Forest bathing: A solution to sticky summers in Europe's cities

A tradition with roots in Japan, forest bathing offers city dwellers an opportunity to reconnect with nature.

Transcript

00:00This is no ordinary walk in the park. This is forest bathing, where people immerse themselves

00:10in nature, typically for a couple of hours.

00:13So we're just going to walk really slowly and start to pay attention to everything that's

00:20coming into our senses and just really slow down.

00:25Fiona McDougall is a guide specialized in the practice that has its roots in Japan.

00:30Unlike hiking, it's not about going to a particular destination or getting a workout. It's about

00:36connecting with nature in all its elements, from the sights, to the sounds, to the smells,

00:43to the textures.

00:46So I hope that through practices like this, people feel a stronger connection to the natural

00:53world, which is where we're all from, really. And so in feeling that connection, I hope

00:59people just feel better, a stronger relationship to nature and, you know, a greater appreciation

01:06for it and their place within it.

01:08There's science backing up the idea that nature has a positive impact. One study in Germany

01:14found that a walk in the forest can help the brain process stress better. Even the sounds

01:21of nature can be a boost.

01:24So essentially, we showed a group of healthy participants. We exposed them to bird songs

01:29versus traffic noise. And we found that those people exposed to bird songs showed a decrease

01:35in anxiety, depression and paranoia.

01:37I invite you to either close your eyes or soften your gaze.

01:42Forest bathing is centered around relaxation. So Fiona ends the walk with a meditation.

01:48One of the parks she chooses is in central Berlin. She says she hopes to convince people

01:53connecting with nature can be convenient. And it has benefits, even if done briefly

01:59in the city. There's science to support that as well. A report by the World Health Organization

02:04says that green spaces in urban environments, such as parks and trees on streets, have a

02:09wide range of positive effects, including protecting against poor mental health.