Read the following text and answer the quiz below.
[1] Claire Jefferies wanted to get away from talking about the conflict in the Middle East and the rising gas prices where she lives in the United States. For two hours, she just wanted to commune with nature. And, so, she treated herself to a little forest bathing. “When I’m here, it’s almost like a protective bubble around me,” said the human resources director at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina. “It provides a shield.”
[2] The Sunday morning session was led by certified forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey. Jingling a tiny brass bell, she called her dozen or so charges to gather for meditation, breathing exercises and to commune with nature. “I invite you to really spend the next 10 minutes just exploring this area,” she said.
[3] “Really focusing on your breath, on your footsteps. All the natural sounds around you. Maybe the man-made sounds, too. Thinking about the forest’s natural rhythm and how [we] are part of that here in this urban, forested environment.”
[4] Based on the Japanese wellness practice of shinrin-yoku, the activity has been known to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. Although the arboretum is in a busy section of the city, Ramsey said the benefits of tuning out and connecting with nature are the same.
[5] She led the group of about a dozen through the various gardens, having them crush conifer twigs between their fingers and smell them, or just touch trees. “You know, in this day and age, there’s a lot of stress and anxiety and chaos,” she said. “And people are searching for ways to kind of cope with that.”
[6] Transportation safety researcher Alan Mintz came with a friend. He had to be reminded to leave the talk of news at the entrance. “I think it’s important for people to take the opportunity to exist in natural spaces, both to unwind and relax, so that it can be easier to interact with other people,” he said. “And to take a moment to appreciate beautiful things. That way, hopefully, they can carry that forward and have more of an appreciation for other people and other cultures that they might be less experienced with.”
[7] Jefferies had to remind a friend to stop talking about the news as they walked beneath the gently waving canopy. “That focus back into spending time in nature and the healing power of that, and just remembering that we’re part of something bigger, that we’re all connected,” said the mother of a nine-year-old son. “And that what we do in our actions … really matter to the rest of the world. And so there’s no better place to see that than here, where you can see all of the interconnectedness and the ways that this plant life naturally supports one another. Doesn’t take more than they need.”
Source: Associated Press, March 22
Content provided by British Council
