CHENNAI: We often dream of paradise — one where we imagine ourselves walking under a row of trees, barefooted and breathing in the fresh air. A peaceful melody accompanies the tinkle of the stream as the birds tweet in the shade of the trees. And what if I told you that this paradise is something that can be found in namma Chennai’s Tholkappia Poonga, Adyar’s Eco Park? On July 1, Kala Ramesh along with Upasana Arts and Club With a Heart, conducted a session on Forest Bathing – Shinrin Yoku and Grounding in Tholkappia Poonga.
Kala introduces us to Shinrin Yoku, a term that literally translates to forest bathing in English. It is a practice where we observe the nature around us, and learn how to respect it. “Most people ask me, ‘What is the big fuss about?’. Well, to that I say, nothing. It is simply to be aware of our surroundings, an act that we seem to think is obvious but is in fact not. Most of us tend to disregard the simple aspects of our lives in a rush to move forward, and Shinrin Yoku helps us to connect with our surroundings,” says Kala, a Pushcart Prize-nominated haikai poet and mentor. She is also the founder and director of Triveni Haikai India, and the founder and managing editor of haikuKATHA journal.
Before we begin the walk through the selected pathway, we are asked to remove our shoes and keep them aside in a bag. “When we wear shoes, we often don’t pay attention to the ground, because the residual fear of us getting bitten by insects on the ground essentially disappears. So, when we remove our shoes and walk barefooted on the rocky and sandy ground, we tend to be more aware of our surroundings even if it is because of our own selfish interest of not getting injured or bitten,” shares Kala.
We make our way to a sandy part of the pathway next to an Amman temple, and beyond which the Cooum river flows. The group sits down on the shores next to the water, where we are asked to close our eyes and meditate for ten minutes. The calm breeze cools us down on a sultry evening as we become oblivious to the sounds of the distant traffic beyond the walls of the park.
As we make our way back, the group is encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings on our experience. Soon, these small conversations turn into full blown performances of dance, movement and poetry, where people were expressing themselves unabashedly, with all inhibitions shed among the shade of the trees. Impromptu dance performances by dancers like Harsha, a student from Kalakshetra, and Devi Ranjithkumar, original pieces of poetry by Aishwarya, and a session on image visualisation by theatre practitioner Kritika Dhiwahar, enchanted the audience.
After a closing activity of hugging trees, the group gathered around and shared their closing thoughts on the walk. “It was wonderful! I am actually impressed that all of us managed to actually not touch our phones for two whole hours and just enjoyed the present,” laughs Kritika, as the session came to a close.