TREE hugging is often used as a derogatory term for environmentalists or anyone who happens to love all things nature, but that is far from what it is and can actually be super beneficial for your health.
Although it is historically unclear where the term was first coined, hugging trees has been practised for centuries and helped the wellbeing of countless people around the world. With that in mind and more people reconnecting with nature during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, Eastern Eye decided to hug a tree and present some fascinating facts about a practice that can help improve mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing alongside the remarkable impact it had in India.
• The act of finding a tree to hug will get you exploring outdoors while getting those steps up and some aerobic exercise under your belt. Simply being in nature has been shown to have a positive physiological effect on the body’s immune system plus it’s an opportunity to top up Vitamin D levels.
• We all love a good hug because it releases the feel-good hormone oxytocin. Science shows hugging a tree also triggers oxytocin and other happy hormones such as serotonin and dopamine to flow around the body. Not only do they help calm us and lower stress levels, but they are also known to boost energy.
• Just like visiting a therapist to offload and talk about your problems, hugging trees can be used in this therapeutic manner too. There are successful cases of people talking about their problems while hugging a tree in a secluded area with no one else around, like a safe space. It might sound strange, but the space it creates is quiet, trustworthy, and non-judgemental, a bit like a therapy room. So, hugging a tree while expressing yourself can create mental clarity and emotional cleansing.
• Hugging trees doesn’t have to be a solo experience, it can be done in groups, including
with friends or family, as a fun activity. You could even get creative and make it a game. Shared experiences, especially when they are new and fun, can lead to tighter bonding between
individuals.
• Park rangers in Iceland have been working hard to encourage the public to hug trees because of the proven health benefits and many have taken up the offer themselves, which has subsequently got them closer to nature (and feeling happier).
• Shinrin Yoku, or forest bathing, is a Japanese practice, which was popularised in the 1980s. It’s still quite fashionable and used around the world today. The practice simply requires you to leave all electronic devices and problems behind and take a solo walk in a forest away from everyone. The idea is to find a quiet spot in the forest and simply absorb the atmosphere with your senses, including smelling the fresh air, seeing the colours of leaves, listening to birds sing and feeling the breeze on your face. You can hug a tree too if you wish. There are no rules really, other than to be at one with nature as best as you can. If you happen to have company, perhaps make an agreement to not talk for a set time or until the forest bathing ends. The beauty of this simple (and elegant) practice is the multiple health benefits, including physical and mental wellbeing, lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, boosting the immune system, and accelerating recovery from illness.
• Believe it or not, the popularity of tree hugging is so widespread there is even a world championship for it (yes, you read that right!). And everyone from around the world is invited to participate. You just have to submit a photograph of you hugging your favourite tree, describe why you loved doing it and record the coordinates of where that tree is located. Finalists are invited to join a live tree hugging competition in Finland (tempted? Go on do it!). Interestingly, nature lovers from all over have literally embraced this with such enthusiasm that they have found some fascinating ways to hug a tree, including upside down.
• Scientists agree that energy flows through each living being, including from plants to humans. In that regard, it is widely believed that the energy running through trees in a forest is interconnected in a network of energy. Some sections of the scientific community agree that when we hug a tree, we absorb that energy vibration (a bit like the Tree of Souls in the film Avatar).
• Earlier this year, the Rainforest Trust UK challenged people to hug 100 different trees and document their effort. The sponsored tree hug campaign could be carried out in a day or spread across the summer. All donations were doubled and used to protect rain forests. How beautiful is that? Hugging trees has the added benefit of making a positive difference to the planet which is needed now more than ever.
• A matter of great pride is that the most significant tree huggers have been from India. The Chipko movement originated in a dense forest region of the Garahwal Himalayas in the 1970s and took place when very little was being done for environmental preservation. Villagers recognised the forests as a key to water and soil conservation, so started hugging
trees for long periods to prevent them from being cut down. The feminist led movement against the forest department quickly grew and they received support from around the world. This simple act of hugging trees raised environmental awareness, got people closer to nature and saved huge areas of forest.
Hugging trees is a wonderful experience with so many fabulous health benefits. If you haven’t tried it, why not give it a go? There’s something quite special about a big tree hug, perhaps because in all corners of the world trees are held as symbols of wisdom, renewal, and a channel for connecting with something bigger than ourselves.
Crowd control concerns led to the early closure of one of the main stages at the Parklife festival on its final day, prompting the cancellation of two anticipated DJ performances. The Matinee stage at Manchester’s Heaton Park was closed on Sunday evening, 15 June, after organisers acted on safety advice from their event team.
