Available for free; registration via Gyeonggi-do Jathyanggi Pureunsup
website (Gyeonggi Agricultural Administration homepage)

◇ With the arrival of spring, the Gyeonggi
Province Forestry Environment Research Center introduced on March 30 a variety
of programs at Gyeonggi-do Jathyanggi Pureunsup through which people can heal
their bodies and minds. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Heo
Seon-ryang

Spring awakens the earth, making it the perfect
time to inject some energy into our bodies after months of winter inactivity.  

With the arrival of spring, the Gyeonggi Province
Forestry Environment Research Center introduced on March 30 a variety of programs
at Gyeonggi-do Jathyanggi Pureunsup through which people can heal their bodies
and minds. 

Gyeonggi-do Jathyanggi Pureunsup is one of the most
popular forests in Gyeonggi Province; it features 1,400,000㎡ of nut pine forests 450 – 600m above sea level that help people heal.

Of particular note, the Gyeonggi Institute of
Health and Environment previously released a report in 2014 stating that among
all natural arboretums in Gyeonggi Province, Jathyanggi Pureunsup emitted the
largest amounts of phytoncide. 

Jathyanggi Pureunsup is expected to offer a wide
range of programs that take advantage of the distinct features of the forest
including a ‘forest healing program’ and ‘woodcraft
program’ from April to November.  

◆ Heal your body and mind: Forest Healing Program 

The Forest Healing Program helps improve quality of
life through various forest healing activities. This program is very popular
among visitors since it improves the body’s immune system and relieves stress. 

This year, the program will feature: ‘The Fragrance of Nut Pines – A Day for Healing’, which involves stretching in the forest, walking barefoot,
and breathing to help people regain both mental and physical health; ‘Time to Awaken the Pleasure of Sleeping’, which helps people receive energy from the forest
through meditation and recover their physical and emotional balance; and ‘Joyful Forest Healing (The Forest is Exciting!)’, which features writing two-line letters, sharing
feelings, singing songs, and other activities including eco-system games.  

In addition, independently developed advanced
programs tailored to the needs of visitors will be offered. In particular, the
programs incorporate certified professional forest healers to maximize participant
satisfaction.  

Key programs include: ‘Healing Meditation, Taegukgwon (T’ai chi ch’uan)
(green shower detox)’, which integrates Taegukgwon (T’ai chi ch’uan)
and forest healing; ‘Walking in Phytoncide at
Jathyanggi’, in which people can power
walk in the nut pine forest full of phytoncide; ‘Yoga in Jathyanggi Forest’, in which you can experience a variety of yoga
activities including finger yoga, morning yoga, and wake-up yoga; ‘Nut Pine Forest Pre-natal Education’, in which couples can engage in pre-natal
education in the forest; and ‘Overnight
Youth Health Improvement’, which
fosters creativity and confidence among adolescents from low income families through
activities in nature. 

Apart from these programs, the Healing Center,
built in Hanok-style (Korean traditional structure) inside Jathyanggi
Pureunsup, offers health checkups and counselling services.  

◆ Make your own woodcraft product: Woodcraft Program 

The Woodcraft Program offers a chance to make your
own woodcraft product or decorate a woodcraft product in your own style through
various woodcraft activities.  

In more detail, the program includes: ‘DIY! Jathyanggi Woodcraft Class’, in which people can see, listen to and touch
woodcraft materials to understand the characteristics of wood, and build
various items; and ‘Let’s Draw Nut Pines’, which invites people to draw on nut pine wood
panels using burning pens.Among the two activities, the ‘DIY! Jathyanggi Woodcraft Class’ is divided into a ‘weekend family experience’ –
through which families can participate in activities over the weekend, and ‘group woodcraft experience’ –
through which organizations or groups can participate in activities on
weekdays. 

You can register to participate in these programs
for free via the Jathyanggi Pureunsup website (http://farm.gg.go.kr/sigt/89).
Please note that registration must be done in advance and that participants
must pay for materials if they take part in woodcraft activities.
Gyeonggi Province Forestry Environment Research Center Director Kim Jong-hak
said, “We worked long and hard to
plan these forest healing programs that leverage of Jathyanggi Pureunsup’s advantages in Gyeonggi Province.” He added, “We will continue to offer high quality services to
all Jathyanggi Pureunsup guests by healing minds and bodies that have been exhausted
by everyday life, and by promoting mental as well as physical wellbeing.”

ⓒ Gyeonggi
G-News | Kim Jin-kyoung jinkyoungkim@kg21.net 

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201603301642057055C049&s_code=C049