Forest medicine

I forest-bathed in 2011, only I did not know that is what it was called. I was on an assignment to write about Longwood Shola in Kotagiri — a 116-acre patch of forest that was lovingly brought back to life by Nature lovers and guarded from marauders. It was allowed to rest, recuperate and regenerate, the three Rs that everyone from sleep medicine experts to psychiatrists talk about. I remember walking into the forest and almost instantly wading into an eerie green silence. A guide from Kotagiri accompanied me and, in hushed tones, pointed out the trees, shrubs, creepers, ferns and fungi. We stopped every now and then to identify birdsong. Around 60 species of birds had come home to roost, once the forest was restored. It was a living, breathing being. I emerged, cleansed, rejuvenated and at peace. Since the 1980s, the Japanese have used ‘forest bathing’ — or Shinrin-yoku — as a means to preventive healthcare. There is research that proves beyond doubt (what we all long knew intuitively) that ‘taking in the forest atmosphere’ is therapeutic. Here are people who have taken it a whole step further.

Saravanan Chandrasekaran – gave up a corporate job to set up Canopy Nature Academy in Coimbatore that takes people on trips into the wild

“There is a world out there waiting to be explored. I never feel as alive as when I am in a forest. All I need to do is close my eyes and I can hear a bird sing, a leaf rustle, smell the incredible forest smells. Sitting back and observing the universe of damselflies, butterflies, dragonflies and birds calms me down and at the same time awakens my curiosity.”

S Pravin – runs a business and brings out a magazine about his beloved home town called The Pollachi Papyrus

“I love the idea of going into the forest with no agenda. I leave everything behind. There is no trophy chasing. The deeper I go into a forest, the more I realise what a speck I am in the larger scheme of things! I enjoy the fact that I am so dependent on my senses when I am there. It is all about sights, sounds, and smells. There was a time when I would visit a forest and, if asked what I had seen there, I would say ‘nothing’, only because I had not sighted a tiger or an elephant. Now, even if I do not see a big mammal there, I am happy with just the sense of anticipation. I love the idea of not knowing what awaits around the corner. It is not about the number of hours or miles one has clocked. Even a couple of hours in the mornings or evenings is enough to come out feeling alive. You can easily spend three hours in just a small clearing in the forest and have a rewarding time. The same patch of forest holds different surprises in different seasons.”

Chandrakanta Das – an artist and art restorer who lives in Delhi, Lucknow and Ramgarh

“I go to the forest to unfreeze my brain; for the tremendous sense of well-being when I am surrounded by trees. I remember how startled I was when I heard a sudden sound in an otherwise silent forest. A leaf had floated down from its branch and landed on the ground below! I have never heard the sound of a leaf falling in the city. In the forest, I can hear the breeze, birdsong and, when I take a deep breath, smell the best perfumes of the world — of flowers, damp soil... It calms me, grounds me and nourishes me. There is inspiration for my paintings wherever I turn.”

Kiran Bagade – a student of Development Management and a certified ornithologist with BNHS based in Mysuru

“I leave the responsibilities outside the forest when I go in. And I embrace the life I find in every step I take inside. It is not just about the birds that I love or animals. It is the sense of adventure. I am learning something new all the time. It is a deeply satisfying connect with Nature. To stand there and bathe in the silence I think is the most amazing thing. It has changed me. I am a calmer person now; the forest has answered many of my questions, and most importantly, it has taught me that wherever I am, if I am a keen observer, I will find Nature in her bounty, even if it is in my own backyard.”