By Andrew Weil — 2018
Andrew Weil is wondering if the forest therapy that originated in Japan is available in the U.S. Or is it something we’re just supposed to do on our own to reduce stress?
Read on www.drweil.com
CLEAR ALL
Richard Louv explains how parents, educators, and urban planners can help kids reconnect with nature—before it's too late.
A cancer diagnosis brings a wealth of psychological challenges. In fact, adults living with cancer have a six-time higher risk for psychological disability than those not living with cancer.
Look more closely and you’ll see.
2
Experts I spoke with for this story pointed to a couple of reasons professional athletes are particularly susceptible to mental health issues.
Demand from patients seeking help for their mental illnesses has led to underground use in a way that parallels black markets in the AIDS pandemic. This underground use has been most perilous for people of color, who face greater stigma and legal risks due to the War on Drugs.
The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku—literally translated as “forest bathing”—is based on a simple premise: immerse yourself in the forest, absorb its sights, sounds, and smells, and you will reap numerous psychological and physiological benefits.
I catch some things here and there: a scurrying chipmunk crosses the path, a patch of sunlight glimmers ahead of me. But mostly, I’m in my head and in my feet as I cross a metaphorical finish line, completing my mileage for the day.
Once you’ve decided on the time and location of your forest bath or decide to join a group journey into the forest, you’ve made a commitment to yourself and to Mother Earth.
Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh, and rejuvenate us.
Some people harbor the illusion that rest is a luxury they do not have time for, but the reality is that rest is a necessity.
1