Before you grab your loofah and head for the nearest tree, let's clear something up. Forest bathing, though initially sounding like a quiet bath in the forest, has nothing to do with soap, showers or stripping down in the woods (not recommended). What it does involve is intentionally immersing yourself in nature -- slowing down, breathing deeply and soaking up the natural medicine the forest provides.
According to studies done by the Department of Hygiene and Public Health in Tokyo, Japan, Shinrin-yoku (aka forest bathing) originated in Japan as a short, leisure visit to a forest while breathing in fresh air, which provides volatile substances such as phytoncides (wood essential oils) that are antimicrobial. Though it was originally introduced in 1982 as a method of pursuing a healthy lifestyle, Japan officially acknowledged forest bathing as a form of preventative care in later years. It is a science-backed form of nature therapy that's been shown to reduce stress, boost mood, improve focus and even strengthen your immune system.
Janiece Sanderson, a nurse, wellness coach and certified forest therapy guide, discovered forest bathing after years in the ICU left her craving a more proactive, holistic approach to health. A lifelong nature lover from Texas and raised with summer escapades in the forests of Oregon, Sanderson eventually blended her medical background and her holistic nursing practices with her passion for the outdoors. "The type of medicine I was practicing, it was beautiful and it was saving people's lives, but it really wasn't following a path of what I see to help people be more proactive about [their health]," she says.
After earning her certification from Forest Therapy School and moving to North Georgia, she now helps people slow down and reconnect with their senses in nature by volunteering with Outdoor Chattanooga and guiding others on her own time -- through what she calls "an alternative way of feeling, seeing the world, and maybe seeing themselves."
"We can really see the benefits of forest bathing through things like stress reduction, decreasing cortisol levels and also increasing the activity of ... the cells that protect us from cancer," Sanderson says.
Photo by Ed Barels / A group of forest bathers led by Maria Gonzalez enjoy the fresh air at Grace Point Retreat Center.
Sanderson shared a study from the Department of Hygiene and Public Health and Frontiers in Psychology that explains how spending time in green environments -- like parks, forests and tree-lined areas -- gives your immune system a big boost. Being in nature can decrease your risk of getting cancer, potentially by as much as 40%, and the effects can last for weeks. It also cuts down harmful inflammation by half. On the other hand, stress and unhealthy habits can mess up your immune system.
"We can really see the benefits of forest bathing through things like stress reduction, decreasing cortisol levels and also increasing the activity of ... the cells that protect us from cancer," Sanderson says.
Maria Gonzalez, an educator and avid traveler, settled in Chattanooga to teach while raising her son after travelling and spending years between the U.S., Colombia and Spain, where she studied and worked in a cultural exchange program.
After COVID, Gonzalez re-implemented what she had always seen as a vital part of her life: nature. She soon became the director of the Wauhatchie Forest School. There, she really began seeing the benefits of how nature's connection to wellness can impact not only students, but teachers as well. With this vigor for nature therapy, Gonzalez attended a forest guide course in Portugal, where she received her certification.
"In highly industrialized countries, we go from our climate-controlled home to car to office -- it's also the isolation," Gonzalez says. "We live in such a fast-paced time -- this age of technology. Today, we're inundated with more information in a day than people got in a lifetime. Slowing down is really important."
Photo by Ed Barels / A group of forest bathers led by Maria Gonzalez take advantage of nature while at Grace Point Retreat Center.
She explains how we often miss out on outdoor physical activity, natural light or even a chance to take a break and become in tune with ourselves. Getting our feet in the dirt boosts immunity by reconnecting us to the Earth. Over-sanitizing and constant bathing can weaken natural defenses, but being connected with the Earth helps rebuild them.
Now, at Rising Fawn Gardens, Gonzalez has put her forest guide certificate to use where she "invites people to slow down, connect with their senses and go out in nature." Her goal is to remind people, through a slow, guided experience, that they are a part of nature and can go outside at any time, sit on a bench under a tree, next to a creek or even their garden and practice wellness and receive those benefits. "It makes me feel like I am going back to thinking globally, acting locally," Gonzalez says, referring to the quote she lives by. "I just feel like I'm doing my small part."
"There are some things that we need to come back to to help us keep progressing forward, but perhaps in a little bit more balanced and clear-minded way." Sanders says. She emphasizes how we often overlook simple everyday experiences, getting caught up in goals and distractions -- even in nature, where people usually run for time or hike to reach a summit, rather than just exist quietly. Forest bathing offers a reset from that mindset.
"In our society, we don't focus on these easily overlooked, everyday things," Sanders says. "We get caught up in some of the wrong things sometimes, and so forest bathing is just kind of a reset for people."
Want to learn more about forest bathing or the health benefits of nature? Contact Janiece Sanderson at [email protected] or (423)463-0454.
Janiece Sanderson practices forest bathing at Cloudland Canyon State Park.