Personal well-being and the forest: Interview with Adam Markuszewski

Personal well-being and the forest: Interview with Adam Markuszewski*

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*Adam Markuszewski

Leśne Spacery https://lesnespacery.pl/ 

The Polish Forest Bathing Association https://kapielelesne.pl/en/home/ 

Since 2015, organizer of Forest Walks referring to Japanese forest bathing. Vice-president of the Polish Forest Bathing Association. Certified guide of forest therapy and forest bathing. Mentor and member of the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Relational Ecotherapy. Trainer, facilitator and storyteller. Guide to the Kampinos Forest. 

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Małgorzata Zięba: How do you understand well-being?

Adam Markuszewski: It is a search for balance between different areas of life such as physical, mental and spiritual health, rootedness in the environment, social bonds and community. It is also a connection with the place where one grows up and the stories, legends and events related to it, as well as taking into account the landscape and its influence on man.

Małgorzata Zięba: How can the forest help us take care of ourselves and others? 

Adam Markuszewski: The forest affects our physical health, immunity, makes us feel better when we are in the forest, cortisol levels drop, blood pressure is balanced, a person enters a state of rest and digestion, which helps to achieve a state of relaxation. Trees release phytoncides that affect our nervous system. The forest, thanks to soil bacteria, also increases the secretion of serotonin, the hormone of happiness, helps to oxygenate the body. 

The forest also has a good effect on the human psyche. It has a relaxing effect, helps to calm down the course of intrusive thoughts (ruminations), can trigger excitement and playfulness, i.e. the desire to have fun by exploring the forest. We as people have unfortunately stopped knowing how to rest, which is why it is important to stop for a moment, to be here and now, to be mindful and aware. 

The forest also affects the spirit, a moment of awe is triggered, that there is something greater than man, greater contact with the environment, a transcendent sense of community that being in a group gives, greater boldness and a reduction in biophobia. Being in the forest also helps to reduce mental fatigue and improve concentration (ART – Attention Restoration Theory). The forest also helps with experiencing, mindfulness, self-analysis, sensitivity, deepening of being, increasing awareness. 

Joint trips to the forest also provide space for sharing experiences. People are talking to each other less and less and not sharing experiences. A joint trip to the forest gives them such an opportunity. 

To sum up, the forest has a very beneficial influence on various areas of our lives. 

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by Małgorzata Zięba (GUT)