Forest Bathing & Nature-Made Wellness: Nature’s Nurturing

Forest Bathing & Nature-Made Wellness: Why Time in the Trees Heals Us

As the seasons shift here in New England when the air is both crisp, and invigorating, many of us feel the pull to get outside. The leaves present their glowing display, the trails beckon, and our nervous systems beg for a little less screen time and a little more green time!

This isn’t just seasonal vibe, it’s a biologically supported healing practice known as forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku in Japanese, and has become one of my favorite “prescriptions” as an integrative nutrition health coach. Nature-made wellness is accessible, restorative, and incredibly effective for supporting both physical and mental health. Let’s let nature nurture!

What Is Forest Bathing, you ask?

No bikini, or goggles needed…just immersing your senses in a wave of nature.

Walking slowly, breathing deeply, noticing textures, sounds, colors, temperature changes, and letting the natural world recalibrate your nervous system.

Think of it as:

• Meditation, but with moss.

• Deep breathing, but with pine.

• Stress relief, but without an app subscription.

It’s not about tracking mileage or heart rate…it’s about presence.

Why Nature Works: The Science Behind the Calm

Research has repeatedly shown that time in nature (especially forests) can:

1. Lower Cortisol (the stress hormone)

Just 15-20 minutes outdoors can decrease stress markers, reduce anxiety, and soften muscle tension.

2. Boost Immune Function

Trees release essential oils called phytoncides. When we inhale them, our natural killer (NK) cells increase, strengthening immune response.

3. Improve Focus & Mood

Nature time also increases serotonin, supports dopamine regulation, and has been proven to reduce symptoms of depression and mental fatigue. Thank you MOTHER!

4. Support Cardiovascular Health

While enjoying some peaceful forest time, you can count on your blood pressure and heart rate lowering indicating signs of a calmer, healthier internal landscape.

5. Enhance Creativity & Problem-Solving

Our world is sooo busy…slowing down allows the brain to enter “soft-focus mode,” allowing ideas, clarity, and inspiration to come more easily.

This is wellness the way the earth intended: simple, instinctive, and accessible to everyone!

What Forest Bathing Actually Looks Like

Here’s the best part…there’s no right or wrong way to do it! Just like each one of us, each experience is special, and unique.

A forest bathing session might include:

• A slow, meandering trail walk

• Sitting by water and drinking in the sounds of the movement

• Noticing light filtering through trees

• Paying attention to scent, touch, sound, and temperature

• Deep breathing with intentional pauses

• Leaving your phone in your pocket (or at home… if you’re feeling brave)

No step counter. No pressure. Just presence.

Nature-Made Wellness Rituals to Try This Season

Try adding these gentle, grounding practices into your weekly rhythm:

1. Five-Minute Leaf Study

I remember hunting for colorful leaves to press between waxed paper, and hang in the window with my grandmother.  A joyful tradition from my childhood! Go out and pick up a leaf…notice the veins, edges, color gradients, and texture. Let your breathing slow as you explore it.

2. Sit Spot Practice

Find one place outdoors to return to weekly. Watch how it changes through the seasons just like you.

3. The Pine Needle Breath

Stand near evergreens and breathe deeply. The naturally occurring plant compounds support respiratory and immune health. If you do not have evergreens in your part of the “woods”…try diffusing a Balsam Fir, or Birch essential oil in your home.

4. Slow Sensory Walk

Spend 10 minutes walking slowly and naming in your mind:

• 5 things you see

• 4 you hear

• 3 you can touch

• 2 you can smell

• 1 you are grateful for

5. Grounding Moment

Place your hands on a tree trunk. Feel its texture, warmth, and strength. Let your spine stand straight and strong like a Red Wood!

Why This Matters for Whole-Body Wellness

As an integrative nutrition health coach, I see nature as one of the most powerful, and much underutilized tools for healing. Forest bathing supports:

• Reduced emotional eating

• Improved sleep quality

• More balanced hormones

• Better digestion via parasympathetic activation (hello, rest-and-digest!)

• Lower inflammation

• A deeper sense of connection to self, to others, to the world

In a culture that pushes us toward constant productivity, nature invites us back home to our bodies, and moments of peace.

Your Nature-Made Wellness Invitation!

This week, carve out 20 minutes to step outside…maybe, into the woods, on a trail, quiet neighborhood, or even your backyard.

Let the earth do what it does best:

Restore you. Settle you. Reconnect you.

It’s simply stepping back out into nature and remembering we part of something bigger!

-Heather