Weather Science: Forest Therapy at Michigan State University's Tollgate Farm
NOVI, Mich. (CBS Detroit) – A healthy life is a good life. At Michigan State University's Tollgate Farms in Novi, we learned that forest therapy is a great way to enjoy good mental health no matter the weather.
“Forest therapy is a practice that began in Japan in the 1980s. In Japan, it’s called shinrin-yoku. It literally means forest bathing,” said Ellen Kohler, director of education at Michigan State University’s Tollgate Farm.
“Forest therapy is very different from hiking. It’s really about being here versus there. Being in the moment. It’s slow and meditative, but there are many elements that make up a forest therapy walk there in a certain sequence.”
Weather and climate are a big factor and affect every session, Kohler says.
“But the beauty is in what we call phenomenology,” she said. “The study of the cycle of the seasons and how they relate to the climate, the landscape, the animals and the plants in the forest. That’s why we come back to this forest in all seasons, even from week to week or day to day. The forest changes. It’s different.”
Seeing the beauty of nature by experiencing its changes is not the only benefit forest therapy provides.
“The benefits of a forest therapy session or walk have been shown to last up to seven days. They include physical benefits such as lower blood pressure, lower cortisol, a stress hormone, a boost to the immune system from chemicals released by trees at all times, and a sense of calm and relaxation,” Kohler said.
Forest therapy doesn't always have to be done in a large area or even a forest, which is amazing.
Across the country and the world, in different climates and at different times of day, Kohler explains where forest therapy can take place. “It could be a very small area. It’s really a forest experience, but it could also be nature therapy. So you can do it in a meadow. In a meadow on a beach. It could be any kind of nature, really.”
Forest therapy helps all types of people from all different backgrounds and all different age groups.
“We’ve done a lot of sessions here at Tollgate for teachers, first responders, people in treatment, nursing home patients. But it’s for everyone of all ages,” Koehler said. “No two sessions are ever the same, and that’s because of the natural phenomena of the season, the time of year, what’s happening on that day? Well, how much breeze is there? Is it raining? And then it’s especially because of the people who come in, and each one brings their own lived experience to the group.”
