On March 9, 2021, India’s first Forest Healing centre was inaugurated by noted environmentalist Joginder Bisht in the pine dominated forest located at Ranikhet in Kalika Uttarakhand. It was developed by the Research Wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department in an area of around 13 acres.
- The centre is based on the concept of healing and revitalizing the overall health and well being of people by bringing them into direct contact with nature.
Theme of Forest:
The forest is inspired from the Japanese technique of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) and ancient Indian traditions. It is themed on ‘be silent, go slow, think less and feel more’.
Why it is located in pine dominated forest?
This healing centre has been established in a pine-dominated forest because it has been found that Pine trees emit certain oil compounds to safeguard themselves from various microbes and pathogens, which are called phytoncides. These compounds help to multiply natural killer (NK) cells in the human being blood, which help in fighting infections and cancerous growth and enhance overall immunity.
Key Features of Centre:
The key activities at the centre include forest walking, tree-hugging, forest meditation and sky gazing.
i.Mediation: The meditation here is different from the traditional meditation system of controlling thoughts or concentrating the awareness on some particular point. This practice is based more on immersing oneself in silence and the ambience of the forest.
ii.Sky Gazing: It involves having a gaze at the swaying canopy above and the ever-changing sky.
iii.Tree-hugging: It increases the level of feel-good hormones like oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine, creating the pleasant effect.
Visitors are advised to leave behind phones, cameras or any other distractions to feel the sensations a direct contact with nature sends to the brain.
Recent Related News:
i.Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science & Technology, inaugurated 1st of its kind Doppler Weather Radars at Mukteshwar (Uttarakhand) on the occasion of 146th Foundation Day of India Meteorological Department (IMD) on January 15, 2021.
ii.On 4th February 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) gave approval for the Lakhwar Electricity Project at a cost of Rs 5747.17 crore in the Yamuna river at Dehradun district, Uttarakhand.
About Uttarakhand:
National Parks– Govind National Park, Corbett National Park, and Rajaji National Park
Rishikesh– Yoga Capital of the World
Dehradun– School Capital of India
Mussoorie– Queen Of Hills
