The practice of forest bathing is a mindful, meditative experience where we allow our senses to become attuned to nature by spending time walking through woodlands. Numerous studies have shown that immersing ourselves in the natural world in this way can have significant health benefits, but could we ever bring this practice to a clinical setting? Could nature immersion provide alternative and effective treatments to patients suffering from a wide range of ailments?
The answer to that question is the subject of the new book "Good Nature" by Kathy Willis, a professor of biodiversity at the University of Oxford. In it, she draws on the available evidence to show not just the health benefits of being surrounded by nature, but also the quantitative data that shows how doctors could prescribe time in the natural environment when forming treatment plans for their patients.
