It probably comes as no surprise that spending time in nature can make you feel better. But did you know that it can provide real relief from anxiety and depression? A Japanese practice known as forest bathing has become increasingly popular in the United States as people have discovered that it has strong therapeutic benefits and can help prevent you from feeling depressed or having a panic attack.
What is Forest Bathing?
Emerging from Japan in the 1980s, the practice of forest bathing (or shinrin-yoku) is a form of ecotherapy. The impetus for the practice was originally to find an antidote to the overwork many people were feeling at that time as well as a way to reconnect people with the Japanese forests. Forest bathing involves going out into a natural setting (it doesn’t have to be a forest) and practicing mindfulness. Practitioners focus on their breathing and simply observe their surroundings while entering into a meditative state.
What are the Benefits of Forest Bathing?
As the practice began to catch on, research began to show that there were significant physiological and psychological benefits that came from forest bathing. Among the benefits that studies showed were that forest bathing can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and harmful hormones. These hormones include cortisol which your body releases when you feel anxiety.
Spending time outdoors each day, whether you go to a forest or any other outdoor setting like a park, has been shown to increase well-being, fight anxiety, and keep you from experiencing other mental health afflictions, such as a panic attack, for example.
Contact VIP Ketamine Clinics
If you experience anxiety or depression, forest bathing can be a great option to regulate emotions and stress. Another helpful resource might be ketamine therapy. Ketamine infusions have been shown to help patients with depression and anxiety, particularly those who have been resistant to other treatments in the past.
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