Passage

If you've ever been in a forest, listened to the birds and watched the sunshine filtering through the leaves, you've already participated in one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental well-being- forest bathing.

What is forest bathing? It’s simply heading to the nearest forest for a meander through the trees. No hiking, running, or mountain-climbing is necessary. You can even sit if you want to. Take a moment to appreciate your surroundings and listen to the sounds around you: twittering birds, rustling bush, trickling streams. Breathe in clean, fragrant air and soak in the sights of the textured ground and the shapes of the leaves in the sky. Touch the soft, green moss carpeting the shaded stones, or the rough bark on the trees. Let the stillness around you influence your state of mind and make you forget the constant motion of the city. This is a sensory experience.

Forest bathing has become a vital part of preventative healthcare in Japan. The results of Japanese studies have shown forest bathing improves sleep quality, mood, ability to focus, and stress levels. Spending time in nature, away from modern technology and big cities can improve your physical and mental health by reducing the effects of stress on your body.

Forest bathing as a medicinal practice in Japan goes back to the 1980s. Around this time, the world was coming to realize the negative effects of depression, distraction, and aches and pains. These effects have only gotten worse with time, and are now recognized in cities all over the world. It's difficult to truly relax in cities, with sensory overload caused by heavy traffic, dense populations and long hours spent in offices. High demand for real estate has made many cities "green-poor”, with few trees and parks to give even the illusion of nature.

This is where the importance of forest bathing becomes apparent. Being in a forest and paying attention to our surroundings stimulates the senses enough to ease the drive to do something, yet is calming enough to allow us a moment of peace. Dr. Qing Li, MD, Ph.D. is a doctor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo. He estimates we spend 93 percent of our time indoors. He identified a nature deficit disorder in society, which contributes to negative feelings about life, but can be significantly improved by just a few hours of forest bathing.

Forest bathing has similar benefits to other Japanese practices, such as Zen meditation and mindfulness. In a forest, meditation and mindfulness come naturally when you allow your senses to focus on the small, uncomplicated changes around you.

Question

The word ‘fragrant’, as used in the passage, means