The rustling of leaves, the smell of trees, and a gust of wind can easily uplift both the mind and body. Unfortunately, with most of us leading hectic lives, we seldom get a chance to spend time in nature. Aiming to take a break from their daily hustle and to reconnect with the ‘natural’ world around them, nine women joined Dipika Sharma at Lodhi Garden for a forest bathing walk on Tuesday morning.
“I have been brought up in Darjeeling and Assam. The connection with nature was real there. It was missing in Noida. I wanted to revive that connection and started looking for activities that one could do in nature. That’s when I came to know about Shinrin-Yoku,” explained Sharma, a forest bathing guide who completed her Forest Bathing Guide Training at the European Forest Therapy Institute, Ireland, in 2019. Sharma is the founder of Forest Therapy India and has been conducting similar sessions since September 2019.
A touch of nature
Forest bathing is a physiological and physical practice of Shinrin-Yoku that emerged in Japan in the 80s. The idea behind it is to experience a forest through one’s senses. The walk we attended on Tuesday comprised a series of introspective exercises. Commencing on a meditative note, the participants seated themselves on bamboo mats in a secluded spot, and meditated for a few minutes to calm their minds and open their senses to nature. The melodious twitter of birds and the chill in the air added to the experience. Following this, Sharma gave them the time to slowly walk around the Garden, as they pondered every step they took.
Finding one’s calm in a forest works differently for everyone, there is no “set procedure” to build a connection with nature. The participants were free to work their way through all the exercises and practise these as per their preferences. After being introduced to several grounding techniques, they had some time to practise these methods by themselves. While some decided to scribble in their gratitude journals, others just hugged a tree, and a few were seen resting in the shade.
Back to the roots
A few of the participants we spoke to mentioned that the walk was their chance to reconnect with their inner child. The mellow sounds of the sprinklers spraying water evoked memories of childhood for Seema (60) from Jor Bagh and Neha Aggarwal (40) from Gurugram. “The wet grass made me revisit my childhood. Everyone needs to experience this once,” said Aggarwal. Participants also indulged in an artful session in which they created Mandala art on stones. Honey Pamnani and Pooja Grover claimed that this exercise rekindled their creative side.
The walk drew to a close with the participants enjoying cups of green tea made with natural ingredients as they indulged in snacks while chatting about their experiences, welcoming Women’s Day on a tranquil note. Rajouri Garden resident Divya Chugh Baruta (37) concluded, “I felt something different that I haven’t felt in years.”