Forest Therapy
A quiet return to the natural world through slowness, attention and the gentle unfolding of the senses.
"Forest bathing is not the same thing as hiking. The destination in forest bathing is "here," not "there." The pace is slow. The focus is on connection and relationship." -M. Amos Clifford founder of ANFT.
What is Forest Therapy?
Forest therapy, often referred to as Forest Bathing or Shinrin-yoku, is a slow guided experience that invites us to reconnect with the natural world through our sense and our awareness of the present moment.
Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, meaning "forest bathing", forest therapy emerged as a way of encouraging people to step away from the demands of everyday life and spend intentional time in nature.
A forest walk isnt a hike, and there is no destination to reach. Instead, we slow down, notice what is around us and allow the forest to guide our attention. Through gentle sensory invitation, we create space to listen, observe, breathe, wander and simply be.
At its heart, forest therapy is about relationship-with ourselves, with one another and with the more-than-human world. By cultivating deeper connection with the places we inhabit, we can nurture greater care for ourselves, our communities and the living landscape.
What happens on a walk?
A forest walk is a slow, guided experience with no destination to reach and no particular pace to keep. Rather than a hiking from one place to another, we take time to notice and connect with the forest around us through a 1.5-2 hour guided practice.
We begin by arriving and settling into the landscape, allowing ourselves to leave the pace of everyday life behind. From there, A series of gentle invitation to engage the sense-noticing sounds, textures, scents, colours, movement and the subtle details of the forest.
There is time for wander, pause, sit and listen and to simply be. Some invitation may be shared together, while others offer space for your own reflection. You are always welcome to participate in whatever way feels comfortable.
While on a walk there are ultimately no expectations to do things any practical way and no previous experience is needed. Come dressed for the weather, bring your curiosity and let the forest meet you where you are.
Benefits
Spending intentional time in nature can create space for rest, reflection and connection. Research into forest bathing has found associations with reduced stress and improved aspects of psychological well-being, with studies also exploring effects on lowering cortisol, heart rate and blood pressure.
A common measure of seeing the effects of forest bathing is through heart rate variability or HRV, and is used as a general way to understand how our nervous system is functioning through the parasympathetic and sympathetic structures in our body. When our bodies are in a parasympathetic state this is when we feel safe and our body can "rest and digest", when our bodies are in a sympathetic-dominant state, our bodies are in a state of crisis and is known as "fight, flight or freeze." When our bodies are in a constant state of crisis it becomes difficult for us to maintain our relationships and our emotional well-being. Some research has explored the effects of nature on human health and how the enriched oxygen emitted from trees, particularly natural compounds called phytoncides, can positively respond in our bodies and improve our immune system and function.
Research in many countries have explored our understanding of what happens in our body when we are exposed to natural settings, and is a fascinating topic as our understanding and awareness grows as we continue to connection both science and the body with our relationship to the natural world.
Why go with a guide?
You can certainly enjoy nature on your own, yet a guided forest therapy walk offers the opportunity to step out of the role of deciding where to go and what to do, and simply be present. Gentle invitations, a slower pace and the presence of a trained guide can help you notice things you might otherwise pass by and experience the forest in a deeper, more intentional way.
Qualified & Insured
Forest Therapy walks are guided by me, a Certified Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT) through their 200 hour training program. In addition to this comprehensive training I hold current Wilderness First Aid training through the Canadian Red Cross and carry general liability insurance for my guiding practice to ensure trail awareness and safety.
