DECEMBER 28 — I did something sort of new over the Christmas weekend; I visited three parks in as many days.

What started out as a desire simply to increase the number of steps I take daily turned into prolonged enjoyment of greenery.

Not sure if any of you have heard of the term “forest-bathing” but I just discovered it recently myself; needless to say my newfound park-walking hobby added to the interest.

Many years ago, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries started on a fresh programme 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.

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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 favour of being in the forest far surpassed that of the city.

Rose Anne Kenny in her recent book on longevity summarises:

“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)

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As any Malaysian who regularly goes walking or hiking in parks and forests knows, there’s something about being in a natural green environment which does something to one’s mind and body.

The Klang Valley has many lovely parks like this one where you can ‘get lost’ in Nature for a little while. — Picture by Alwyn Lau
The Klang Valley has many lovely parks like this one where you can ‘get lost’ in Nature for a little while. — Picture by Alwyn Lau

When I was in Taman Subang Ria on Christmas eve, for that hour or so I amazingly 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 along a forest-trail, just noticing stuff. Eg, the leaves (which, like snowflakes, look the “same” yet can be uniquely designed), the flowers (sticking out from the most surprising places), the squirrels (that may appreciate a snack from your backpack) 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 per cent worth a photo).

It bears emphasising 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 number 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 goal is 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 of our parks have almost no regular visitors. 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).

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 new hobby for 2023.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.