Attendees were instructed to leave the area as the show was paused. Later in the evening, festival organisers confirmed that the stage would remain shut for the rest of the night.
Josh Baker and Chris Stussy unable to perform
Local DJ Josh Baker and Danish artist Chris Stussy were both scheduled to perform at the Matinee stage. Baker, who was due to play from 6.30pm to 8pm, shared a message on Instagram, saying: “Unfortunately, I will not be performing at Parklife due to reasons outside of my control. I deeply apologise. I can't really put into words what today was going to mean for me.”
Chris Stussy had been due to headline the stage with a three-hour set from 8pm to 11pm. He also addressed the cancellation on Instagram, saying he was “really gutted” and emphasised that “safety comes first,” noting the stage was shut due to overcrowding.
Festival issues official statement
An in-app message from the Parklife festival initially alerted attendees that the Matinee stage show had been paused, with further updates to follow. A full statement later explained the rationale behind the decision.
Festival organisers confirmed that the stage would remain shut for the rest of the night.Manchester News
“As a result of crowd movement at the Matinee Stage and on the advice of our safety team to remove the risk of any potential incidents, Parklife made the decision to close the stage for the remainder of the final day of the festival,” said a spokesperson.
Safety prioritised over rescheduling
Organisers added that it was not feasible to move the affected performances to another venue within the festival grounds. “Unfortunately it has been impossible to relocate Josh Baker’s and Chris Stussy’s performances to a new stage,” the statement said. “The safety of our festival attendees is always our utmost priority.”
Despite the disruption at the Matinee stage, the rest of the Parklife festival continued as scheduled, and no injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
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The house, designed as a symbol of enduring love and modesty
In Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh, Anand Prakash Chouksey has built a striking replica of the Taj Mahal — not as a monument to grandeur, but as a tribute to his wife. The house, designed as a symbol of enduring love and modesty, has captured the internet’s attention following a viral video tour.
The house is a four-bedroom property built using Makrana marble — the same stone used in the original Taj Mahal in Agra. While the original monument's dimensions are in metres, Chouksey’s version was constructed using scaled-down measurements in feet. This results in a structure roughly one-third the size of the original, but retaining key architectural elements such as domes, carved pillars, and Mughal-style arches.
Located on school campus founded by owner
What makes the house even more distinctive is its location within the grounds of a school established by Chouksey himself. In a now-viral video shared by content creator Priyam Saraswat, Chouksey offers a tour of the home and highlights personal touches embedded in its design.
One notable detail is a buffalo motif on the floor — a nod to Chouksey’s early life distributing milk. He explained that this reminder of his humble beginnings serves as a daily lesson in staying grounded and avoiding arrogance.
Viral video receives overwhelming praise
The video, shared on Instagram, quickly gained traction, racking up over 6.5 million views within just eight hours. Viewers were drawn not only to the impressive architecture but also to the emotional story behind the home.
Comments across social media praised the gesture and the message it conveyed. “Uncle has a more beautiful heart than his Mahal,” one user wrote, while another highlighted the buffalo symbol as a meaningful lesson in humility. Many also remarked on the positive energy and “cool vibe” of the homeowner.
Promoting unity through design
Inside, the home reflects a blend of traditional Islamic design and modern interiors. Future plans reportedly include placing the Indian national flag on top of the structure and adding symbols from India’s major religions on the minarets. According to Chouksey, the aim is to promote a message of unity and peace in an often divided world.
The replica Taj Mahal in Burhanpur stands not only as an architectural feat but also as a reminder of love, simplicity, and the importance of staying connected to one’s roots.
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A one-hour delay in sleep routine is linked to a sharper drop in cognition over time, the study found
A night owl, or an evening person with a late sleep-wake cycle, could be at a higher risk of cognitive decline with age compared to an early bird or a morning person, a study has found.
Chronotype refers to one’s sleep-wake type or times during the day when one naturally tends to be awake and asleep. A ‘night owl’ chronotype is said to have a later sleep-wake cycle, compared to an ‘early bird’ or a ‘lark’.
“Are you an early bird or a night owl? It’s hard to adjust what your biological clock – your so-called chronotype – is, but you can adjust your life to it as best you can,” study author Ana Wenzler, from the University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, said.
Analysing the performance of about 23,800 participants on a cognitive test over a period of 10 years, the study found that ‘evening’ people decline cognitively faster than ‘morning’ people. The findings have been published in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.
“Unhealthy behaviour such as smoking, drinking and unhealthy eating happens more often in the evening,” Wenzler said.
