When she mentions forest bathing, Hazel Yap often gets asked: “Huh? Where is the forest in Singapore?”

Forest bathing is, simply, spending time in a forest or natural environment, and the slow, mindful immersion of all senses to connect with nature.

“You don’t need a forest for forest bathing,” declared the 49-year-old Yap. “You just need to be around greenery. You can even do this indoors with a plant around you.”

Yap is a certified guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, a global organisation for forest therapy training.

“To me, the 'forest' in forest bathing loosely refers to nature. Forest bathing is about finding connection with nature,” she said.

Originating in Japan during the early 1980s, the practice of forest bathing is rooted in ancient Shinto and Buddhist traditions, as well as modern scientific research. Studies have shown that it improves physical, mental and emotional health by reducing stress, lowering blood pressure and improving immune function. 

FOREST BATHING AT SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDENS

To experience forest bathing with Yap, I found myself on a grass patch at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

There were trees around me, but this was by no stretch of imagination, a forest.

I had arrived 15 minutes late from a difficult school drop-off for my kids. And as I sat in a circle of strangers, my mind ...