The Japanese pursuit of shinrin-yoku uses trees and nature to heal oneself – here’s how you can do it even in a park.

Japanese “forest medicine” is the science of using nature to heal oneself of all that ails. In the 1980s, researchers in Japan started extolling the science behind the benefits of being outdoors. And in 1982, the Japanese government introduced the concept of shinrin yoku, or “forest bathing,” urging people to make use of the country’s generous wooded areas for therapy.

In the following decades the benefits of spending time amongst the trees have been confirmed over and over. One comprehensive review just concluded that spending time in greenspace “reduces the risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, preterm birth, stress, and high blood pressure, among other benefits.” (See more here: Vast new study confirms significant health benefits of nature.)