GETTING YOUR DOSE OF VITAMIN TREE

I sincerely hope I got your attention with that line. Some of you might be thinking, “The doc has finally gone mad! Maybe he just misspelled the vitamin he intended to type.” Nope. I came across an article originally presented in May 2025 at the American Psychiatry Annual Meeting about the growing evidence for the healing power of “Forest Therapy” also known as “Forest Bathing” and in Japan called, “Shinrin-Yoku.”

So what is Forest Therapy? Turns out that taking a walk in the woods and taking in all of one’s senses of your surroundings has therapeutic value. The five senses are sight, sound, smell, taste and touch and in the woods and getting out and appreciating all your senses can counter the effects of our technology-driven, climate-controlled, fast-paced, highly stressed daily lives. I will caution you about tasting things along the trail that you don’t know what they are and certainly you shouldn’t touch poison hemlock or poison ivy, duh?

Some of the benefits of Forest Therapy that have been confirmed include lower stress hormones, lower blood pressure and heart rate as well as boosted immune function. In kids a study showed it reduced the symptoms of ADHD and was associated with increased creativity and problem solving ability. Want your mood to improve? Take a trip to the woods. Forest Therapy has also shown the potential to help in recovery from trauma and PTSD as well.

“Doc, how long do I need to chug through the woods for the benefits?” I probably shouldn’t have used the word chug as that implies you are racing along not taking in all your senses but you should take some time to take as much in as possible. As far as how long to get out there, I’ve read 2 hours twice a week to as little as 10 minutes 3 times per week.

“How do I make the best of my walk?” Glad you asked.
* Turn off the phone! I said, turn off the phone!
* Respect nature. (I carry a small garbage bag and collect cans, bottles, junk)
* Walk slowly and mindfully.
* Take a moment now and then to focus on each of your senses. (Ross, don’t touch the poison hemlock again!)

Nearby include:
* McLane Creek
* Watershed Park
* Woodard Bay Conservation Area
* Squaxin Park
* Mima Mounds