The Modern Science & Ancient Roots of Forest Bathing

A Practice Born of Modern Need

The term Shinrin-Yoku was derived in 1982 by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It arose in response to a rise in urbanisation and stress-related illnesses, offering a natural antidote to the pressures of city living. But while the name is recent, the wisdom it draws upon is ancient.

For millennia, cultures across the world have revered trees and groves as sacred spaces of healing and transformation. In Celtic tradition, forests were places of deep communion with the spirits of nature. Druids held their rituals in sacred groves, while many First Nations peoples have long understood forests as teachers, protectors, and kin.

Science in the Soil and Sky

Modern science now supports what our ancestors instinctively knew: the forest heals.

Studies led by Dr Qing Li, author of Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness, have shown that Shinrin-Yoku can significantly lower cortisol levels, reduce blood pressure and heart rate, and improve sleep and mood. In one landmark study (Li, Q. et al., 2007), participants who spent time in forest environments showed a 53.2% increase in natural killer (NK) cell activity, which helps boost immune defences.

Another study (Park, B. J. et al., 2010) using physiological markers found that individuals exposed to forest environments had significantly lower sympathetic nerve activity and higher parasympathetic (rest and digest) activity, promoting relaxation and emotional regulation.

Key elements include phytoncides, volatile organic compounds released by trees such as cedar, pine, and cypress. When inhaled, these natural essential oils enhance immune function and reduce stress responses in the body.

Even just two hours in a forest can have long-lasting benefits for our wellbeing… physically, mentally, and emotionally.

A Return to Wholeness

Forest bathing is not about “doing” but being. There is no right or wrong way to engage with nature. Instead, we are invited to slow down, to listen deeply, to notice the rustle of leaves or the sun-dappled path beneath our feet. It is a sacred return to connection - with the land, our breath, and the quiet truth of our own being.

Here at Forest Spirit Way, each guided journey is designed to honour this experience: rooted in evidence, enriched by ritual, and offered with deep respect for the land’s wisdom.

Poem: Whispers of the Wildwood

by Luna Spirit

Beneath the boughs where silence sings,

The forest folds her leafy wings.

She waits for you in hush and shade,

Where time dissolves and thoughts will fade.

A moss-clad path, a streamlet’s song,

Will guide your weary soul along.

No need for map, no need for more...

Just cross the wildwood’s sacred door.

Each tree a teacher, calm and wise,

Each breeze a prayer that softly sighs.

And as you walk with open heart,

The forest helps you fall apart.

Then piece by piece, she builds anew...

A self remembered, clear and true.

So bathe not just in branch and dew,

But in the self that walks with you.

Scientific References

• Li, Q. et al. (2007). Forest bathing enhances human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins. International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 20(2), 3S–8S.

• Park, B. J. et al. (2010). The physiological effects of Shinrin-Yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): Evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15(1), 18–26.

• Li, Q. (2018). Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness. Penguin Life.