Stress is not only something we feel. It is something the body measures.
A meta-analysis by Qiu and colleagues examined the effects of forest therapy on blood pressure and salivary cortisol, a common biological marker associated with stress. The article was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
The researchers analysed studies on blood pressure and salivary cortisol, finding that forest therapy was associated with reductions in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and salivary cortisol compared with urban control settings.
Why this matters
These findings suggest forest therapy may influence both cardiovascular and stress-related physiological responses.
However, the findings should be understood with care. Blood pressure and cortisol can be affected by many factors, including age, baseline health, sleep, medication, activity level, environment and time of day. Forest therapy should never replace medical treatment for hypertension or stress-related conditions.
What it may offer is a supportive practice. Slow walking, sensory attention, breathing, reduced noise and time beneath trees may help the body downshift from stress activation into a calmer state.
At Nature Immersions, this is one of the reasons sessions are intentionally unhurried. The body needs time to notice safety. The forest gives us that time.
Further reading: Qiu et al. meta-analysis.