Proving the Role of Trees in Stabilizing Emotions and Stress

On Sunday morning, as usual, my mind wanted to jump out of the overheat zone to release the fatigue of a rather jumbled brain that needed defragmenting by way of “walking-walking”. Usually I am guided by the young eagle juniors of DIAZ, but this time I tried joining a small community, "Mlaku berkelanjutan" (Sustainable Walking), led by cak Raouhan, with Sabana Barotan Pujon as the destination, about 4 hours round trip. We happened to start from the Panderman Hill housing estate, and the distance was fairly draining, especially as we got lost while following the GPS. Was the GPS wrong, or were the frequency waves of my stressed brain affecting the GPS?

In general the landscape of the route to the Sabana Garotan peak is stunning, dominated by mountain pine forest and mahogany with fairly dense vegetation. It is also decorated with "hutan tanah komplangan", a social forest planted with vegetables by the people living around the forest, where most of the trees are slowly poisoned so that they die, so that direct sunlight can reach the crops. On the way to the peak there were many calming views, building a perspective between looking far and near at an object.

The ups and downs of the contour are just normal for a mountain. As I approached the peak, a spontaneous thought arose in my mind: I wanted to hug the big tree standing firmly before my eyes on the route to the sabana peak. The tree was probably about 55 years old, so about the same age as a 12-13 year old, with an estimated diameter of one meter.

I tried to observe it from top to bottom: the leaves and their structure, the trunk with thick moss almost covering it, and the tassels of roots from top to bottom like dreadlocks. It reminded me of the hair of Irwan, a DIAZ member with long dreadlocks. In my heart I thought, wow, what a special tree, cared for by the cosmic intelligence of the universe in its own way.

For almost 3 minutes I just observed the tree, and in my mind I tried to build up whatever information my brain's memory held about the technique of forest bathing, which is currently popular. This practice is not just walking around, but about soaking in the atmosphere of the forest with all five senses. A very strong urge came to spread my arms wide and hug it tightly right away.

The question is, does this simple activity really have a real impact on mental and physical health? Various literature studies are in fact beginning to confirm that claim. And I wanted to prove it myself.

A Personal Experiment: Hugging a Tree for 27 Seconds

I tried it sincerely, a hug without any agenda, and I admit that today I was in a bad mood. During the process I projected my thoughts and awareness only to observe the sensations in my mind and body, hoping to feel a difference before and after. For about 27 seconds, I hugged the tree tightly. And in the last seconds, a subtle change happened. My mood changed. The mood that had been flat slowly lifted, accompanied by a feeling of solemnity and "brebes mili" (tears welling up), as if a burden was being released. Is this what is called the release of negative ions or negative energy from within the body?

What Happens Scientifically?

That personal experience, it turns out, has an explanation in the literature I read. In daily life, our bodies are bombarded by positive ions (free radicals) from air pollution, gadget radiation, and stress. These positive ions are believed to disrupt the balance of the body's cells. Trees, especially leafy and healthy ones, are known to release negative ions. When we hug them, our bodies absorb these negative ions, which work to neutralize the excess positive ions, thus helping to stabilize the body and creating a calmer, fresher feeling.

Connection with Nature (Grounding/Earthing). The theory of grounding or earthing holds that by touching the ground or natural objects (such as trees) directly, we allow the body to absorb the earth's natural electron energy. This neutralizing energy helps reduce stress by stabilizing the body's physiological state, such as lowering heart rate and levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

And no less important is the impact on the Biofield and Emotions. The human body has a subtle energy field (biofield). Stress and negative emotions can disrupt the balance of this energy. Trees, as living beings with stable and strong energy, are believed to act as natural "stabilizers". In a hug, an energy interaction occurs in which the chaotic vibrations of our body seem to be "recycled" or calmed by the tree's vibrations. This is perhaps what I felt as that sense of relief and "brebes mili", a release to stabilize the emotions and etheric energy of the body. Although modern science is still digging into the exact mechanisms, empirical experience and a number of early studies are strong enough to show that hugging trees is not merely a myth. This activity is a form of nature therapy that is easy, free, and without side effects.

I continued the journey to the peak with a more heightened awareness. As usual I stretched my muscles so the body could release quickly, just 2 minutes. My other friends prepared the stove and brewed coffee, a robusta with a distinctive, slightly bitter aroma and a faint fragrant smell typical of Dampit. The taste was quite a kick. I happened to buy it at the Asterik cafe in the corner of the Landungsari terminal.

Sipping hot coffee while taking in a stunning view that lets the imagination fly anywhere, searching for beautiful memories in the mind to upgrade one's awareness, 30 minutes is enough to refresh at the summit. In Hindu cosmology, many gods of wisdom are said to dwell atop mountains, so "inhale knowledge, even if it is only ethereal."

Getting ready to descend, I cleaned up trash along the way back; one large plastic bag was enough. The descent took only a little over 1.5 hours, until I reached the onsite point. I picked up my motorbike from the hiding place that I had covered with leaves and a sack cloth, said goodbye to my friend, and rode straight home at full throttle, arriving at around 15.00.

What happened once I got home? I kept observing the emotional changes in my body and mind, and it turned out that for 3 days the good mood was there and stuck to my body, making it possible to rebuild cells because it was able to release free radicals back into zeromind. Four days later I was stressed out again, hahahhahahhha, raising my cortisol once more, damn it!

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