Forest bathing

This Chelsea Flower Show is a highpoint of the year for London’s high society. This year, though, it also gave gardeners a new buzzword: ‘shinrin-yoku’.

Shinrin-yoku – or ‘forest bathing’ – was put on the front pages by the Duchess of Cambridge. Her garden at the show shared her fascination with the concept.

In Japan, though, shinrin-yoku is tried and true, tested over many decades. And its long-established ideas inspire The Forestias too.

‘Forest bathing’ – which has nothing to do with water – is about the power of trees and forest to boost your wellness.

Shinrin-yoku emerged in Japan in the 1980s. Medical studies found that when we walk in the woods our blood pressure drops, our cortisol level dips, and our concentration and memory improve.

Japanese doctors now prescribe ‘forest bathing’ as a detox from city stress.

Still a skeptic?

Then here are 7 reasons why the woods at The Forestias can build your wellness and revive your well-being.

1. Attention restoration
Our brains get worn out when we focus hard. How best to refresh our minds? Research says that the ideal remedy is somewhere that grabs our attention without needing our focus. Somewhere like a forest, with its complex sights, smells, and sounds.

2. Phytoncides
Phytoncides are ‘wood essence oils’ that plants and trees give off to protect themselves. For us, though, they have a bonus. They boost our immune system, protecting us from illness.

3.Biophilia
Humans benefit from being around nature. Research has found that children do better at school when they live near a park. That patients heal faster in rooms with plants. That rates of illness can drop in neighborhoods with green spaces.

4. Green
Green makes us calm. Ever wondered why TV stations have ‘green rooms’ for their guests? Wonder no more.

5. Digital detox
Getting outdoors and away from our smartphones boosts our well-being. You can expect to get more creative too.

6. Togetherness
Forests are relaxing places to spend time with the people we love – and to build new connections through shared values, interests, and activities.

7. Exercise
Whether it’s a gentle stroll, a family picnic, or a game of tag, when you head to the woods you’re getting the health gain of being active.

All said, The Forestias is confident our green spaces can boost sustainable well-being for all our residents. And that goes, of course, for plants and animals as well as humans.