I read, not that long ago, about a practice in Japan called “forest bathing” (shinrin-yoku). No, this doesn’t involve a large tub of hot water or a bath house (but I think that would be lovely, too). Apparently, to walk among tall trees in a forest has been seen to lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, buff up the immune system and decrease stress hormone levels. Somehow, this doesn’t surprise me. As we’ve veered further and further away from nature, our levels of stress and stress-induced diseases have increased. “Bathing”, in this context, is simply to soak in everything surrounding you while in a group of trees or a forest.
It’s not just the being disconnected from our everyday lives as many might think. There are chemicals that trees emit that help us be healthier. That’s on top of the work they do 
in purifying our air. These chemicals are called phytoncides and have even been linked to increasing the activity of NK cells (short for Natural Killer), one of the very important immune system cells in our bodies, according to the National Institute of Health (see more here). These immune cells are like the assassins of the body, tracking and killing tumor cells and cells infected with viruses. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take any help my immune system can get!
This is such an easy thing to introduce into your life, even if you live in a city. Just make it a point to get to a park, a forest, anywhere that you can find that has trees — lots of trees. Once a month, at least. Turn off your phone, walk with intent, notice the leaves of the trees, smell the aromas wafting in the air (this could be tricky if you’re in a city park), listen to the breeze rustling the leaves or the birds chattering amongst themselves, feel the air around you. Just enjoy the beauty of nature. Breath it all in. Soak in it. Bathe in it. It could help you live a healthier, more balanced life, not to mention save you from the next flu season. (Personal note — I tried this when going through a bout of anxiety due to hormone fluctuations and I felt immensely better after about five minutes into the walk. The effects lasted for a couple of days as well.)
After Thought: Looking to learn more about “forest bathing”? Maybe join a group? Here are some websites for you:
http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/
https://www.facebook.com/Your-Guide-to-Forest-Bathing-338801616640185/
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/dose-nature-doctors-prescribe-day-park-anxiety-n823421
http://time.com/5259602/japanese-forest-bathing/
Hart Health 