26
2017 l Travee Guid
Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve, Sonoma County
PLANT BASED: Shinrin-yoku is nothing new, of course. But as a concept “forest bathing” was framed up in the early 80s by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as a way to connect walking in the woods with personal wellness. Subsequent studies from Japan, Finland and the US suggest that regular exposure to phytoncides—volatile compounds given off by spices, onion, garlic, tea tree, oak, cedar, locust, pine, and many other plants to defend from bacteria, fungi and insects—might have a positive effect on the human body such as lower blood pressure, heart rate and concentrations of salivary cortisol (a stress hormone) as well as general reductions in tension and anxiety. Spending a few days running + meditating in deep woods Sonoma County—where Shinrin Yoku LA trains and certifies its forest therapy guides—I found the environs and the plant biota particularly intense mentally and emotionally. Afterwards I wasn’t so much concerned with analyzing the effects; I just kept thinking about getting out in the woods again. And again. Kruse Rhododendron State Reserve, Sonoma County
CM0517_FEAT_TRAVEL.indd 26
4/10/17 4:15 PM