Energy Reboots: you don’t always need a pill or a gym

Be a “forest-bather,” why it’s smart to send our students, workers, children, loved ones, and ourselves, outside for a quick stroll near trees and plants on a frequent and regular basis.

The Japanese recognize the exceptionally healthful effects of the woodlands and park areas with a popular practice called  Shinrin-voku or “forest bathing” based on the therapeutic effects of being near nature parks, trees and plants.

Back in the day, our parents always told us, “Go outside and play.”

There is a theory about why going outside is in fact so healthful: plants, trees, bushes, release a chemical called phytoncides.  

Plants use this antimicrobial chemical for protection from rot and decay, but phytoncides it would appear, are helpful compounds to people as well.

The phytoncides are widely used in holistic medicine in Russian, Japan, and China. Studies on the effects of “forest bathing” on human immune function shows that simply being near and around plants:

•  lowers blood pressure
•  lowers cortisol concentration
•  lowers pulse rate
• decreases anger, anxiety, depression

We’ve all experienced the deodorization properties of the plant phytoncides; we automatically want to breathe in and inhale deeply the pine tree odors, flower perfumes, grass etc. We do this instinctively because the plants naturally detoxify bad smells and inhaling refreshes and relaxes our nervous system.

Spending a little time with the plants and trees around you provides you with a little reboot, or charge and we can always us a little natural mood-boost throughout the day. The healthful properties of plants coupled with a little movement such as strolling, are the perfect antidote to a toxic environment.

This week make it a point to take 7-minute breaks from your indoor routines, get a little blast of fresh air and invest in your health.

Find tree canopied areas and walk by plant beds, under trees, near bushes. The more varied vegetation the better it is for your health as varied plants each offer their unique concentrations of medicinal essential oils (phytoncides).

When you get back from these outdoor moments- check-in with yourself and note, “Did you feel any surge in your energy, are you a little more relaxed or happy?” If so, you have had another week with improved wellness. 

These little interludes might seem unimportant but in my view, taking these little steps are in fact transformative; contact with nature can shift your consciousness, your viewpoint, your energy.  "Forestbathing" 'Shinrin-Voku" is a best practice that is essential to The Training Table and will help you on your quest for anti-aging and good health.

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