The Science Behind Forest Therapy: 3 Research-Backed Health Benefits

Your walk in the forest provides you with so many health benefits!

There are so many different types of therapies that exist that it's understandable when you're introduced to one that you feel skeptical. "Is that really a therapy?" That sounds like some new agey BS. I get it. Sometimes I feel that way too, even as a forest therapy guide. And as a forest therapy guide, I'm here to tell you that this practice is legit, it's not BS.

One of the gifts that Mother Nature bestows on us is that she heals us, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

The practice of Forest Therapy facilitates our realization of those benefits. I can hear the "really, prove it" defiantly demanding an answer from your mind. I'm grateful that you asked! Here I will share some scientifically backed health benefits of Forest Therapy that I hope will entice you to consider spending more time with Mother Nature, or even going on a forest therapy or forest bathing walk.

1. Your Natural Immunity Boost

   As I studied for my forest therapy guide certification, I was fascinated by some of the reported benefits from its growing amount of research. I learned that spending time in the forest helps boost our immune system. The trees and other beings in the forest emit a chemical called phytoncides that are antifungal and antibacterial. Phytoncides help our forests to thrive and combat diseases. When humans spend a good amount of time in the forest, at least 20 minutes, we expose ourselves to those same phytoncides, which increase the number and activity of human natural killer (NK) cells. Our NK cells are the white blood cells responsible for destroying infected and diseased cells, such as cancer cells (Li et al., 2008). I've met a few fellow guides who intuitively turned to nature as they healed from cancer treatment. It's amazing to listen to stories of resilience as well as how Mother Nature truly nurtures and loves us when we need it.

   
   

2. Nature as an Antidepressant

   As a mental health advocate and someone who has his own relationship with depression, it was eye-opening to learn that a forest therapy session had a similar effect to taking an antidepressant. A recent study said that Forest Therapy is an effective short-term intervention for the prevention and treatment of depression (Rosa et al., 2021). So many of us are with anxiety or depression and have turned to traditional methods like drugs or talk therapy to cope. Yet, if a natural green space is accessible to you, you can gain a similar physiological benefit from an antidepressant if you spend time connecting in nature. This continues to reinforce the profound ways nature heals us.

   
   

3. Nature Calms the Nervous System

   Those of us who spend time in nature have probably felt a sense of relaxation and calm. This is because the time spent with nature helps us balance our autonomic nervous system. Studies have shown that sympathetic activity, which is responsible for our stress response, decreases. Constrastingly, there is an increase in parasympathetic activity, which promotes rest and repair (Li et al., 2022). We also start to sleep better as our cortisol levels drop and serotonin and dopamine levels increase. With stress becoming such a prevalent epidemic all over the world, Mother Nature can take some of that burden away from us.

There are many other health benefits that I haven't listed here for brevity's sake. I think we get the point that spending time with nature is good for us, and that Forest Therapy is a wonderful preventive nature medicine.

If this resonated with you at all, I encourage you to get out there! You could utilize our free Solo Forest Therapy Guide, or schedule a forest therapy session with me or a local guide. Here's your invitation to slow down, connect, breathe, and be. Sharing light and Aloha.

Author: Jerome Bautista,

Co-Founder, Sacred Space