Discover the healing powers of bonsai

“The object is not to make the tree look like a bonsai but to make the bonsai look like a tree,” said John Yoshio Naka, bonsai master, teacher and author.

Have you ever considered that an hour with your bonsai tree could have the same benefits as an hour on the couch in your psychologist’s office?

Having recently completed her PhD in using the art of bonsai to relax (Bonsai No Kokora – the spirit of bonsai), clinical psychologist, Dr Caroll Hermann advocates the healing power of bonsai to improve mental health and prevent emotional disorders.

Hermann casually calls herself a “bonsai-chologist: I care about how the tree makes you feel.”

She said the Japanese art of bonsai was an excellent way to de-stress and relax.

“When I get home from work I pour myself a glass of wine and take a walk through my (bonsai) garden.”

When a person works on a bonsai tree and gets in the “zone”, the subconscious mind is allowed to work through thoughts and issues without one being consciously aware of it – almost like hypnosis and similar to going for a run or engaging in another leisure activity that “clears the head”.

Hermann said bonsai gives people something to look after and care for and thus help people with depression find purpose. It is a superb way of working through trauma or grief or could even serve as a celebration of anything from a marriage, child birth and graduation to a new chapter in one’s life.

“A bonsai tree must tell a story; it cannot just be a tree in a pot. Your tree is a reflection of you,” said Hermann, referring to scars on a tree.

Although the bonsai world is filled with controversy over which modern styles and techniques are acceptable as “real bonsai”, Hermann practises Kishiki Bonsai, bonsai for fun.

“The type of bonsai that I practise is not strictly for true artists but for relaxation and I draw immense pleasure from it.”

She said the practice was now in the beginning phases of being used to rehabilitate juvenile defendants on parole.

“The use of bonsai cultivation as a form of therapy is still very new but work with juveniles has shown positive results.”

Hermann hosted BBS Mica’s first bonsai morning on Saturday, February 27. The event was so popular that Hermann and BBS Mica’s Angie Lane has committed to hosting a monthly bonsai morning.

For more information, please contact Angie Lane on 032-946-8410/8400 or email her at marketingballito@bbsgroup.co.za.

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