Why Hug a Tree? Tree Hugging, Forest Therapy and What You May Feel
Wrapping your arms around a tree is usually called tree hugging, or a tree hugging. Popular in the media, this highly visible form of forest therapy is sometimes mocked, sometimes celebrated and sometimes misunderstood. So what can we realistically say about the experience?
Updated June 2026: why does tree hugging still attract so much interest?
Research into nature exposure and human well-being has grown considerably. Without attributing extraordinary powers to individual trees, many studies suggest that spending time in natural environments can support relaxation, reduce perceived stress and contribute to well-being.
In that context, hugging a tree has become, for many people, a symbolic way to slow down and return to the present moment. The simple gesture draws attention to touch, breathing, posture and surroundings. Some people describe feeling calmer, more grounded or emotionally comforted.
It is also worth remembering that forest therapy is about far more than hugging trees.
It can include many sensory experiences: walking slowly through woodland, observing colours and living forms, listening to natural sounds, noticing the texture of bark and developing attentive presence in the environment.
At a time when screens, constant demands and stress shape so many of our days, trees can offer a particularly valuable place to slow down and reconnect.
Who hugs trees?
Perhaps you have seen it yourself: someone walks up to a tree in a park, pauses, looks at it… and then embraces the trunk. Maybe your first reaction was amusement, surprise, or a silent ‘Well, that is a bit unusual.’
And yet, if you were in that forest or park, you were probably not there to check your emails. You too had come to enjoy nature in your own way — perhaps by running, walking or cycling. Tree huggers are simply choosing another form of contact. Perhaps I will even meet you one day during a forest therapy training course — have you read the practical mini-guide before getting started?
People who practise tree hugging — the tree hug — are not a separate species. Like you, they generally enjoy nature, and often have a particular affection for trees.
There is no single profile. It would be easy to imagine that tree hug belongs only to stressed urban wellness enthusiasts, but children often embrace trees spontaneously, especially when they play and build dens outdoors. Adults from all kinds of backgrounds enjoy it too.
Everyone has their own way. The shyest participants may prefer a quiet corner away from a busy path before gently approaching a tree. There can be something unexpectedly intimate about the gesture.
For some people, a tree hug feels almost like an affectionate gesture. Some of us hug friends freely in public; others prefer privacy. Apparently our personalities do not disappear just because the other participant is a tree. 😉
Others are entirely comfortable embracing a tree in full view of passers-by. Perhaps the group gives them confidence, or perhaps they simply do not care what anyone thinks.
And yes, trends exist. Some people try tree hugging because it is fashionable, just as others try the latest workout, food or wellness practice. If that curiosity leads to genuine attention to trees, I can live with it. 😄
Others have been doing it long before forest therapy appeared in lifestyle magazines. For them, touching a tree feels as natural as sitting beside a river or walking barefoot on grass.
Whatever brings people closer to trees, I welcome anything that encourages attention, respect and the desire to protect them — especially in places where decisions about urban trees can determine whether they survive.
What are the benefits of tree hugging?
The possible benefits associated with tree hugging are best understood within the wider effects of spending calm, attentive time in nature. Research generally studies forest environments or nature exposure rather than the act of hugging a trunk in isolation.
Possible physical effects
Studies of forest bathing and nature exposure — not tree hugging specifically — have reported changes in several physiological measures. Depending on the study, these have included:
lower blood pressure in some participants
changes in heart rate and autonomic activity
gentle physical activity and time outdoors
more relaxed, slower breathing when the body releases tension
changes in certain immune markers studied in forest-bathing research
a general relaxation response that may also influence digestion
better perceived sleep among some people after regular time in nature
changes associated with sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous-system activity
lower cortisol or other stress-related markers in some studies
changes in natural killer (NK) cell activity reported in some small forest-bathing studies
metabolic measures that have also been explored, though evidence is not sufficient for clinical claims
changes in perceived discomfort or pain in some nature-based studies
a broader sense of physical well-being
feeling refreshed after time outdoors
These findings are interesting, but they should not be interpreted as proof that hugging a tree treats disease. The simplest reason to try it may be that it creates a quiet, sensory moment in nature. 😉
Cognitive and emotional effects
Nature exposure has also been studied in relation to attention, mood and emotional well-being. Potential or commonly reported effects include:
improved mood
lower perceived stress
restored attention after spending time away from demanding environments; research has also explored nature exposure in people with ADHD
better concentration after attentional rest
conditions that may be more favourable to learning
a calmer emotional state for some people
temporary relief from low mood for some people — while depression itself requires appropriate professional care
greater awareness of balance and proprioception when moving on varied natural ground
a more positive or spacious frame of mind
a subjective sense of safety, grounding or inner calm
The energetic or spiritual dimension
Forest therapy and tree hugging can also have an energetic or spiritual dimension in my own practice. You do not have to share this interpretation: it belongs to personal experience and belief, not to established scientific evidence.
