Nature immersion · Guided Hike

Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review

Hansen MM, Jones R, Tocchini K · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2017

Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is the Japanese practice of spending mindful time among trees. This state-of-the-art review set out to gather empirical research on its physical and psychological effects, much of it from Japan and China, and to encourage longitudinal research in Western countries. Searching five databases, the authors started with 127 papers and included 64 studies published between 2007 and 2017, grouping them into physiological, psychological, sensory and framework studies. They conclude that the human health benefits of immersion in nature continue to be actively researched and suggest nature therapy as a possible health promotion approach for modern stress, including technology-related stress. The limitation is that this is a narrative review: it summarizes research but does not pool results or rate how strong each study was.

Our summaries describe what each study found. They are not medical advice, and the practices at Halcyon are not a treatment for any condition.