But as we made our way deeper into the forest, we reached the river and the group’s chatter faded. With no phone reception, the notifications had stopped too. I found myself listening to the water flowing past. I dipped my hands in, feeling the cold water against my skin.
Gradually, I stopped watching every step and began noticing what was around me and above me. We picked up fallen leaves with shapes that caught our eye, or that we simply felt drawn to. I paid closer attention to the texture of the bark, especially the rough, layered surfaces of the older trees. The air smelled fresh, carrying the scent of trees and damp soil.
It all felt far removed from my everyday life in Singapore, and I wanted to take it in. My shoes, meanwhile, surrendered to the mud.
Towards the end of the walk, Dr Peraphol’s wife, Ms Supapit, another practitioner, introduced us to grounding (or earthing), which involves making direct contact with the ground with our bare feet. She described it as a way of connecting with electrons at the Earth’s surface.
