Forest Bathing heals Nature Deficit disorder

My first winter in Maryland seven years ago was horrible. I missed my friends, suffered from hip pain, and hated the endless gray skies. Hibernation turned into depression. My husband and kids left in the morning and I frequently just sat at the kitchen counter sobbing. The second winter was better. I had changed a few things: I got a hip replacement, started teaching yoga again, and – perhaps most importantly – I walked in the woods almost every day.

Since the beginning of humans roaming the Earth, we have been hunting and gathering outside. We evolved with and adapted to the rhythms of nature. Most of our days were spent outside – regardless of the weather. Returning to the trails allowed me to find a place of belonging and reconnect me to the original blueprint of life of our ancestors.

Based on my personal experience, I can attest to research cited by author Richard Louv who calls symptoms like depression, insomnia, or attention deficits “nature deficit disorder.” No wonder that local, regional, and state parks are experiencing record attendance during Covid. People are realizing the healing power of nature when they trade the confinement of their home office with the freedom of the forest.

Japan has known about this for a long time. In the 1980s, as an answer to a nation-wide rise in depression and suicides people were invited to spend quiet time in parks to restore inner balance. This form of nature therapy is called shinrin-yoku, which translates as forest bathing. Fully supported by scientific evidence, time spent in nature lowers stress levels and boosts mental and physical well-being.

Trees freely offer aromatherapy. While these chemicals, known as phytoncides, help the trees fight off pests, they are at the same time highly beneficial to humans. They cause a reduction in blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol, and improve immune function.

I offer YOGAhikes and ZENwalks because I know the science behind their efficacy. As we weave yoga and nature together, the boundaries between them dissolve. We receive the nourishment of wind, water, and woods as we pause in standing poses, gazing up into the majestic canopy and viewing the sky beyond. We slow our awareness to the pace of our breath as we let our soft awareness float like a leaf carried by the current of a gurgling creek.

Transitioning from the indoor yoga studio to the unpredictability of a single-track path through the forest creates a welcome state of curiosity, playfulness, and adventure, that sometimes has gone dormant in our adult lives. When we reconnect to our inner child that looked for bugs under rocks, we relieve stress. Scientists have found that being playful opens us to creativity, forms new neural pathways, cultivates empathy, and builds resilience.
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Seeing how effortlessly hiking and yoga complement each other inspires me to expand the practice. The biggest obstacle is the permitting process in Maryland. Currently, it seems incredibly complicated. That’s why I have arranged a conversation with Councilman Izzy Patoka on Wednesday, March 31 at 7pm. It would mean the world to me if you came to support me and hear his take on nature preservation. ​