I was recently talking to a friend about he identified with a Higher Power. I was curious how he connected to Source energy, what some may call Universe, Quantum Field, Consciousness, Divine energy, Warrior Goddess and whom many resonate with the word GOD (which could be interpreted as Good Orderly Direction). He shared that he found this in nature. I followed by asking him how it made him feel and he described it as “in tune”. I don’t think I could have said it better.
His response reminded me that I need to reconnect with nature on a more regular basis. Just a short time ago, I regularly spent time on the trails in the woods hiking and foraging for wild mushrooms along with other edible plants and weeds such as the red bud blossoms, dandelions, and ramps. There was a time when being in nature was where we spent a bulk of our time, and foraging for food would have been our norm and imperative to our survival! This afternoon as I was scrolling through my social media account I came across this photo:
So aside from intuitively knowing how I feel when I’m outside amongst the trees, plants, and wildflowers and the empowering experiences I have felt upon being able to forage for an entire vegetarian meal while hiking with friends, I was curious about the science behind spending more time in nature! The first study that showed up in my Google search demonstrates exactly as the image states . . .
*”Phytoncide exposure significantly increased NK activity and the percentages of NK, perforin, granulysin, and granzyme A/B-expressing cells, and significantly decreased the percentage of T cells, and the concentrations of adrenaline and noradrenaline in urine. Phytoncides, such as alpha-pinene and beta-pinene, were detected in the hotel room air. These findings indicate that phytoncide exposure and decreased stress hormone levels may partially contribute to increased NK activity.”
So what are Phytoncides and NK activity? According to Wikipedia “Phytoncides are antimicrobial allelochemic volatile organic compounds derived from plants.” And NK stands for natural killer and it is the activity of human natural killer (NK) cells which help fight infection. The studies show that the NK activity was enhanced, along with intracellular anti-cancer proteins in lymphocytes.
Further down my Google search, I found more insight on what the **Japanese call “shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, which is described as taking a bath in the forest atmosphere. Benefits noted in the Japanese research back in 1982, found spending time in the woods:
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boosts the immune system
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lowers blood pressure
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reduces stress
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improves mood
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increases ability to focus, even in children with ADHD
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accelerates recovery from surgery or illness
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increases energy level
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improves sleep
I would like for you to consider this:
If spending time in nature helps an individual to experience all of the above, allowing the individual to drop down into a parasympathetic state, a state of reduced stress and clarity, that allows the body to heal and return to homeostasis it would only make sense to me that one would be more likely to reach an alpha-theta, meditative state in order to connect with Consciousness, Higher Power, Universe or one’s understanding of GOD. This would allow one to feel more “in tune” with the Essence of All That Is, along with a connection to their Inner Most Being and Intuition.
Finding balance in the five aspects of health is key: physical, nutritional, emotional, environmental and spiritual.
In today’s world, so much of our time is spent indoors. It has become a chore for many just to get outside, when it seems to me it should be the other way around. I invite you to consider carving out YOU time that includes finding out if the healing benefits of forest bathing ring true for you. Walk, hike, bike, or run under the forest canopy. Smell the air, feel the breeze, taste the raindrops, listen to the creatures, lay in the grass, pick some wildflowers, or forage for food. Then simply notice how you feel: before, during and after. And remember you don’t have to go very far. There are some beautiful places to explore within the 502 area code and just outside: Cherokee Park, Beckley Woods, Jefferson Memorial Forest, O’Bannon Woods, Harrison-Crawford State Forest, and Red River Gorge just to name a few.
*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20074458
**https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html