Lincoln Park District Brings Forest Therapy to Lincoln

 

[March 10, 2024] 

Have you ever felt better after a hike in the woods? Or after spending time in a park? Or even just sitting under a tree in your own yard? That feeling– perhaps calmer, more focused, less stressed– is not just in your head. It’s in your whole body and it’s measurable.

Spending intentional time in nature is an integral part of Forest Therapy, or forest bathing (Shinrin-Yoku) as it is called in Japan where it originated. It is a practice that has numerous benefits for mind and body. The practice began in Japan after the rapid rise in industrialization there in the 1980s. At the same time, there was a marked decline in health. As a health-conscious society, researchers began testing the results of time spent in nature as a balance to industrialization. Rigorous studies conducted over several years (https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pmc/articles/PMC5580555/ )  showed forest bathing resulted in lower blood pressure, but there was more. In these controlled studies, researchers were surprised to discover not just improved vital signs in participants, but also reduced anxiety and depression, improvement in inflammation, and reduced incidents of cancer and other diseases.

Dr. Cassandra Claman, physician and Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, related both the history and the health benefits of Forest Therapy to a small group of participants at Lincoln Park District on Wednesday morning as part of their Health and Wellness Seminar series.

She explained that trees, and particularly evergreens, produce phytoncides, which are volatile organic compounds (chemicals) with antimicrobial properties. Phytoncides are the natural, “essential” oils emitted by trees and, when inhaled, activate natural killer cells, which are white blood cells in the human body that kill tumors and reduce inflammation (https://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles
/PMC2793341/) . Dr. Claman told the group that Forest Therapy “is a different approach to being in nature.” It involves “embodying the various senses and it is meant to establish or reestablish a connection with nature. It allows nature to communicate with us and for us to communicate with nature. It helps us stop looking at nature as the Other. We are nature. We are kin.”

After introducing the concepts of the practice, Dr. Claman began the forest therapy process, which she called “an invitation to notice.” She assured participants that there was no right or wrong way to proceed and began with an opportunity for everyone to sit quietly and focus on breathing deeply. After a few moments she invited participants to keep their eyes closed and to focus on what they were hearing, both distant and near. With eyes open, she had participants listen again and note any difference in what they were hearing. One member observed that, with eyes open, the sound of traffic was more noticeable and she could not as easily hear the wind rustling the leaves.

After focusing on sound, Dr. Claman invited the group to wander among the trees and to notice texture and touch. When she gathered the group back together, each member had an opportunity to share one textural thing she had noticed, such as the tree bark.

Then Dr. Claman invited participants to another wander through the trees, this time noticing motion. After some minutes of wandering, the group reconvened to share one thing each had noticed, such as the dry leaves still clinging to branches and a baby evergreen being buffeted by the wind.

The final wander was to notice tiny things. When the group regathered, each member shared a tiny thing they had noticed in nature, such as a petite wild strawberry leaf and twin acorns on a bed of bright green moss.

The experience concluded with a tea ceremony. Dr. Claman poured everyone a steaming mug of lavender and chamomile tea, including one to offer to the trees. Dr. Claman encouraged participants to consider finding a place to continue Forest Therapy, someplace nearby and easily accessible. One member thought of a perfect tree in her yard to host a bench and another already had a bench in her garden. Dr. Claman stated that forest therapy should be practiced once a week to maintain therapeutic benefits. When she was training, she was required to sit in nature for 30 minutes three times per week. She said at first she did not know how she would sit still for that long, but once she started the practice, it became her most cherished time.

Dr. Claman works as a coach for other physicians and for individuals who are interested in implementing Forest Therapy into their clinical and health practices or in using the techniques to promote personal wellness. She is certified through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. More information is available at her website www.embodyingnature
coaching.com. 

Want to try Forest Therapy? The next opportunity to experience Forest Therapy in Lincoln is at an Earth Day special event on Saturday, April 20 (weather permitting). Dr. Claman will lead a session of Earth Day Forest Therapy at Memorial Park in Lincoln from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for a donation to the Lincoln Park District Foundation.

Registration is required as spaces are limited. Contact the Lincoln Park District at [phone] for more information.

[Stephanie Hall]