When you feel depressed, you can hold a tree!

To stay safe during the corovirus pandemic, we have had to sacrifice（牺牲） many things we enjoy, including physical contact with others. Gone are handshakes, kisses and hugs.

Research has shown that humans need physical touch to stay mentally and physically healthy. Without it, many become lonely, sad and even sick.

So, if you feel you need a hug, we know something you can safely put your arms around and hold close: A tree! Tree hunting may sound a little strange.

But humans have practiced forms of nature therapy for years. The Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku is an example.

Shinrin means forest in Japanese, and Yoku is the Japanese word for bath. But no soap or water is needed for shinrin-yoku.

All that nature bathing requires is spending time in nature: listening to its sounds, breathing in its scent（气味，香味）, connecting to its life force. Recently, Israel has been promoting tree hugging on social media.

The country’s nature and parks agency is behind the public health campaign. Orit Steinfeld is marketing director （市场营销主管） for Israel’s Apollonia National Park.

“In this unpleasant corona period,” she said, “we recommend（推荐，建议） to people around the world to go out to nature, take a deep breath, hug a tree, express your love and get love”.

The park is about 15 kilometers north of Tel Aviv. Inside the park, some visitors observed the official’s advice（遵守建议） and hugged trees.

Barbara Grant was one of them. “The most basic human need”, she said, “is for connection, for touching, for hugging”.

Reference

每日英语听力：VOA慢速英语—健康

Others

  • come to terms with sb: 与某人达成协议
  • eat one’s word: 食言
  • a white heart: 大好人
  • a baker’s dozen: 13
  • chore: 家庭杂务，家务，讨厌的或累人的工作