Barefoot Park Gains Popularity among Health-Conscious Urbanites By Hyun-jeong Kim Staff Reporter/Seoul Times Min-ah Lee (27) enjoys walking in barefoot gardens on weekends. She describes her experience as getting a "nature's free foot massage." She goes on to add that it leaves her body "light throughout the day." The barefoot garden is designed so that visitors can walk barefoot on stones arranged on the bases of the traditional oriental health theory of Yin and Yang, giving walkers numerous healing effects. By promoting the circulation of blood and boosting the immune system, the barefoot garden strengthens one's natural healing power. Moreover, the stones stimulate the nerve system in the foot, aiding digestion and relieving stress, health experts say. Due to such favorable effects, barefoot gardens have spread within Seoul the past few years, and are now expanding to other areas, particularly in Kyunggi Province. There are now almost 20 barefoot gardens in and around the Seoul metro area. Among the most popular barefoot gardens are the ones in Boramae and Namsan Parks. The nation's first barefoot garden can be found at Yoido Park in downtown Seoul, built in 1998. Located on Yoido island, nicknamed the "Manhattan" of Seoul, the barefoot garden in Yoido Park is frequented mostly by nearby office workers. With approximately 60 meters of special stone path, the garden is filled with people taking a break from work. Created a year after the barefoot garden in Yoido Park, the barefoot garden in Boramae Park in Shindaebang-dong, Dongjak-Gu, is even larger with two courses, beginner's and advanced. Almost 140 meters in length, benches, exercise bars and a place to wash one's feet are also available. With many diverse courses, the barefoot garden in Namsan Park is of particular interest to users. The beautiful course by a stream provides a refreshing moment for visitors after a day of hard work. The course situated in the outdoor Botanical Garden is an ideal place for family outings. The final course is unique in that there is gravel on the ground, which is even more healthy for walkers. With stress piling up due to hustle-and-bustle of urban life, barefoot gardens seem like a good way of getting away from it all, particularly in this gigantic city.
There's a place I like to go to when I'm in Tokyo. It has a "foot bath." Foot bath An artificial carbonated spring fills this 50-meter long pathway through a traditionally landscaped Japanese garden spread over 2,300 square meters. The smooth round stones embedded in the floor of this bath stimulate the soles of the feet, so a stroll through the water here is a great way to relieve fatigue. Men and women can enjoy this bath together, making it all the more enjoyable. Although, I must say that some of the "smooth round stones" are more like "smooth round pointed stones," it's a great place to get your feet warm and stimulate your soles. Then, of course, you can go into the regular baths and warm up the rest of your body. http://www.ooedoonsen.jp/higaeri/english/hotspa.html
