Breathing Rooms and Forest Bathing

Have you heard of ‘Breathing Rooms’ and ‘Forest Bathing? These two new trends focus on refreshing the mind and body from being connected 24/7. Marketing reports show that the pressure of constantly being connected, coupled with growing public discontent, is causing depression and anxiety to skyrocket. By 2030, the World Health Organization predicts anxiety will be the number one health issue, outranking obesity (Garden Media).

A Breathing Room is simply a space created to unwind and escape from the world’s frenzied pace. It is a quiet zone where houseplants typically play a vital role in generating a feeling of well-being as well as cleaning the air and getting rid of harmful VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). Some of the best plants for purifying the air include peace lilies and Bromeliads. To learn more about breathing rooms check out Garden Media’s 2018 Trends Report.

Forest Bathing, a trend that originated in Japan, involves simply walking through a quiet forest and embracing the stillness and calm. Another venue for ‘de-stressing’. I was recently reading an article by one forest bather who noticed a small sign along the path inviting walkers to hug a nearby majestic tree. He looked over to see a man in a red hat enjoying a lingering embrace. There is a growing program that trains and certifies forest bathing guides here in the U.S. To learn more about forest bathing visit NPR’s article: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/17/536676954/forest-bathing-a-retreat-to-nature-can-boost-immunity-and-mood.