Why Hongkongers should embrace nature and city’s great outdoors, says forest therapy guide Jasmine Nunns
- Studies prove people with hectic lifestyles who relax in countryside improve their cardiovascular system, quality of sleep and mood, and reduce stress
- More than 40 per cent of Hong Kong comprises unspoilt protected country parks, forest trails and reserves, says founder of Kembali
Hongkongers, like many city residents, often try to extend their waking hours each day – at the expense of a good night’s sleep – says Jasmine Nunns, whose company, Kembali, helps people connect with nature through forest therapy walks and workshops.
“We stretch our capacity to work longer, party harder, be awake longer, do more, and [as a result], sleep less,” the 35-year-old certified forest therapy guide says.
“And even when the sun sets, we keep our blue lights on, via our [electronic] devices and the television, sleeping past midnight.”
Being in nature is incredibly healing. But most of all, nature – with its cycles – also teaches us that there is time for rest and a time for regeneration
“The scientific research merely [shows] what our ancestors already knew centuries ago – the benefits of nature for our well-being are endless, from improving quality of sleep, mood and the cardiovascular system to reducing stress and anxiety,” she says.