Shinrin-yoku: Japanese therapy is helping Indians beat stress

On December 19, just two days before the Earth tilted farthest from the Sun, marking the winter solstice or the shortest day of the year, 66 individuals gathered in forests and parks in eight cities across India to connect with nature.

- Neha Bhayana

They switched off their mobiles, left behind their work, worries and weekend plans to spend two hours hugging tree trunks, walking barefoot on soil and lying on grass to gaze at the sky. They also paused to pick up and admire leaves of different shades, spot butterflies and geckos, inhale the scent of wet earth and listen to birds singing.

The men and women, both young and old, were indulging in forest bathing, also known as ‘Shinrin-yoku’, as part of a multi-city ‘walk’ organised by Nature Connections, a platform that connects nature lovers in the country. Shinrin means ‘forest’ and yoku means ‘bath’ in Japanese and involves taking in the natural environment through all five senses in a slow and mindful way. The practice emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a way for busy office goers to de-stress and later caught the imagination of the rest of the world. Studies have now shown the ability of forests to improve heart rate, lower blood pressure, increase immunity and promote healing.