15-05-2025
Zen out and visit a Japanese garden — it will slow your heart rate
There is something soothing about Japanese gardens, with their precise stone paths, red-leaved maple trees and carefully pruned shrubs. Now, science has backed this up: seeing a well-designed garden has an immediate relaxing effect.
When 16 study participants visited a famous viewing garden, sat still, and simply observed its various elements, their heart rates slowed by roughly 4 per cent on average. Afterwards, they reported being in a better mood and feeling significantly more relaxed.
The garden in question was the Murin-an Garden in Kyoto. An international research team from the University of Nagasaki and the University of Pittsburgh compared its effects to those of the garden at Kyoto University, which featured similar elements — such as trees and a stone path — but was
