Taking a break from the rigmarole of life and dedicating some time for mental well-being keeps us safe from the everyday burnout. People in several countries have been realizing the importance of rejuvenating the tired mind and body and ‘Shinrin Yoku’ has been found as a great way to reduce stress. Forest Bathing, called ‘Shinrin-Yoku’ in Japanese, is an effective practice of calming the body and mind by spending time in nature, especially in the forest.
The idea which originated in Japan in the 1980s is all about mindful indulgence and engagement with the surroundings. Forest bathing, as the name suggests is simply about finding your peace and calm among the trees and the beauty of forests. It has shown to have a positive effect on heart rate, pulse, sympathetic nervous system, and parasympathetic nerve activity of human beings, as determined by field experiments conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Fisheries in the 1980s.
In other words, forest bathing can also be called forest therapy. It usually occurs in natural areas that are relatively easily accessible to individuals. It is a process that involves walking around a quiet place and experiencing the peace of nature. Recently, I spend a few days in the jungles of Satpura at Reni Pani Lodge and it was a very meditative vacation. While there was a feeling of adventure and anticipation of sightings, there was also a lot of calmness and peace even when I was not doing anything and only admiring the woods.
Forest Bathing -Mindfulness is the key
Forest bathing is a form of eco-therapy. This mindfulness program involves a simple method of observing the nature, strolling or sitting quietly. If you have the trees around, all you must do is to breathe deeply. This helps with slow, conscious sensory connection activities, usually lasting about two hours on a walk of a mile or less. To reap a long term benefit, one can make it a practice that can last over longer days or weeks, dedicating 10-15 minutes everyday.
“Both hiking and forest bathing provide a variety of benefits for our physical and mental health by harnessing the power of nature,” says Rusly Harsono, MD, chief of the Stanford Lifestyle Medicine Social Engagement Center and clinical assistant professor at Stanford School of Medicine. As per him, “Hiking provides an outdoor activity that activates our nervous system for better physical health, while forest bathing calms our nervous system and improves our emotional well-being, which is equally important for physical health.”
Awareness about Forest Bathing in India
Due to the stress and pollution in Indian urban life, people have been are looking for a place to spend time with nature where they can feel calm and relaxed. Awareness about the physical and mental benefits of forest bathing is increasing and encouraging people to adopt this practice. Urban people are visiting forest areas to experience it.
Several groups are on the rise. It has been observed that in the lush green serenity of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu, people gather in numbers and slowly enjoy forest bathing under the high canopy of trees. They encourage each other to listen to the calm symphony of nature, feel the texture of the leaves, inhale the fragrance of the forest soil, and spend a good amount of time near nature. Later, when they meet at an agreed point, they share their experiences. This is a wonderful initiative.
It is no hidden fact that people are stressed and they are running towards nature to find solutions. The number of people understanding the importance of mental health and its connection with nature in the corporate world is also increasing. There have been several instances when nature enthusiasts have left their corporate career and has started conducting forest bathing walks, retreats, and corporate sessions, Such cases have been seen in Chennai, Madurai, Kodaikanal, Tiruvannamalai and Vijayawada.
Efforts made by forest department– Nandan Van Nature Center
The concept of forest bathing is gaining momentum in India as urban people seek respite from the digital rush. Forest departments are also making various efforts to raise awareness about forest bathing and have come forward with some promising initiatives. The number of forest bathing centers in India cannot be stated with certainty, as it is an informal practice and has not developed much in an organized way. However, individual and small group efforts have been seen in Himachal and Uttarakhand as well.
India’s first-ever forest healing center is located in Kalika, Ranikhet. Spread over an area of 13 acres, this forest healing center offers a quiet space for its visitors to do some forest walking, tree-hugging and forest meditation. As per articles available on social media, there are also several forest rich areas in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala. The importance of having rich forest areas in the heart of the the busy cities is evident in Sanjay Van in Delhi, Shivalik foothills in Chandigarh, Aarey Forest in Mumbai, Cubbon Park in Bangalore, and forest patches of Tamenglong district in Manipur. The good news is that ‘The Department of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change‘ is going to develop Nandan Van in many cities under the Tree Plantation Campaign 2023. The objective of Nandan Vans will be to inspire people to spend time in nature and experience the joys of forest bathing.
How to make the best of forest bathing?
- Go to a forest area and find a comfortable place to sit. Resorts and homestays located around jungle areas are good to begin with.
- Focus on your breathing while observing the forest environment around you.
- If you walk, try to collect three or more smells from around you. Learn about the trees or birds or butterflies.
- Find a stone that catches your eye. It could be a small pebble or a larger rock, depending on your preference, and then explore it with your hands, noticing its textures, weight, and how it feels in your hand.
- While remembering that these natural environments provide us with many benefits; we just need to learn how to reconnect with them.
- Remember that we evolved with trees and have benefited from their food, medicine, shade, and shelter throughout our evolution.
- Research suggests that the more natural the environment, the better, as it is more supportive of your senses.
- Wear clothing and footwear appropriate for Forest bathing walks.
The Healing power of nature
Studies have shown that when we are exposed to nature, even for a short time, it can reduce our blood pressure, pulse rate, inflammation, and cortisol levels. It can also improve our mood and activate cancer-fighting natural killer (NK) cells. As a result, this process makes us feel more energetic and reduces depression, anxiety, and mental fatigue. Just being in the forests and doing nothing is a form of healing. There is no denying the fact that forests help us feel happier, relaxed and healthier. One can also find several workshop & retreats at Rishikesh, Goa, Lucknow, Noida, Surat, Bangalore, Mumbai & Delhi NCR, India.
We often don’t talk about it but tree-hugging has been very effective for some people. Subject experts claim that this simple act of hugging a tree produces feel-good hormones in the body, such as serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine.
Natural England, a unique consultancy for the natural environment in England, has undergone several studies and they reiterate too that “The majority of studies suggest that spending time or being active in natural environments has positive outcomes for attention, anger, fatigue and sadness”.
A 2012 study in America demonstrated a 50% increase in creative problem-solving by a group who spent four days in nature, disconnected from their electronic devices. The meditative nature of forest bathing cuts out the multiple distractions of modern life and frees up your mind. This is very easy to find out. Take a 3 days holiday in and around a jungle resort and you will feel the change in you. The digital detox that takes place there compares to none. Having nothing to do and only nature to observe is a fabulous gift to initiate a slow down.
I have spent a good amount of time in the green valleys of Munnar and the lush green parks of Kalimpong. I was mesmerized on seeing the greenery of Munnar in Kerala. Similarly, I had a refreshing experience on seeing the greenery of Kalimpong, a hill town in the Himalayan foothills of West Bengal. Sharing my experiences in both the places, I would definitely say that I got a pleasant feeling about seeing greenery and indubitably wish to spend maximum time there. Even my trip to Uttarey in Sikkim was one of its kind. Where you have no technology, no roads, no infrastructure, less resources, you are sure to find abundance of nature. If you have benefited from forest bathing at any destination, then do share your experience.