Nature rejuvenates us in the best way
AFTER a nearly eight-hour-long flight from Delhi to Zurich, I landed at my uncle’s apartment in a high-rise building near the airport. I witnessed nature at its best through the large windows. Small snaking paths gave me an irresistible invitation. Savouring coffee, I announced my plan for a walk. Uncle asked an obvious question, “Aren’t you tired?” I was, but nature’s beckoning put the verve in my step. Keeping my phone aside, I said, “I will be back soon.”
The elevator brought me down within minutes and I was on my way. Strolling through the wooded trail, I stepped into a wheat field at its periphery. The heady smell of grass and wheat, the trees emanating fresh air, the hills in the distance and the silence broken occasionally by the noise of planes spurred me to go on.
At times, I walked swiftly, and sometimes I had the gait of a tortoise, all the while trying to register the beautiful epiphanies of life. In between, I took occasional breaks on the benches dotting the way, sitting and even lying down on them, gazing upwards at the clear blue sky. I spent quite some time at a bench which was right along a rivulet. The lilting sound of the water added to the magic of the moment.
Gradually, my tiredness faded away. Eventually, I emerged soothed, recharged and refreshed. Nature’s green wand offers rewards aplenty, both tangible and intangible. No wonder Scottish-American author and mountaineer John Muir said, “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.”
In the 1980s, when suicides had become common in urban Japan, the Japanese government popularised the concept of Shinrin-yoku or ‘forest bathing’ because it knew that nature would help. ‘Forest bathing’ means spending time in a forest or a green setting without any distraction. It can be a quiet walk or even lying down on the grass. Several studies have shown the benefits of spending time with nature, including healing of the mind, the heart and a lot more. In 1868, the Norwegian Trekking Association advertised cabins in forests and mountains to connect people with nature. Today, Norway has the largest number of such cabins in the world, which for Norwegians are their ‘second home’ during weekends and vacations. During a recent visit to Norway, I spent a night in a mountain cabin, where I had the best sleep ever. As I woke up at sunrise, I concluded that no one can be as hospitable as nature. But the question arises: Are we respecting nature in return?
When I returned to my uncle’s apartment, he opened the door in a worried state, noting that I had been absent for almost three hours. He snapped at me, “I thought you got lost!” “Yes, I was lost, but in the company of nature. It made my ‘jet lag’ disappear into thin air.” Without a doubt, nature is the best rejuvenator and its therapeutic powers are unlimited.