For people who resonate with this approach, a tree hug can become a deeper symbolic encounter — something that touches the inner world, imagination or spirituality. 😉
can symbolise grounding and connection to the Earth
may invite a more spiritual perception of life
can strengthen a felt connection with other living beings
can encourage us to regard trees as living beings with their own history rather than as scenery or objects
can heighten attention to beauty and inspire greater care for nature
may feel energetically restorative to some people
can be used symbolically to release what feels heavy or no longer useful
may provide encouragement during periods of change
can bring comfort through a sense of belonging to a larger living world
in some spiritual traditions, is described in terms of vibration or energetic alignment — concepts that belong to spiritual frameworks rather than measurable scientific mechanisms
can create mental space in which different ideas or solutions emerge
What you experience will vary greatly from person to person. In my spiritual way of working, I sometimes speak metaphorically of the tree ‘showing’ us what needs attention first. You can also understand this more simply as slowing down enough to notice something you had previously overlooked.
If you approach a tree hoping for an immediate answer to a problem, the first thing that happens may simply be that you stop trying so hard to solve it and let some of the stress drop away. Sometimes that is already useful. 😉
Would you like to experience it for yourself?
Reading about the effects of nature is a first step, but it is very different from spending attentive time in a forest yourself.
Discover my forest therapy walks in the Pays d’Ancenis area, between Nantes and Angers in western France, and experience a guided encounter with the plant world.
What do the trees think about it?
That is a good question — and this section belongs explicitly to my intuitive and spiritual relationship with trees rather than to science. In that personal experience, some trees seem particularly welcoming to people who approach them for tree hugging or other forest therapy and shinrin-yoku practices.
Other trees feel less inviting to me, or simply different. Whether you interpret that spiritually or psychologically, it can be interesting to begin with the trees you already know — perhaps those in your own garden or neighbourhood — rather than searching for an exotic ‘perfect’ tree.
And perhaps the most useful reminder is that trees do not exist for us. They have their own biological lives, ecological relationships and evolutionary history. Why should every tree be required to ‘help’ a human visitor? Thinking otherwise easily becomes human-centred. Our responsibility towards trees may matter more than what we hope to receive from them.
What if you feel nothing?
Some people feel very little when they hug a tree. Others are worried in advance that they will not have the extraordinary, life-changing moment they have imagined.
It truly does not matter if you feel nothing remarkable. There is no failure, no reason for guilt and no need to manufacture an experience. You may be tired, distracted or simply not particularly moved that day. That is perfectly fine.
There are times when I feel nothing special either, even though forest therapy is a regular part of my life.
And that is fine, because the value of the moment does not depend on a dramatic sensation.
You have taken time to notice a tree — that already matters.
You have taken time for yourself too, which is no small thing. 🙂
You are outdoors, breathing, moving and perhaps sharing a pleasant moment with others.
You notice leaves, sunlight through branches, drops of rain suspended from twigs…
You experience your surroundings differently. Some of the broader benefits associated with time in nature may have nothing to do with consciously ‘feeling energy’ in the moment.
So if you feel nothing unusual, do not worry. Extraordinary moments do not happen every time — and perhaps that is exactly why they remain extraordinary. 😉
Safety and situations requiring caution
Tree hugging is generally low risk, but it is still an outdoor activity and there are situations in which it is wiser to postpone or choose another tree.
Here is a short, non-exhaustive list intended to encourage common sense rather than fear.
Storms and thunderstorms: stay out of woodland in high winds because branches and trees can fall. During thunderstorms, do not shelter beneath isolated or tall trees; follow local lightning-safety guidance.
Caterpillars and other insects: some tree species host abundant caterpillars in spring. Most are harmless, but some species can cause skin or respiratory irritation, so look at the trunk and branches before leaning against them.
Pollen allergies: if you know you react to birch, ash, willow, hazel, alder, hornbeam or other tree pollen, check the local pollen season and choose your route accordingly. Carry your usual medication and seek medical advice if your allergy can be severe.
Clothing: closed footwear and long trousers are usually a better choice than bare legs and sandals. Brambles, nettles, ticks, rough bark and uneven ground are much easier to manage when you are appropriately dressed.
Thorns, spines and irritant sap: hawthorn, blackthorn, black locust, some hollies, gorse, pyracantha and various ornamental or exotic species can scratch or irritate skin. Some plants also produce irritating sap. Oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia), honey locust, staghorn sumac and fig are examples where thorns, hairs or sap may make close contact unpleasant for some people. For a gentler starting point, discover five European trees I enjoy exploring in forest therapy.
You now know a great deal about tree hugging — and trees still have so much to teach us. 😉
You now have a better idea of why those curious people mentioned earlier might enjoy a tree hug. And if hugging a tree does not appeal to you, forest therapy includes many other sensory exercises and invitations. You can try them during the public walks I offer in and around the Pays d’Ancenis area (see the Forest Therapy Walks & Training section).
Whether you are simply curious or deeply drawn to the plant world, spending a few attentive minutes with a tree can become a genuine moment of recentring.
And if you want to deepen that relationship and explore the foundations of forest therapy, my training course guides you step by step through the process.
I also offer gift cards — now you know what to ask for on your birthday. They are also a lovely way to share a memorable experience with a friend or family member.
Whatever you choose, I wish you many beautiful walks in nature.
Comments