Many years ago the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries started on a fresh program of reforestation. In the process it also coined a new term, shirin-yoku, which means “forest-bathing” or soaking in the forest environment in an immersive manner.
Research was also conducted which compared participants bio-markers between walking in the city vis-à-vis walking in a forest. Unsurprisingly, the results in favor of being in the forest far surpassed that of the city.
Rose Anne Kenny in her recent book on longevity summarizes:
“Forests promoted lower levels of cortisol, whereas activity in the section of the nervous system which calms the heart rate and other body systems (parasympathetic) was enhanced. Conversely, activity in the section of the nervous system responsible for fight-or-flight responses (sympathetic) and stress reactions was reduced.”
(Kenny, R.A. (2022) Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life, London: Lagom, p.117)
As any Malaysian who regularly goes to parks and forests know, there’s something about being in a natural green environment which does something to one’s mind and body. When I was in Taman Subang Ria on Christmas eve last year, for that hour or so amazingly I simply lost the ability to worry. As a decade-long caregiver to a schizophrenic and having suffered countless bouts of anxiety, panic attacks and fits of anger, this is practically a miracle.
Something therapeutic occurs when you put your phone aside and simply stroll in a forest-trail, just noticing stuff. Eg, the leaves (which, like snowflakes, look the ‘same’ yet can be each one uniquely designed), the flowers (sticking out from the most surprising places), the squirrels (who may appreciate a snack from your bag-pack) and if you’re in a place with a pond or lake chances are you’ll run into a turtle (with whom you can trade stares) and a water monitor lizard (whose komodo dragon-like features will be 100% worth a photo).
It bears stressing that forest-bathing is about ‘taking in’ the forest, not about ‘conquering’ it. Without in any way suggesting that the objective of walking or running up a hill in order to reach the peak in X no. of hours is bad, I think this kind of activity should be distinguished from shirin-yoku. From personal experience, the mindset is different. If my goals are to “complete the walking trail” in a given amount of time, it’s not easy for me to then reap the benefits of ‘releasing’ my mind to the wildness, the birds, the green, etc.
It’s analogous to the difference between going to a mall to fulfil a shopping list versus spending time with your loved one there.
On a slightly sadder note, it’s obvious that quite a few parks received almost no visitors on a regular basis. The very vibrant hill route and park at Bukit Kiara slash Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) Park contrasts with some lonely ‘green lungs’ in the Klang Valley (the biggest being possibly Taman Subang Ria). Whilst it’s great to see Bukit Gasing and Desa City’s Central Park brimming with visitors, it’s also sorrowful to note that a place like Taman Rimba Komuniti Kota Damansara receives barely a few hundred climbers a week (compared to easily thousands at TTDI).
Given the rising mental health problems in the country, the stress from work and (not least) the recent lockdowns, maybe it’s time for Malaysians who do not frequent parks or forests to make this activity a regular part of life.
(An earlier version of this article was published in The Malay Mail last December)
