Shirin-yoku Forest bathing and Fertility

By Yemi Adesanya-Famuyiwa, MD

Montgomery Fertility Center

. http://montgomeryfertilitycenter.com/

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Shirin-yoku Forest bathing and Fertility

Being in nature can be salubrious to your health. The greatest creatives of all time have practiced this. Nature is calming and restorative.

There is some physiology behind this phenomenon. The Japanese have long practiced the art of tree bathing or forest bathing. Walking through the woods for as little as 10 to 20 minutes can be extremely restorative.

Trees themselves release oxygen and soak up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We all know this and that’s why we encourage indoor plants. In addition to the oxygen being released are chemicals called phytoncides.

It turns out trees release organic compounds called phytoncides.

These chemicals help plants defend themselves against microbial infections, such as from bacteria or fungi, and protect them from invasion from certain insects.
The Japanese art of tree bathing enfolds you in the phytoncides released.

These chemicals are also known to improve your immune system by increasing your natural killer cells activity.
Natural killer cells can marshal your body’s immune defenses against viruses and germs and protect you from even tumor formation. There is data that suggests that your increased natural killer activity after a trip to the forest can last for as much as 30 days.
In addition, these chemicals can help you fight off tumor invasion. They have anti-cancer proteins; they also help to lower your blood pressure and heart rate as well as stress hormones. They help to reduce anxiety as well as depression.

Tree bathing can decrease your stress levels which may help you in your fertility journey.