“In our study, we also saw this: evening people smoke and drink more often and exercise less. Twenty-five per cent of the risk of cognitive decline can be explained from our research by smoking and poor sleep,” she said.
A greater decline was seen in higher-educated people – a delay of an hour in the sleep-wake cycle corresponded to a decline of 0.8 in cognition per decade. Wenzler said the decline might be related to their disturbed sleep rhythm.
“They are often people who have to go back to work early in the morning and are likely to sleep too short, giving their brains too little rest,” she said.
The author explained that people’s biological clock can change with age.
“Children are morning people. That changes when you reach puberty, when you become an evening person. Around your 20s, that gradually shifts back towards morning people for most people. By the age of 40, most people are morning people again,” Wenzler said.
However, this is certainly not the case for everyone, which is probably why evening people deviate from the norm, according to Wenzler, who recommended working against one’s body “as little as possible”.
“’You can try to go to sleep earlier, but if your body is not yet producing melatonin (sleep hormone), it will not work,” she said.
Wenzler added that if people are forced to work against their natural rhythm, their brains may not get enough rest, increasing the risk of unhealthy habits. “It would help if evening types were given the option to start work later,” she said.
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Father’s Day reflects a wide range of traditions shaped by history, culture and emotion
Father’s Day is often seen as a time for cards, tools or a family lunch, but across the globe, it carries a much deeper significance. Beyond the commercial promotions, Father’s Day reflects a wide range of traditions shaped by history, culture and emotion. While some mark the occasion with grand gestures, others focus on quiet reflection, respect and the bonds that define fatherhood.
Thailand’s day of respect
In Thailand, Father’s Day is celebrated on 5 December, the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The day is as much about honouring the nation’s former monarch as it is about celebrating fatherhood. Citizens wear yellow, the king’s birth colour, and present canna lilies to their fathers as a symbol of gratitude and respect. It’s a cultural blend of familial and national reverence.
Germany’s tradition of brotherhood
Germany takes a different approach. Known as Vatertag, or Father’s Day, it coincides with Ascension Day and is often marked by groups of men going on hiking trips, pulling wagons of food and drink. While it may appear more social than family-oriented, the tradition is rooted in camaraderie and shared responsibility among men and father figures.
Remembering fathers in Mexico
In Mexico and across parts of Latin America, Father’s Day is a time to honour both the living and the departed. Families often visit cemeteries to pay tribute to late fathers and gather to share stories and memories. It’s a day that highlights legacy over materialism, where the emotional role of a father is celebrated beyond life itself.
The expanding meaning in India
In India, Father’s Day doesn’t have deep historical roots, but its popularity is growing among urban families. Influenced by Western customs, it is increasingly used to recognise not only biological fathers, but also mentors, guardians and elders who provide support and guidance. The day is evolving into a broader celebration of male role models across generations.
A shared message worldwide
Though celebrated in different ways, Father’s Day across cultures shares a central idea: appreciation. Whether through a gift, a walk, a meal or a memory, the day is about acknowledging the role fathers and father figures play in shaping lives. In a time when traditional family structures are changing, this occasion also highlights that fatherhood is defined not just by biology, but by love, responsibility and care.
A thoughtful reminder
Rather than focus on finding the perfect present, Father’s Day offers an opportunity to be present. A simple message, a phone call or a shared moment can mean more than any physical gift. In a fast-moving world, slowing down to recognise those who’ve quietly supported us is perhaps the most meaningful tribute we can give.
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The alert is based on elevated geomagnetic activity levels
A rare display of the aurora borealis was expected over Hertfordshire after a red alert was issued on Friday, 13 June, by space weather experts. The phenomenon, also known as the Northern Lights, is expected to be seen across large parts of the UK if conditions remain clear.
Red alert signals strong aurora activity
AuroraWatch UK, a monitoring service run by Lancaster University’s Space and Planetary Physics group, issued a red alert on Friday morning. According to the service, this means: “It is likely that aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK.”
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The alert is based on elevated geomagnetic activity levels, which are often triggered by solar storms interacting with Earth’s magnetic field.
Best time and places to watch
While the exact time of visibility has not been confirmed, previous sightings of the aurora borealis have typically occurred between 11 pm and the early hours of the morning. Experts recommend heading to dark, open spaces away from streetlights for the best chance of witnessing the lights.
What causes the aurora borealis?
The aurora borealis occurs when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere. Oxygen creates green light, while nitrogen can produce shades of purple, pink, or blue.
Skywatchers are advised to monitor AuroraWatch UK for real-time updates.