Call of the Wild Your mother was right: Playing outside really is good for you. BY DEBRA BOKUR MOUNTAIN CASCADE:
Chosi Otaki Waterfall in the Oirasekeiryuu Stream, TowadaHachimantai National Park, Japan
PHOTO:© EYEBLINK DREAMSTIME.COM
48
EACH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES alone, more than 330 million travelers head to national parks and another 75 million more plan vacations to include botanic gardens. Expand those numbers to the world at large, and there’s no doubt a desire to witness what naturalist, author and explorer John Muir called the “grand show” is a real phenomenon, answering some deep call within the human psyche that longs to be immersed in the natural world. It makes perfect sense: Study after study has shown the measurable health benefits, immune-boosting effects and powerful stress-relieving results of spending time in nature — exactly what legions of travelers specifically seek when planning a vacation. Many experts say the act of seeking out a patch of sky or
globaltravelerusa.com
LEISURE LIFESTYLE 2019
a stretch of garden is a natural response to the time we spend staring at screens, looking for parking spaces and running for trains, a reaction to everyday life that leads seekers on quests to reconnect with the planet on the most basic of levels. In Japan, the country’s health care system even recognizes a term for nature immersion: Shinrin-yoku, or forest therapy (also called forest bathing), seen as an antidote to stress, depression, feelings of disconnection and the myriad woes that so often accompany modern city living. Travelers to Japan can have their own forest therapy experience while wandering the stunning green pathways of Towada-Hachimantai National Park, Yanbaru National Park and Shimokita Hantō QuasiNational Park. Closer to home, travelers can slip beneath the boughs of the New York Botanical Garden, where regularly planned activities include tours and talks, or spend time at the Denver Botanic Gardens, where year-round programs include drawing classes at the School of Botanical Art & Illustration. “When we enter into nature with an intent to notice the surrounding wildlife, aesthetics and varying soundscapes, our ancestral wiring quickly becomes triggered, bringing us back to a state of intense connection and belonging,” explains Linden Johanson, LPC, NCC, CCMHC. Johanson, who provides eco-therapy as part of her practice at Multnomah Therapy in Portland, Oregon, explains when we feel securely
