Though rooted in Buddhism’s reverence for nature, shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing”) traces its origins to 1982, when Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries coined and prescribed the practice, which involves full sensory immersion in tree-filled outdoor spaces. The ritual was meant to counter the adverse physical and mental effects of the country’s tech boom, and to encourage city dwellers to venture into surrounding landscapes. Since then, various scientific studies have confirmed the benefits of communing with nature, which include helping to curb conditions including depression and anxiety, and even the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.