Issue #163: Forest Bathing - No Water Required
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, April 5th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: Forest Bathing - No Water Required
Speed Read: New Study on Multivitamins
What We’re Reading: Nature Fix
What We’re Watching: The Masters
“Make sure you have left your phone and camera behind. You are going to be walking aimlessly and slowly. You don’t need any devices. Let your body be your guide. Listen to where it wants to take you. Follow your nose. And take your time. It doesn’t matter if you don’t get anywhere. You are not going anywhere. You are savouring the sounds, smells and sights of nature and letting the forest in.”
Staring at a picture of awe-inspiring nature (compared to a nondescript building) for just one (1) minute made people more helpful and empathetic. (WSJ)
From the Lab
Forest bathing - almost sounds like some weird ritual that either involves being naked in the woods or chanting (or maybe both).
But this is becoming mainstream - my brother-in-law just shared that his corporate team recently did a forest bathing retreat up in Minnesota (yes - in 6” of snow).
So what is this all about?
The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku.
It’s basically taking the concept of “a walk in the woods” back to the 19th-century - no phone, no camera, no running.
Instead, it’s about immersing yourself into your surroundings and turning on all 5 of your senses - yes, even “tasting” the air.
Personally, I often struggle to achieve “mindfulness” when I’m meditating (maybe I need more tips from Max with his 2% success rate). But being outside with tons of sights and sounds makes it much easier for me to be “present” in the moment.
It’s not about having a purpose or even worrying about picking up after your dog. It’s about seeing all the colors, smelling all the scents, hearing all the noises.
And the science now tells us that it’s time well-spent. Spending a couple of hours immersed in nature lowers our heart rate, blood pressure, and enhances our parasympathetic nervous system - it has been shown to improve scores for “tension-anxiety,” “anger-hostility,” “fatigue-inertia,” and “depression-dejection” - quite the quartet.
Need more? When in a forest the oil from plants and trees (phytoncide) actually boosts our Natural Killer Cells - increasing our immune function (see Issue #79).
There are now tons of guided sessions that offer 2-3 hour forest bathing sessions. But if you want to try it first on your own, here are a few questions to ask yourself when you head out to the woods:
Can you tell the difference between different kinds of trees? 🌳
What animals can you hear? 🐿️
Can you hear “silence”? 👂
What do you smell? 👃
How many colors can you see at one time? 🌈
How do you feel connected to the forest around you? 🤝
Can you find a sense of peace? 🙏
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
Think you’re actually getting outside enough? Check out NatureDose - the app that tracks your time in nature. Check out this video from one of the founders at the University of Oregon.
Don’t worry - it’s not another time-sucking app that adds to your screen time. It uses GPS and machine-learning to simply track your time outside. Think of it as the “anti-app”. Check it out HERE.
Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Outside at Night?: If you catch yourself looking up at the sky at night (and don’t have light pollution or clouds in your way) there’s some awesome stuff happening this month - like Mars just about touching the crescent moon. (Good News Network)
Multivitamins Worth It?: The best supplements are those that are missing from our diet and should be customized to our specific needs. But a new 3-yr study of over 2,000 participants found that even Centrum was statistically significant in improving global cognition. (Study)
An 82-yr old Triathlete: Beside putting me to shame with my race training, Dr. Joseph Maroon shares his tips to stay mentally and physically sharp. (Well + Good)
What We’re Reading | Nature Fix
Florence Williams is a great writer - often contributing to Outside Magazine and others - who, a few years ago, wrote an outstanding book on the benefits of nature. She not only pulls in stories of famous thinkers finding their inspiration in nature (like Beethoven and Tesla) and scours the Earth to find spots not to be missed - maybe even to put on your Bucket List.
BONUS: It’s a golfer’s dream - it’s Masters Eve!
We’re golf fans and Max is a golf sicko - he created a holiday at home, Masters Moving Day, where his kids get a golf-related present from Bobby Jones as the leaders descend on Amen Corner during Saturday’s third round. To get ready, we’re watching The Masters YouTube channel - with so many awesome playlists, including 53 final round broadcasts.
Thanks for joining us today!
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.