Tree Hugging Tourism for Healing

At first, many people will think that this is another "crazy" thing for young people, but in reality, hugging trees in the forest bathing ritual is becoming a delicious, nutritious, and cheap medicine for souls that need to organize and renew themselves. This trend started in Japan and is currently spreading strongly in Vietnam.

Forest bathing tours are popular.

“Before the Covid outbreak, we organized forest bathing tours. Interrupted for three years due to the pandemic, in the past two years, the number of bookings has gradually increased. On average, we have three tours per week, for both northern and southern customers, focusing on the forests of Tam Dao, Cuc Phuong, Pu Mat, Can Gio, and Bu Gia Map. Most of the customers are young people, concentrated in the age group of 22-35, recently the number of middle-aged customers from 40-60 has also gradually increased.

Currently in Vietnam there are about a dozen tourist agencies offering forest bathing tours. Our country has 34 national parks, many of which are safe and suitable for sightseeing, trekking and forest bathing.

We predict that this trend will increase in the coming time as people increasingly realize the benefits of connecting with nature" - Mr. Tran Van Thien (Alleztours Travel Company) shared.

Forest bathing is chosen by many artists because of its ability to stimulate creative ideas.

Forest bathing or Shinrin-yoku is a concept that originated in Japan in the 1980s. The Japanese believe that spending time in the forest: hugging trees, taking relaxing walks, meditating, breathing fresh air... will help improve health, reduce stress and prolong life.

The consequences of modern life are increasingly alienating people from nature. Forest bathing is a way to heal that rift. Very quickly, it has become a popular trend.

In the book “Shinrin-yoku - The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing”, author and doctor Qing Li said that touching the forest with all the senses will help people receive the maximum positive energy from nature.

In addition to having a high oxygen content, the air in the forest is also extremely rich in phytoncides (essential oils secreted by trees to fight bacteria, insects, fungi, etc.). Exposure to phytoncides helps us strengthen our immune system, significantly reduces stress hormone levels, helps balance the nervous system and brings a feeling of pleasant relaxation.

Ms. Viet Ha (CEO of a company specializing in furniture trading) shared that after being invited to join a forest bathing tour in Bu Gia Map, she decided to register more than 70 employees of the company to join.

“When we returned, our union department conducted a survey, and 100% of the staff expressed satisfaction with the trip, with three-quarters of them expressing a desire to do similar activities in the future.

From my personal experience, immersing yourself in green areas of trees, listening to natural sounds or touching tree bark, soil, rocks... really brings many positive results for physical and mental health.

Maybe I've found a new way to treat burn out (defined by WHO as a syndrome caused by long-term, poorly controlled stress in the workplace).

Thuy Jiry's story of forest bathing has inspired millions of viewers.

The case of Thuy Jiry

Thuy Jiry is a Vietnamese woman living in Finland. However, at the end of 2020, after giving birth to her first child, Thuy suffered from depression. The reason for this illness was because of the suffocating life in exile due to having to stay at home a lot, having few friends, and not going out for a long time, which made her feel like she had lost the ability to socialize. Thuy tried many different treatments, but nothing helped her feel better.

Coming from a farming family in Dak Lak , Thuy said she loves working, especially working close to nature. One day, Thuy decided to try forest bathing. She went into the forest and spent time breathing in the fresh air, listening to the birds singing and looking at the trees. This process made her feel very relaxed and peaceful.

After a while, Thuy found that forest bathing helped her feel better. She started going forest bathing more often and felt herself gradually recovering.

“Every time I go into the forest, I find peace and relieve the pressure of raising children. In addition, this activity also helps me ease my homesickness and my longing for my family,” Thuy said.

After only a few months, Thuy’s husband noticed the positive changes in his wife, so he created the best conditions for her to maintain her passion. “The forest is about 5-10 km from my house and I can only go to the forest in the summer and autumn. Summer evenings in Finland are still bright, so after work, my husband comes home to look after the children, I will go to the forest from 5pm to 7pm,” she explained further.

To strengthen her connection with the community, Thuy Jiry decided to bring a camera with her on every trip to the forest, recording her daily journey such as: going into the forest to pick blueberries, grapes, plums, mushrooms... and sharing on her personal YouTube channel. The attention and encouraging comments from viewers made the 31-year-old mother feel "not alone".

Her story of forest bathing gradually spread strongly. Thuy Jiry became a very popular “example of forest bathing” on social media platforms. Many of her videos received hundreds of thousands of views.

Regarding the healing effects of forest bathing, psychologist Dr. Mai Hoa confirmed: “In 2018, I encouraged two of my depressed patients to go forest bathing. The first time, one of them responded that hugging the trees made you feel like you were hugging your lover. Another said that after only 30 minutes in the forest, her headache caused by lack of sleep and stress from work was gone.

Since then, hundreds of my patients have been encouraged to pursue this relaxation technique. Forest bathing has the dual benefit of being both calming and stress-relieving, and it forces people to be physically active.

The process of hiking, climbing, and trekking causes the body to produce endorphins, a chemical that improves mood, reduces anxiety and stress. In many cases, this activity is considered as good as antidepressants.

Forest bathing for creative inspiration

At the beginning of the year, while talking with sculptor Tran Thien Nhut, whose works are regularly sold at the Drouot Auction House (Paris, France), he shared: "Whenever I am stuck in my creativity or overloaded with work, Nhut goes forest bathing."

Tran Thien Nhut is from Gia Lai, and for him, the forest is a spiritual refuge. Nearly 90% of Nhut's works are inspired by the forest: leaves, tree roots, crocodiles, dinosaurs, clouds, mountain caves, etc. have all been stylized into works of art worth from tens to hundreds of thousands of US dollars.

Thuy and her husband's relatives, who were convinced by the "forest bathing game"

Ms. Ha Vu, founder of the brand Pressed Leaf Plates and one of the co-founders of the 1 Billion Trees project, is also a fan of forest bathing. Starting from “going to the forest whenever stressed”, Ms. Ha now considers forest bathing a regular activity, which not only helps relieve stress but also creates new inspirations for work.

“When I immerse myself in the lush green space of the forest, listening to the birds singing, the rustling leaves, the scent of moist soil and grass, I always feel like I am in the middle of a natural symphony. Author Henry David Thoreau once said: “Go deep into the forest, you will go deep into yourself.”

Indeed, when I leave the hustle and bustle of the city and immerse myself in nature, I have the opportunity to listen to my inner voice. In this state of relaxation, the mind becomes more flexible, easily connecting seemingly unrelated ideas into unexpected creative ideas," young director Hai Thanh shared.

Hugging trees to heal is a new travel trend that is popular among young people.

Japan has 68% of its area covered by forests. But Japan is also the country with the highest suicide rate in the world due to pressure in school, life, work...

To improve people's health and use forests effectively without harming them, the Japanese have a method of Forest Bathing - Shinrin Yoku, based on ancient Shinto and Buddhist customs, which is to let nature permeate the body through all five senses.

The Japanese take the study of relaxation and healing with the forest very seriously, and many doctors are certified in forest therapy. South Korea also practices forest bathing, called Salim yok, which is surprising considering that the forests of South Korea were devastated and cleared of timber after the war.

Without trees to hold the soil in place, the soil from the mountains is constantly being eroded, just like Vietnam in recent times! It was not until the 1960s that the Koreans began reforesting, and now Korea is trying to surpass Japan in terms of forest treatment.

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