The growing interest in the environmental stress has been accompanied by a rapid accumulation of evidence indicating that the environment can elicit substantial stress in people living in urban environments. Furthermore, it is widely conceived that the natural environment can enhance human health. There have been several questionnaire studies and investigations on the psychological effects of forest environments. A previous study found an enhancement of the positive emotions among subjects who were shown pictures of natural environments. Moreover, other researches have also found that forest environments improve the psychological wellbeing of people

1. BY Dr. S.SREEREMYA
FACULTY OF BIOLOGY

2.  INTRODUCTION
 The growing interest in the environmental stress has been
accompanied by a rapid accumulation of evidence
indicating that the environment can elicit substantial
stress in people living in urban environments.
Furthermore, it is widely conceived that the natural
environment can enhance human health. There have been
several questionnaire studies and investigations on the
psychological effects of forest environments. A previous
study found an enhancement of the positive emotions
among subjects who were shown pictures of natural
environments. Moreover, other researches have also found
that forest environments improve the psychological
wellbeing of people

3.  The term Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or the forest
bathing) was coined by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, the
Forestry, and Fisheries in 1982. It can be delineated as making contact
with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest: a process intended to
improve an individual’s state of mental and the physical relaxation.
Shinrin-yoku is considered to be the most widespread activity associated
with the forest and human health (Blood et al., 1999).
 With this social background, the Association of the Therapeutic Effects
of Forests was established in Japan in 2004, with the purpose of
conducting the Therapeutic Effects of Forests project in Japan. At the
European level, similar efforts were made through the COST Action E39
on forest and human health from 2005 to 2008, and on the global level,
the International Union of the Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
launched a new taskforce on forests and human health in the Finland in
2007 with the purpose of fostering cross-disciplinary the dialogue
between the different researchers in this field, especially forestry and
health professionals (Buchanan et al., 2000).

4.  As part of this effort, the Japanese Society of Forest
Medicine was established in 2008 under the Japanese
Society for Hygiene, with the purpose of the promoting
research in the field of forest medicine, encompassing the
effects of forest bathing trips and the therapeutic effects
of forests on human health. At the same time, several field
studies and investigations on the physiological effects of
the natural environmental terrain were carried out (Goel et
al., 2001).
 Urbanization continues to increase worldwide, and by
2050, 69% of the population is projected to live in an
urban environment. This trend has quiet a negative impact
on physical and emotional health. “Overall, urbanicity
seems to be connected to a higher risk of mental health
disorders (Iidaka et al., 2001).”

5.  OVERVIEW
 Forest bathing is quite a nature therapy originally
developed in Japan as shinrin-yoku, a term coined in the
year 1982 by Tomohide Akiyama of the Japanese Forestry
Agency (Kaplan et al., 1984).This therapeutic technique
can be delineated as “bathing in the forest atmosphere, or
taking in the forest through the human senses.” Clifford
notes “the Japanese emphasize the scientific rationale for
forest walks. Most of the guided walks one’ve been on in
Japan begin and end with the measurements of blood
pressure and salivary amylase, which are indicators of
stress and relaxation.” For the purposes of the research,
the forest bathing model entails an average of 2 to 4 hours
in a forest and encompasses a combination of various
activities such as walking, standing, lying, sitting, and also
deep breathing

6.  . This practice is facilitated by a trained forest bathing guide to focus the
participants’ attention with meditative concentration on sensory
experiences, engaging sight, the sound, touch, smell, and sometimes
taste to explore the surrounding forest. Forest bathing can be delineated
as immersion in nature with mindful use of all 5 senses; studies on
physical and also mental health benefits report reduced stress, anxiety,
and the depression symptoms as well as improved mood and
relaxation(Kaplan et al.,2001).
 Methods
 “Shinrin-yoku,” “forest therapy,” “forest walking,” and “nature therapy”;
631,952 references were found with this search. The results were
narrowed to the main recent field experiments with dates ranging from
2008 to 2018 that also availed a formalized forest bathing program
affecting anxiety levels and the heart rate variability; however, other
studies using similar methods of exposure to the natural settings were
also included due to the limited amount of recent research specifically
linked to a formalized forest bathing program. Inclusion criteria for
these additional field experiments are delineated as walking in a forest
for a determined amount of time.

7.  Journal of Trauma Management and Critical
Care Nursing , Combined Effect of Walking
and Forest (Shinrin-Yoku) Environment on
Salivary Cortisol Concentration,
Dr.S.Sreeremya ,2020.Vol 2(1):1-9.
