The country’s first forest healing centre was inaugurated recently at Kalika in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand. The forest healing centre, spread over 13 acres, has been developed by the research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department after a comprehensive study on the healing properties of forests and their revitalising impact on the overall health and well-being of people. Though it’s a step in the right direction, it is a sad reflection on humanity when we have to be taught how to commune with nature for our well-being. That we have forgotten how to feel the soil under our feet, smell the earth after the first rain, idly gaze at a spider spinning its web or at a star-filled sky or watch the canopy of trees swaying above us in awe, reveals that we live a poor life indeed, bereft of nature’s bounty. Given our tenuous link with Mother Nature and obsession with a fast-paced materialistic life, this loss of touch with our inner self and realisation about what really matters, was bound to happen. It is no wonder then that even as we touch new heights in medical science, an increasing amount of people are falling prey to lifestyle diseases, stress and mental health issues.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), close to one billion people are living with a mental disorder and one person dies every 40 seconds by suicide. Closer home, the WHO estimates that about 7.5 per cent of Indians suffer from some form of mental disorder, with 56 million suffering from depression and another 38 million from anxiety disorders. And now, COVID-19 has had further impact on mental health. However,  every dark cloud has a silver lining and the pandemic, despite its crippling socio-economic impact, has taught us that we need to respect nature, live in harmony with it and that our mental and emotional well-being is as important as physical health. Consequently, we are going back to the basics with India’s first forest healing centre that draws inspiration from the Japanese technique of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) and ancient Indian traditions. It will involve activities like tree-hugging, meditation and sky gazing. Trained guides will help people engage in activities that help them experience nature with all their senses and relax as the therapy reduces cortisol, a stress hormone. Research shows that forest bathing has a positive impact on blood pressure and blood sugar levels. That all this communing with nature will generate employment in Uttarakhand is a bonus.

The country’s first forest healing centre was inaugurated recently at Kalika in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand. The forest healing centre, spread over 13 acres, has been developed by the research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department after a comprehensive study on the healing properties of forests and their revitalising impact on the overall health and well-being of people. Though it’s a step in the right direction, it is a sad reflection on humanity when we have to be taught how to commune with nature for our well-being. That we have forgotten how to feel the soil under our feet, smell the earth after the first rain, idly gaze at a spider spinning its web or at a star-filled sky or watch the canopy of trees swaying above us in awe, reveals that we live a poor life indeed, bereft of nature’s bounty. Given our tenuous link with Mother Nature and obsession with a fast-paced materialistic life, this loss of touch with our inner self and realisation about what really matters, was bound to happen. It is no wonder then that even as we touch new heights in medical science, an increasing amount of people are falling prey to lifestyle diseases, stress and mental health issues.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), close to one billion people are living with a mental disorder and one person dies every 40 seconds by suicide. Closer home, the WHO estimates that about 7.5 per cent of Indians suffer from some form of mental disorder, with 56 million suffering from depression and another 38 million from anxiety disorders. And now, COVID-19 has had further impact on mental health. However,  every dark cloud has a silver lining and the pandemic, despite its crippling socio-economic impact, has taught us that we need to respect nature, live in harmony with it and that our mental and emotional well-being is as important as physical health. Consequently, we are going back to the basics with India’s first forest healing centre that draws inspiration from the Japanese technique of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) and ancient Indian traditions. It will involve activities like tree-hugging, meditation and sky gazing. Trained guides will help people engage in activities that help them experience nature with all their senses and relax as the therapy reduces cortisol, a stress hormone. Research shows that forest bathing has a positive impact on blood pressure and blood sugar levels. That all this communing with nature will generate employment in Uttarakhand is a bonus.