#131 Forest Therapy

Imagine that there is a bridge between you and a state of more health, wellbeing, vitality, creativity, and empathy for yourself and the world around you. That bridge exists—and is accessible to anyone for free. And that bridge is forest therapy. Spending time in nature, disconnected from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, is such a relaxing, restorative, health-enhancing experience. In this episode, I discuss forest therapy and how it can improve your overall wellbeing, creativity, and connection to the world around you. I discuss how nature inspired me to write my book, The Vitality Mark. I explain how spending time in natural environments can help you lower your stress response and increase your relaxation response and help you become more compassionate to yourself and the world around you. I also highlight how you can make the most out of your time being in nature to maximize its beneficial effects to your health, wellbeing, and vitality. “Forest therapy provides us the opportunity to be more present, patient, and kinder to ourselves, others, and the natural world; it enables you to boost your wellbeing and live with so much more vitality.” – Dr. Mark Rowe   This week on In the Doctor’s Chair: Nature as a creative laboratory How time in nature can reduce the voice of the inner-critic and increase self-compassion The ‘Green Exercise’ prescription The history of forest bathing or shinrin-yoku How the forest and other natural environments can help dampen down the stress response Improving your relaxation response through forest therapy How time spent in nature can reduce chronic health conditions How being in nature produces a flow state and triggers the ‘small self’ effect Forest therapy and raising awareness of the importance of the natural world Ralph Waldo Emerson on adopting the pace of nature What you should do before ending your time in nature Hellen Keller on spending time in nature   Resources Mentioned: Book: The Vitality Mark: Your prescription for feeling energised, invigorated, enthusiastic and optimistic each day by Dr. Mark Rowe   In the Doctor’s Chair Thanks for listening to In the Doctor’s Chair, the show where you’ll hear conversations that share life lessons, health habits, and leadership practices that focus on positive psychology, lifestyle medicine, and ways for you to live with more vitality. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the show and leave a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts. For more resources to help you to live with more vitality, please visit my website. Apple Podcasts I TuneIn I Google Play I Stitcher I