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Hi friends 👋,
Over the last couple of weeks, I spent time learning and reflecting more on the benefits of being in nature. Here is a summary, a few pointers, and some practical ideas to try out.
3 Top Picks
I. 🌳 Book on the science and practice of Forest Bathing
Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li.
We all have some kind of anecdotal evidence of how spending time in nature - especially in forests - makes us feel better. I found this book a great way to dive deeper into the science behind it and to learn more about how it’s uniquely interpreted and practiced in the Japanese culture, where there’s even a name for this activity: “Forest Bathing” or “Shinrin-yoku”.
💡 Ideas
Nature is so important in Japanese culture and folklore that there are several terms used to denote different objects and concepts. Some examples:
- Kodama, spirits in Japanese folklore that inhabit trees;
- Shizen, the Japanese idea of nature, which has a broader meaning and includes human beings and how they intertwine with nature;
- Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, which is also a meditative practice.Problem: all around the world, the urban population is increasing. By 2050, 75% of the estimated 9 billion global population will live in cities.
An average American spends 93% of the time indoors, of which 6% in cars.
In the UK, adults spend an average of eight hours and 41 minutes a day on media devices (more time than sleep!).
City living is stressful. The more stress, the sicker we get.Benefits of forest bathing:
- It activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces activation of the sympathetic nervous system, lowering stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, pulse rate, and blood pressure.
- It’s correlated with a measurable increase in NK cells (critical to the innate immune system), thus boosting the immune system. Phytoncides (wood essential oils) released from trees and the decreased production of stress hormones may partially contribute to the increased NK activity.
- Soil contains Mycobacterium vaccae, which has been found to help reduce anxiety and improve energy and mood.
- It restores our capacity to think more clearly. With our usual directed attention, we’re often distracted, overwhelmed, mentally fatigued. When we're in nature, we pay attention differently: it’s an involuntary attention (“soft fascination”) with no mental effort, it comes naturally through the different senses. It allows our minds to wander and reflect.
- When we connect with nature, we are also reminded that we're part of something larger than ourselves. This generates feelings of gratitude, less selfishness, creativity. Research has shown that this partially happens even when we watch videos of nature virtually on a screen.Examples from research:
- For patients who just had surgery, the recovery time visibly improved with the presence of trees in front of the hospital window.
- People who live where there are trees and nature are less anxious and depressed, and take fewer prescriptions. In Toronto, having 10 more trees in a city block made people feel better than a $10k/year pay raise.There are 62 certified national bathing forests in Japan, like Akasawa.
A forest bathing trip involves visiting a forest for relaxation and recreation while breathing in volatile substances, called phytoncides (wood essential oils), which are antimicrobial volatile organic compounds derived from trees […]. Incorporating forest bathing trips into a good lifestyle was first proposed in 1982 by the Forest Agency of Japan. It has now become a recognized relaxation and/or stress management activity in Japan.
- Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function by Qing Li
🧘♂️ Practice
To put these learnings into practice, here are some ideas that you can try:
Practice “soft fascination” in nature
Whether in a forest, a park, or any other place where you can be in contact with nature, spend some time without devices and distractions - just letting attention fall on different elements of nature and your sensations. Notice how you feel - it may help to write it down right after the session.Observe fractal patterns in nature
Find a spot in nature. Look at the sky, water, leaves, or flowers, searching for patterns. As you begin to observe fractal patterns in nature, notice whether this activity makes you feel more calm, relaxed, and less stressed - maybe even experience awe and joy.
Research shows that when we look at fractal patterns in nature we feel less stressed by 60%. We're hardwired to respond to them because of evolution: we're visually fluent in the patterns of the natural world and this fluency relaxes us and makes us feel happy.Try different essential oils for aromatherapy
Bring some benefits of the forest to your home by releasing essential oils in the air with the help of a diffuser.
The traditional Japanese blend of essential oils contains Hinoki wood and leaf, white cypress, rosemary, cedarwood, eucalyptus, and pine.
🔗 Links
The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan (PubMed.gov, 2010)
‘Forest Bathing’ is the New Fitness Trend Taking Off in the U.S. (Medium, 2017)
‘Forest Bathing’ Is Great for Your Health. Here’s How to Do It (Time, 2018)
II. 🤔 Amazon’s “AmaZen” meditation booth
Amazon is introducing tiny booths called AmaZen in some of its warehouses.
Each booth is an individual interactive kiosk where employees are guided through mental health and mindfulness practices.
News outlets didn’t particularly like the news, calling it one of Amazon’s “most dystopian moves yet”. Recent reports on the poor conditions of its warehouse employees seem to suggest that a meditation booth may indeed not be the most effective - and welcome - way to improve the grueling work conditions for these people.
When we look at the concept outside of Amazon’s use case, though, it’s interesting to consider how such product could be more effectively and positively used in some settings. For example, as we saw with Forest Bathing, there is plenty of research on the benefits of artificially recreating the sensations (smell, sounds, images) of nature and sometimes this type of experience may be the only accessible option.
III. 💞 Documentary short on connecting with strangers
“Wearable Tracy” and Connections Forged Through Funky Hats (New Yorker).
This new, 12-minute documentary short follows a New York City woman, Lee Kim, and her creative experiment with homemade crowns through which she is able to connect with strangers every day for more than a year.
Her rules are:
1) Create something new every day (a crown or mask).
2) Wear it from 9am to 5pm.
3) If somebody asks about it - which often happens - engage in a conversation and ask the other person’s name.
4) After 5pm, donate the object to someone else.
What initially is just a one-off creative idea and gift quickly becomes a social experiment on making connections with strangers and the feelings it sparks for both the giver and the receiver.
“How many times do I do that? How many times do I look at somebody and make a judgment based on my experience?” - Lee Kim
It’s a beautiful story of compassion and how a small change in behavior, through art and creativity, can teach about shifting from being fearful of other poeple’s judgment to being curious, open, and excited to connect with someone new.
Thanks Eric for the recommendation.
1 Idea from Me
🌅 Nature as the most spacious container of emotions
Sometimes the human body is too small and limited to contain emotions, especially strong ones. Go out in nature. Nature provides the largest possible container - a spaciousness that can absorb and sooth emotions. A reminder that we're part of something much larger than ourselves.
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Be well and be kind,
Matteo