Capell Flooring and Interiors - Meridian, Boise, Nampa, Idaho Flooring Store: The Healing Power of Nature

Happy Saturday! - Hope you have a great weekend!

The idea that immersing yourself in forests and nature has a healing effect is far more than just folk wisdom, reports Rebecca Lawton in Aeon magazine.

"The longer the trip, the more healing occurs," says geologist Peter Winn, who has been leading expeditions down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon since the 1960s. "Healing happens for people almost without exception."

River guides might know that nature is transformative for the human body and psyche; but the mechanism behind such profound change is less universally agreed upon and understood. How nature heals had been little researched until 1982, when Tomohide Akiyama, who was then secretary of the Forest Agency in Japan, coined the term shinrin-yoku ('forest bathing') to describe the practice of getting into the woods for body and mind renewal, to counter lifestyle-related health issues.

The tradition was already ages-old in Japan, but naming it went hand in hand with making recommendations for best practices: one should walk, sit, gaze, and exercise among the trees; eat well-balanced meals of organic, locally sourced food; and, if available, immerse in hot springs. All five senses should be engaged, especially for certification as one of Japan's official Forest Therapy Bases, which are well-maintained, embraced by the local community, and which are required to show, in practitioners, a decrease in physiological markers such as levels of the stress hormone cortisol after wandering in the woods.

When Akiyama recommended forest bathing all those years ago, he knew about the pioneering studies of phytoncides – basically, pungent essential oils – conducted by the Soviet scientist Boris P Tokin in the 1920s and '30s. The oils, volatile compounds exuded by conifers and some other plants, reduce blood pressure and boost immune function, among other benefits.

In recent years, a host of other mechanisms have come to light – in fact, there are up to 21 possible pathways to improved health, according to a review paper in Frontiers in Psychology from scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Among the elements that have been identified, of particular note are bright lights and negative air ions (oxygen atoms charged with an extra electron), known to ease depression; simple views of nature, which enhance autonomic control of heart rate and blood pressure; and even the sounds of nature, which help us to recover from heightened stress.

Blood tests revealed a host of protective physiological factors released at a higher level after forest, but not urban walks. Among those hormones and molecules, a research team at Japan's Nippon Medical School ticks off dehydroepiandrosterone which helps to protect against heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, as well as adiponectin, which helps to guard against atherosclerosis. In other research, the team found elevated levels of the immune system's natural killer cells, known to have anti-cancer and anti-viral effects. Meanwhile, research from China found that those walking in nature had reduced blood levels of inflammatory cytokines, a risk factor for immune illness and research from Japan's Hokkaido University School of Medicine found that shinrin-yoku lowered blood glucose levels associated with obesity and diabetes.

Studies showed that just three days and two nights in a wooded place increase the immune system functions that boost feelings of well-being for up to seven days. The same amount of time in a built environment has no such effect. The human response includes increased awe, greater relaxation, restored attention, and boosted vitality. Health outcomes on the receiving end of the pathway are astounding: enhanced immunity, including reduced cardiovascular disease, fewer migraines, and lowered anxiety, to name but a few. According to Frances Ming Kuo, the lead author of the University of Illinois review: "The cumulative effect could be quite large even if many of the individual pathways contribute only a small effect."

Much of the scientific evidence of nature's benefits has been derived from studying shinrin-yoku subjects. "Outside of urban nature, most of the peer-reviewed science has been done on northern temperate forests," says Kathleen Wolf of the University of Washington College of the Environment. "We know from the research that people respond very favorably to water, for instance, whether a fountain in a healing garden or a river or shoreline environment. We know less about the response to tropical environments or desert environments. And we do know that we don't need endemic nature – ornamental, designed, or engineered nature can be effective."

What we know is that we feel good out there, a notion firmly supported by science.

The essence of prescriptive medicine, with specific dosages and intervals between consumption, downplays nature's key role in our lives during our evolutionary history. Some call shinrin-yoku a fitness trend, a movement to counter our modern obsessions with technology, a timeout in which we put away our devices and take the good old 'nature cure.' That sense of nature as outside of us prevails mainly in the West; Eastern-based mindfulness practices and meditative traditions align more closely with human oneness with nature.

But even in cities, we can intervene: when endemic nature isn't available, ornamental and designed, nature is quite effective. Even critical systems, such as storm-water infrastructure, designed to handle storm runoff and overflow, can also be designed to heal. Imagine a storm-water system with a second function as a natural habitat, complete with running water, vegetation, microbial life, and a whole host of diversity, all geared to enhance human wellness. When a wild river isn't right at hand, we might wander down to a water-treatment micropark, designed with natural elements that restore us to health.

Colorado River guides know that nature enhances our physical and mental lives. "For decades, I've believed that I'm part of nature," Winn says, "not separate from it or "above" it. Many years ago, I studied Zen Buddhism and learned to meditate. Eventually, I found that just hanging out on desert rivers had the same effect as meditation – no stress."

I'm grateful that we live in Idaho, where you can escape to nature without having to drive too far. Have you found a place that you like to go that helps you? I like Blue Lake, Cascade, MK Nature Center in Boise, and Jump Creek, to name a few. Here's to a healthy 2023!

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,