The country has a time-honoured tradition of using the sounds of bees buzzing to relax everyone from firefighters to school children, acting as an alleviant for anxiety and stress.
But in Slovenia, there’s one relaxation technique that may actually shock some people, especially entomophobes: lying down in a room filled with cages of thousands of buzzing bees.
The country has had a long appreciation for the winged honey-makers: apiaries, where beehives are kept, blanket the nation, including its schoolyards. And World Bee Day falls on 20 May, which coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, a Slovenian beekeeper who was a global pioneer in the field of apiculture back in the 18th Century.
Today, bee therapy acts as salve to day-to-day stressors for many in Slovenia, including people in high-pressure jobs like firefighting. Watch the video above to see how Slovenia uses these beloved bugs to boost mental health – stingers and all.
This video originally appeared in BBC Reel’s Spiritual Awakening, a series documenting ancient techniques the modern world is using to enlighten their lives.