Forest Bathing & Adaptogens

June comes to a close with the setting sun tonight, and the brightness of summer has fully activated! I'm enjoying the gentle warmth of early morning and late evening walks when the sun is hidden and the steady breeze feels like an invitation to be mindful in breathing deeply as I stay present in the moment. There's a quietness of summer mornings—when school is out and schedules are more relaxed—that gives me a sense of peace as I walk and listen to the birds singing, feel grounded by the nature around me, and soak up the phytonutrients of the trees and plants that boost my immune system while calming my nervous system.

This self-care practice of forest bathing (Shinrin-Yoku)—originating from Japan—has been on my mind throughout June. I coauthored a peer-reviewed article on the topic and loved researching the science behind why our bodies and brains find nourishment and healing from something as simple as mindfully walking amongst trees. You can read more about that below.

Encourage

This month, I encourage you to intentionally spend time outside caring for your mind, body, and soul by forest bathing. This can be done anywhere, even in your yard, if you slow your breathing and start noticing the details of the leaves on the trees and the blades of grass around you.

Think of this as more than taking a walk for exercise or a break from sitting for several hours at a time. Forest bathing starts with mindfulness and presence in the moment you're living right now, choosing to walk outside around trees and plants, breathing deeply in a meditative way to clear your mind of the day's responsibilities, focusing purely on the joy of moving your body and caring for your health in this simple yet powerful way. The peace that comes from feeling grounded while walking outside will transfer to the rest of your day. Give yourself the gift of this self-care practice.

Here are some science-backed reasons to add forest bathing to your daily routine.

Studies have shown that forest bathing decreases symptoms of depression and anxiety, improves mood, and supports emotional resilience. Participants in a study reported improved emotional well-being across multiple dimensions, experiencing less tension, anger, fatigue, and confusion—and more vigor—after time spent in a forest.

Another study found that viewing or walking in a forest reduced cortisol levels, blood pressure, and pulse rate, reflecting activation of the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s rest and restore mode. Simply being in nature and looking at the trees, with or without walking, helped activate the body's inner sense of calm and safety to lower stress. Mental health is significantly improved by a sense of emotional well-being when you slow down to bring your awareness to your senses and how your body feels in the moment.

Several studies emphasized that how people engage with nature matters. Forest bathing is a structured practice that calms the body, engages the senses, encourages mindfulness and reflection, and induces restorative relaxation. One study highlighted how this intentional format helped adolescents slow down, tune in to their bodies and minds, and experience a deeper sense of awe, gratitude, and presence out in nature.

Educate

Lately, I've been intentional in using adaptogens to support my body and mind on a daily basis. Adaptogens are herbs and medicinal mushrooms that help reset your nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system while improving your attention, focus, and endurance. Using these nutrients is a powerful way to own your health! There are so many adaptogens to support overall health and longevity, and I encourage you to get curious about them.

Here are two adaptogens that I love taking right now. I added them to my supplement routine. If you'd like to learn more about adaptogens like these, send your questions my way.

Ashwagandha: This calming and nourishing adaptogen is one I take every day to help restore my nervous system, reduce fatigue and exhaustion, and improve my memory. It helps regulate cortisol and stimulates the brain to adapt the body's response to stress, anxiety, and inflammation. This herb has been shown to help with rheumatoid arthritis and muscle tension. Some research shows it might even help improve T3 and T4 production, which is necessary for thyroid health.

Rhodiola: This is another calming adaptogen that is slightly stimulating in that it helps with cognitive clarity, clearing brain fog, and reducing fatigue. I love taking it in the morning to help with my mood and focus, as it was found in a scientific study to boost mental performance. Also, it supports stamina and recovery from exercise. This herb is great for helping with fibromyalgia and chronic stress headaches.

Empower

I'm stepping into the next month grateful for the strategies I've learned over the last several years to help me thrive in life while living with endometriosis (click to read my raw reflection after being diagnosed with endo in 2018) and other related chronic health challenges. Practices such as forest bathing boost my mental and physical health while helping me feel more in control of how my body and mind feel each day. Learning to own your health is a life-long journey that starts with tuning into the brightness within you—which is your body's inner wisdom giving you subtle hints about what it needs to feel healthy today.

Owning your health is empowering. You are the expert of your body and mind. You have everything within you to learn how to care for your mental and physical health in ways that effectively work for YOU. This starts with your emotional health. Checking in with how you're feeling in the present moment, slowing down your pace even for a few minutes to scan your body head to toe while listening for clues about where you're feeling emotions living in your body. These emotions are important signals from your subconscious, and they're tied to the physical symptoms you experience from chronic health conditions and challenges. Find the emotions, then find where to focus your energy to help alleviate the mental and physical symptoms that are negatively impacting you in the moment.

Owning my health was a steady, slow process of self-acceptance and releasing shame to allow room for healing. I became empowered to trust my body's inner wisdom to communicate what I need in this present moment to feel GOOD in my body and mind. I learned to pause in moments where perfectionism tried to take over my healing journey. I found that a simple practice—such as taking a break from work or responsibilities to walk outside, breathe deeply, and calm my mind—made me feel grateful for my health, even when living with endometriosis and difficult symptoms that come and go. This empowerment is yours to claim as well. Be curious and playful in trying new self-care strategies that feel good in the moment, knowing that you are the expert in what your body needs today.

Until next month, be kind to yourself as you practice self-care, take time to slow your mind as you walk through trees, and listen to your body's inner wisdom as it communicates important signals to you.