GAME-CHANGER! CNN “Wellness Expert” Dr Leana Wen says in an interview with a CNN Wellness writer there’s one killer “hack” for conquering your post-election stress: She calls it “forest bathing.”
“There is actually a lot of evidence that going outside, and specifically being surrounded by nature, can have many beneficial health impacts. Specifically, there is a practice called forest bathing, which involves being immersed in nature. This is not actual bathing,” says Wen, CNN’s “Wellness Expert.”
Waiiiit a second… You mean to say that it’s not jumping into a pond or stream in the middle of a forest? “Rather, the person spends time in nature through activities such as a leisurely walk or just sitting and enjoying the surroundings.” Oh so she means just going on a hike in the woods.
“This practice has its roots in Japan, where it’s called shinrin-yoku. There are numerous studies on ‘forest therapy’ that show that being in nature can lower anxiety and improve mood. It can reduce blood pressure, help with sleep and even enhance immune system function. Researchers hypothesize that being in nature decreases stress hormones, therefore reducing blood pressure and heart rate and reversing the impact of stress on the immune, endocrine, gastrointestinal and other body systems,” Wen continues and they actually printed this. We’re not skeptical, we’re just confused as to why simply going outdoors needed a rebranding as “forest bathing.”
Like they might as well be saying “vitamin indulging” is a good way to make sure you get vitamins.