I've always felt that a walk in the woods is good for the soul. But did you know it's also good for your health? They have a word for it in Japan: shinrin-yoku, which literally translates to "forest bathing". An immersion in nature.
This Japanese study that proves that we benefit from the way "trees and birds and sunsets gently tug, but never grab, at our attention." The act of allowing our minds to wander and become involuntarily engaged by our surroundings, combined with clean forest air and the essential oils emitted from trees, enhances immune function, reduces stress and lowers blood pressure.
Well then. I'm off to go bathe in the forest!
{Images via: 1. Abounding Happiness; 2. Thunk; 3. Little Savages}
