editorial by Dennis Sun More than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, we are still being advised to stay at home as much as possible, and if we ever go outside, practice social distancing. But staying inside for an extended period of time goes against human nature and impactful to our mental health. Everyone must now be familiar with the anxiety and stress. Inside our homes, we watch too much TV and spend much time online, resulting into information overload. Being informed via news and social media can be beneficial but too much information, or worse, fake news, can be detrimental. We have to limit excessive exposure to media coverage and block the negative ones. One effective way of dealing with stress is being in tune with nature. We are living
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読む
YOMU
means to read in Japanese
breathing creatures of nature after all. For almost a year now, I have been “nature bathing” to keep me well. I wake up early in the morning to commune with the plants and trees, with flowers and bees and butterflies, and the obaasans and ojiisans that I meet on the pathways. And perhaps the spirits that abound in nature, as well. In Japanese, even rocks can be imbued with spirits! Being one with nature is my stressbuster in this pandemic. And it’s free! If you are old enough, you may remember this wellness trend actually emerged during the 1980s. It was called SHINRIN YOKU, meaning “forest bathing” which is a practice of mindfully walking through the woods and taking it all in through our senses. There are a lot of good forests around Japan where you can do hiking or mountain climbing. In fact, some of the senior citizens living in our condo go on a mountain hike every season. I envy them because even at their age, they are still physically active.
March -April 2021
