Forest bathing benefits and how trying it in Hong Kong is a great way to take a break from the high-stress lifestyle
- The Japanese practice of forest bathing has a number of benefits, from reducing the risk of coronary heart disease to lowering cholesterol and stress
- For those in Hong Kong suffering stress from their jobs or the pandemic, the Lung Fu Shan Environmental Education Centre offers a taster of forest bathing
Joanne Cheng is happiest when walking among trees and sitting by streams. And she wants others to join her in nature, particularly stressed-out city dwellers.
Cheng is a project manager at the Lung Fu Shan Environmental Education Centre, a facility jointly established by the Environmental Protection Department and the University of Hong Kong.
Among the centre’s nature-focused educational programmes (think eco tours, stargazing, tree climbing) is forest bathing, a Japanese practice, also known as shinrin-yoku, that involves taking in the calming atmosphere of a forest to improve well-being.
But Cheng has a message for those keen to sign up: forest bathing is not a competition.
“It’s about immersing ourselves in the forest and connecting with nature,” says Cheng, a certified nature and forest therapy guide. “It’s not a physical challenge.”