Last month I took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family, and I thoroughly enjoyed driving through the lush green mountains and exploring the state parks tucked within them. There’s nothing like communing with nature to lift your spirits.

Have you ever heard of the practice of shinrin yoku or “forest bathing”? It is the concept that spending time in the forest (or any natural setting) is healing for the body and mind. Books have been written about it (here is an excerpt from one of them), and there is even a documentary film of forest scenes on Amazon Prime Video called, you guessed it, Shinrin-Yoku.

A search on PubMed Central’s website for “shinrin-yoku” yields 227 results dating as far back as 2009. Studies have shown benefits such as lowering blood pressure, altering brainwaves to a more relaxed state, and reducing symptoms of depression.

I highly encourage you to carve some time out, grab your mask, and head out to a park or trail near you. We have plenty of areas around Los Angeles you can check out. I recently went to Franklin Canyon Park with my wife and son a few weeks back, and while walking around the “Heaven’s Pond” area, I felt like we were a million miles away from the city. Any time that you can get with nature will be beneficial.

Where do you like to go to get your “forest medicine”?