bathing. I knew right away that I wanted to know more and dive into the study. This was a very important realisation and discovery for me, like a “eureka” moment.
What benefits do you already see from the practice? What is your personal experience with forest bathing and how it affected your mental health and quality of life?
Being close to nature has changed me. When I use public transportation, the first thing I do, I open the window, because nowadays people don’t seem notice the lack of oxygen. And indeed, research shows that five main senses of human are no longer as sensitive or sharp as it was before. When I’m in Druskininkai, my heart overjoys because I’m not afraid to breathe here. If I had to briefly resume what influence nature or forest bathing gives me, the answer would be – awareness, creativity, freedom, sometimes the feeling of transcendence – touching the “more than human” world.
What is the nature of forest bathing and its history? How did this ancient element of Japanese practice become relevant to modern society?
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries coined the term and started popularising the practice in the 1980s as a government response to the societal problems caused by modernity. The people of Japan were overworked, the cities were overcrowded, and the country’s citizens began to react negatively to the new and rapid urbanisation. Japanese government was aware of the threats to public health posed by a changing world and tried to maintain the country’s cultural values and a healthy balance in society.
How does forest bathing affect our mental health? What are the main benefits that this natural therapy can provide?
When practicing forest bathing, the central nervous system switches from one state to another: the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the “fight or run” mode, “turns off” very quickly, and the parasympathetic part of the nervous system, which is responsible for the “rest and heal” condition is activated. For example, if a person felt increased anxiety before forest bathing, then during the session they will quickly notice a decrease in the amount of thoughts (sometimes people say that they don’t think anything at all anymore), and when the thoughts slow down or the mind calms down, the frequency of the brain also changes, so we move into a meditative state (alpha state) during which we deeply relax. When we ground ourselves, we become more aware of the “here and now” moment, sometimes I hear people say that “the sense of time has disappeared”, usually this state is felt as very positive, because only by being fully in this moment, you can experience joy, inspiration, peace, also called ” flow” state from which wonderful creations are born. Thus, forest bathing also helps to increase creativity. Once, after a forest bathing session, a woman shared: “I don’t remember when I felt so good. I would like to feel this way all the time. How do I achieve this?” Then and now, my answer would be that practices of mindfulness require consistency. If I want my teeth to be strong, white, and healthy, I brush my teeth, avoid sugar and certain drinks, and take vitamins. It’s the same with mental health hygiene: If I want to feel good emotionally, I strive for a stronger connection with myself, my body, nature, people, or maybe something more.
How does forest bathing help people overcome stress and reduce anxiety? Are there any studies that support these positive effects?
There are studies that prove that practicing forest bathing lowers cortisol levels in the blood, normalises blood pressure and heart rate. I will provide some examples how practicing forest bathing help people to produce happy hormones and calm down. Shifting attention from thoughts to sensations. A forest bathing guide helps a person to shift attention from thoughts to senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. Being in the forest, in nature, we may not see it, hear it, or feel it, if we are in our head. Mental tension, thoughts, analysis often stresses a person, but after shifting our attention to sensations and spending some time in a more sensual and intuitive world, we calm down because we are more “here and now” in the moment where we experience pleasant sensations. The grounding. Walking barefoot or touching the Earth with your palms is a very important component of healing. Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, explains grounding is a contact with the surface of the Earth and its natural electrical charge, which has a positive effect on the human body – it suppresses inflammation, reduces chronic fatigue, improves blood circulation, reduces stress, strengthens the immune system, stimulates cell regeneration, improves sleep. Diminishing feelings of loneliness. If forest bathing is practiced in a group, there is usually always a sense of community, because people are united by a common goal and open sharing. Some forest bathing invitations sometimes take place in small groups or in pairs, discussions take place, people, usually sit in a circle, share their experiences and thoughts, and this unites and inspires. During sharing, a sense of security, respect, listening is very important. Feeling a connection not only with people, but also with nature, increases the feeling of happiness, self-satisfaction, and life. How can you feel connected to nature? Firstly, you need to open your heart. It’s a spiritual connection that’s hard to describe, but you can feel it by being mindful with nature or just by observing it.
Can forest bathing help those suffering from depression or other mental disorders? What is the importance of this therapy in the treatment of mental health problems?
There is evidence that spending time in the forest reduces stress, increases the ability to concentrate, promotes the emergence of positive emotions, and thus reduces the symptoms of depression or anxiety disorders. When I did my research on psychology and biopsychology, I discovered more about the human brain and certain parts of it that can be so severely damaged and that damage interferes with hormone production that can lead to mental disorders, much more serious than depression or anxiety disorders. Even though it’s quite serious, I don’t want to underestimate any mental disorder, but I think that forest therapy really can’t always help, because there are very serious cases. However, it is an excellent preventive method that provide benefits, before there are no drugs involved to manage the illness, when in most cases drugs has side effects and in general do not solve the problem itself. Here it is important to emphasise that forest bathing is a natural and healing practice or simply an experience.
What influence can forest bathing have on the mental health of young people?
Nowadays often you would hear young people talking about technology connections rather than connection with nature. I have this selfish wish – that every person, old or young, could experience what it means to be without a phone for a few hours, when no one interrupts your attention, and when you can’t sabotage your life while being stuck on your phone. I know that technology is an addiction that is difficult to detach from, but nature helps, because being in it continuously, you can experience a completely different quality of being. Also, I think, thanks to the same social networks, young people face anxiety, depression, burnout, hyperactivity. Practicing forest bathing improves concentration and makes learning process a lot easier. I remember myself as a teenager, I would come home from school already feeling very tired, and thinking, so I must do my homework now? I then would go to nature. Only after coming back, I could concentrate on my homework. Also, forest bathing has an ability in helping to develop creativity. Creativity is a useful skill that is adaptable in all areas of life. I think that forest bathing can show you ways to a healthier lifestyle. Often, young people do not think too much about their health, oh if they knew that energy resources decrease with time, awareness and spirituality are needed to preserve it, so forest bathing can help to develop these important components of a happy life.
How can educational institutions and health professionals promote forest bathing as an effective tool for improving mental health?
Although the number of forest bathing guides are increasing in Lithuania, this practice is still relatively unknown. So perhaps, the most important thing here is the openness, curiosity, support, and acceptance of various organisations.
Article by Indraja Čiukauskienė