Feeling Stressed? Trying Forest Bathing感到焦虑吗？试试森林浴吧

There is a new field of medicine that might sound too good to be true. The therapy can reduce stress， lower blood pressure， improve mood， help with sleep and even improve the immune system， yet there are no pills involved and no side effects. This medical field is called forest medicine， based on the practice of shinrin-yoku， a Japanese phrase that translates to “forest bathing”. Forest bathing is not physical exercise， but rather a form of relaxation while experiencing the forest through all five senses.

有一个新兴的医学领域，听起来似乎好得难以置信。这种疗法能够减轻压力、降低血压、改善心情、帮助入眠，甚至增强免疫系统，但它不需要任何药物，也没有副作用。这一医学领域被称为“森林医学”，是根据日语短语“森林浴”翻译而来。森林浴不是体育锻炼，而是通过五感来感受森林从而放松心情的一种方式。

The idea that being in nature can be therapeutic is not new， but it was only in the last two decades that researchers began documenting the health benefits of forest immersion. Qing Li， a physician and professor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo， is widely regarded as a founder of the field of forest medicine. He and his colleagues have authored dozens of peer-reviewed papers demonstrating the health benefits of forest therapy.

大自然有疗愈作用的说法不是近年来才兴起的，早在20年前，研究人员就开始记录沉浸式游览森林对人体带来的益处。位于东京的日本医科大学的医生兼教授李青是公认的森林医学领域的开创者。他和他的同事们已发表了数十篇经过同行评审的论文，论证了森林疗法对健康有益。

One meta-analysis of 20 clinical trials found that forest bathing can reduce blood pressure， in some cases with effects on a par with antihypertensive agents. Other studies revealed that the practice decreases hormones implicated in metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes. Forest bathing has also been shown to lower anxiety and reduce depressive symptoms， and there is also data associating forest immersion to higher levels of anticancer proteins.

一项涵盖了20项临床试验的已有分析发现，森林浴能降低血压，在某些病例中甚至能与降压药的效果相媲美。其他研究发现，这种做法能够降低与代谢性疾病（如肥胖和糖尿病）有关的激素水平。研究还表明森林浴能够舒缓焦虑情绪、减轻抑郁症状，此外还有数据显示森林浴与更高水平的抗癌蛋白相关联。

Li’s hypothesis for the wide-ranging effects is that being in a forest decreases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. The reduced stress response relaxes the brain， reduces blood pressure and impacts other body systems including the endocrine and immune systems.

对于这些受众面广的影响，李青的假设是：森林环境可以降低如肾上腺素和皮质醇等压力激素的水平。压力反应的减少能够放松大脑，降低血压，并影响内分泌和免疫等系统。

“The relaxing effects of forest bathing begin to appear 20 minutes after you begin and reach their maximum effect after two hours，” Li said. “The longer you bathe in the forest， the greater the effect will be.” Li explained that forest medicine is so well established in Japan that there are 65 official “forest therapy bases” across the country. Some Japanese companies contract with these bases to improve their employees’ health and manage their stress.

“森林浴的放松效果在你待在森林20分钟后开始显现，并在两小时内达到最大效果。”李青说道，“你在森林中‘沐浴’的时间越长，效果就越明显。”李青解释道：森林医学在日本已经非常成熟，全国设有65个官方的“森林疗愈基地”。一些日本公司与这些基地签约，希望通过森林疗法来改善员工的健康状况，缓解其自身的压力。

Word Bank

therapy /'θerəpi/ n. 治疗；疗法

clinical /'klɪnɪkl/ adj. 临床的；临床诊断的

trial /'traɪəl/ n. 试验

depressive /dɪ'presɪv/ adj. 抑郁的