Wrapped in nature’s embrace
In the wake of COVID-19, Joyce Yip finds out how a lifestyle therapy involving a walk in the woods can help and even be replicated within the confines of one’s home.
When Shinrin Yoku Hong Kong founder Amanda Yik was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer more than 10 years ago, she had no choice but to bring her usual schedule of adrenaline-driven workouts — the sort needed to participate in marathons and outrigger canoe racing — to a complete halt.
The rigorous physical exercise regimen was replaced with daily, arduous strolls through the community park, which, during Yik’s two years of invasive treatment, were all her battered body would allow. The precious moments spent out of the confines of her home or away from the hum of hospital machinery helped reignite her love for nature. The greenery in the park soothed her jaded nerves. These treasured moments lingered post-recovery, leading her toward a new lifestyle option: forest bathing.
“I was forced to slow down… but it’s this removing oneself from the norm… this plunge into a new setting that offered such a memorable, contrasting experience,” says Yik.
Taking it slow
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages across the world, and much of its human population has been forced to slow down, adapt to lifestyle changes that are far from what was earlier considered the norm, this might be our chance to reconnect with nature.
The Japanese word translates as forest bathing. The idea is to leave the city and go deep into the woods, experience nature through the five senses and more, such as imagination, intuition and one’s sense of balance.
Walks are conducted at a snail’s pace — covering only a kilometer in an hour. It’s a journey in practising mindfulness. For instance, participants are encouraged to find a tree they particularly like and meditate under it; admire the verdant summer foliage; build a totem with sticks; or even, simply, wander. The walk is usually followed by a group activity, such as a tea ceremony or sharing session. The itinerary changes, depending on the group dynamics, weather and goals the group wants to achieve.
How it heals
The effects of forest bathing vary, but guides seem to notice stress reduction and an overall feeling of happiness in participants. Scientific data suggests that spending more time around greenery can be linked to reduced levels of stress; reduced risk of coronary heart diseases and Type II diabetes. Proximity to plants can help lower high blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as increase endorphins and the secretion of serotonin, hence the enhanced feeling of happiness.
A 2015 study revealed that people walking in parks 90 minutes a day were less likely to ruminate on their problems and had less activity in the brain area linked to depression, compared to those who took similar walks in urban settings. Forest bathing also benefits attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients, including children, and victims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although it should not be taken as a replacement for therapy.
It’s the phytoncides in trees — aromatic compounds that supercharge natural killer cells backing our immune system — which can help lower the risk of cancer. Researchers have found that people who took long walks through forests two days in a row increased their natural killer cells by half, and their energy level shot up to 23 percent more than usual in the following month.
A touch of green
Neuroscientist Crystal Goh agrees with the potency of phytoncides, adding it will take total immersion in a forested setting to get all the benefits — exposure to a higher concentration of oxygen, the sight of green as well as organic shapes that our brain naturally recognizes to be aesthetically pleasing, plus getting aerobic exercise from walking.
Goh says our appreciation of nature is built into our system, hence the high price tags on properties with a natural surrounding or ocean view.
“In forest bathing, we are bringing the mind to focus on our senses and our attention inward so you’re getting to experience nature in a more heightened and deepened way. It’s about how the forest is acting on your mind and body, which is very different from trail running, for instance, which is more about pushing physical limits and not too much about bringing attention inward and absorbing the calmness,” says Goh.
Replicating the forest-bathing experience in urban settings is a challenge, but it’s one that Kembali founder Jasmine Nunns has overcome with success since 2017. The walks she conducts mainly take place on Lung Fu Shan just off The Peak, a trail frequented by hikers of all ages.
“The idea is not to crawl on your hands and knees but connect with your body and remember every bit of us — including hair, and fingernails — came from the earth. It’s to get people to open up the senses they’re so used to closing off in the city. Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed in Mong Kok, I try to feel the direction of the wind, find out where the moon will rise or focus on the weeds growing from the cracks. Nature is all around us.”
If traveling is an issue, she advises citydwellers to simply admire a tree in their neighborhood, even if it’s beside a construction site.
“Within that time, focus on any feelings, smells, sounds, tastes and other senses. A good experiment is to try to describe to yourself how you know you have a body when you close your eyes.”
Goh recommends forest bathers take a break from listening to music, rather find a quiet place to sit in and make a note of the sounds they hear.
“Even if you can’t take a forest bath, having plants at home already makes a big difference,” she adds. “Choose to walk under the trees, or have lunch beside greenery; opt for sunlight and full-spectrum light rather than florescent light, have access to fresh air. It’s not about being all or nothing; it’s about making tiny steps and building small habits and creating space for yourself.”