Drenched from the pouring rain and exhausted from the hike up Mt. Daisen, I was making my way down when it hit me. Why am I on a constant pursuit of nature trails? They are physically demanding, energy consuming and a true test of endurance and perseverance. It struck like a sudden revelation. I was finding fault with myself for the decisions I made yet trying to understand why I enjoyed and embraced going on them. After all, there must be something that is spurring me forward – to seek and go on them, in a hopeful bid to search for something else. Something more, other than simply being in touch with nature. As I ascended the stone steps and headed into the forest region, I looked up at the canopy primarily covered by beech trees. Hydrangeas were in bloom. The insects danced around on the petals and butterflies fluttered from flower to flower. The clouds hovered above, shrouding the forest in a blanket of mist, resulting in a theatrical performance between light and shadow in Nature. The sun peeked through the canopy, playing hide-and-seek, and then the clouds eclipsed its rays almost seconds later. All these happened in fleeting moments. “The weather condition is extremely unpredictable. It changes very quickly,” Hiroko-san’s voice rung in my ears. She was my host in Daisen town, where I stayed in a guesthouse for 2 nights. An avid hiker who loves the mountains, she wanted her guesthouse to be a cozy shelter for those who share the same interests. It was amazing to know how committed she was to studying English in New Zealand many years ago in order to speak it well, travelled to Canada and India before returning to Japan to settle down. We even spent some time at the dinner table talking about some unusual grammatical structures. It was enjoyable listening to her perspectives about language learning and everything else in between. I really appreciated those conversations, albeit punctuated with my broken Japanese (well, I needed more speaking practice) as she navigated smoothly with English. Standing at 1729 meters, Mt. Daisen is the highest peak in the Chugoku region of Japan, located in Tottori Prefecture. Beautiful throughout the seasons, many hikers attempt the various trails around Mt. Daisen while admiring the surrounding scenes. “It is believed that gods reside in the mountains. That is why there are the presence of shrines and temples.” Hiroko-san delved into the common Shinto belief that many Japanese hold onto. It made me think about the essence of Shintoism in their daily lives, the reasons why people visit shrines, and have a deeper understanding of the significance of pilgrimage routes done by people on religious voyages. Like a daily philosophy that people carry with them, Shintoism is key in Japanese culture. There is this Japanese form of healing in nature known as ‘forest bathing’, 森林浴 (shinrin yoku). When I first came to learn about this concept, it simply meant being in touch with nature, as though it automatically has the magic to heal our hearts and minds. Perhaps it may be that nature lifts our spirits, the therapeutic sounds that echo in the forest bring some sort of respite in our hearts. There are also the greetings we have with other hikers who are on the same journey. But most importantly, I believe this is the essence of it – the mutual understanding we share with others who are embarking on the same journey of forest bathing. Granted that we are hiking together, we are going at our own comfortable paces and engaging with our thoughts. These solitary moments give us the power to heal. It began pouring in the midst of my descent. There were no huts to seek shelter at, so the only way was to keep going forward. As the rain fell, bouncing off the leaves and creating streams of water that rushed down, sounds echoed throughout the dense forest like they were produced from a bamboo flute. Like an orchestra, there were different pitches and tones created by the density of the forest from canopy to forest floor.
By then, I was thoroughly soaked – but in a way, I was also refreshed by the bath that the forest provided. I have never experienced hiking in the rain but this was one of those opportune moments that led me to discover the beauty of nature, in the rawest form. For that, I am truly thankful and inspired.
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Disclaimer: I am no poet in the making, but I would like to share with you what I have written in the midst of tsuyu (梅雨), the rainy period in the early summer months of June and July in Japan. So here it is, an ode to tsuyu (and hydrangeas) as well as the photographs that I have taken while admiring them! Hope you enjoy :) The cool Spring air
slowly dissipates eclipsed by the heat of early summer The humidity lingers permeating the environs I wait for the rain and its breeziness The rain although sometimes brief brings respite to the cloying heat And to the fluffy balls of hydrangeas waiting patiently for its arrival Opening their outstretched arms Multiple petals scattered in bunches as though there is strength in unison Watching them bloom together My heart flutters At their blend of colours Bluish purple Purplish pink Their petals, the keepers Of the rain drops Until they return to the atmosphere To become one with it again Rainy days are mood-dampening For those, like me Who love the sun The great outdoors and the clear blue skies But rainy days also Offer a sense of therapeutic release A kind of relief from being outdoors When the heat brings us fatigue and sometimes chaos The rain clears our minds and hearts Wipes the confusion away To a blank slate and to a fresh start I love the pattering of rain And the earthiness it brings upon touching the ground For it keeps me rooted A calmness settles within Like the hydrangeas who wait Patiently, longingly, lovingly To blossom together after the rain Thank you For teaching me how to dance in the rain For embracing the impermanence The cloudiness, moodiness And the growth it brings |
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