What is Nature and Forest Therapy?
Nature and Forest Therapy has its roots in the practice of “Shinrin-yoku” which was founded in Japan in the 1980s and translates as “Forest Bathing”. During a rising national health crisis, the country studied the medical effects of time in nature on the body. The findings proved that time in nature lowers stress hormones, heart rate, and blood pressure, and also gives our immune system a huge boost. The chemicals that trees give off to protect themselves from disease known as phytoncides, also help our immune systems. This practice has spread worldwide and has evolved. Time spent slowing down in nature is also shown to lead to such things as better focus, heightened creativity, insight, and problem solving. This practice can also help anyone struggling with depression and anxiety. Through the practice of Nature and Forest Therapy, the nervous system is given time to rest and restore as one steps away from clocks, computers, and a busy life and soak in the company of nature. You might feel a deeper sense of self and return to a state of being you have forgotten about. You might find yourself reciprocating and reconnecting with nature like you haven’t since childhood. You belong!
How does a session work?
Sessions typically last around 3 hours. Participants will often leave a trail and enter the forest, but are not asked to go far and are not required to do any rigorous hiking. Participants are gently guided into full sensory awareness in the forest and are then offered a series of sensory invitations lasting 10-20 minutes each which allow time to wander, rest quietly or interact with nature while being immersed. Between invitations, participants are given the option of sharing with others to voice their experience and practice actively listening. The word “invitations” is used because there is no right or wrong way of being in the experience. If an individual feels called to do something else that is ok. RootedHeart will simply facilitate opportunities to explore nature with your own body and heart.
Is my guide an actual Therapist?
No. The guide is not a therapist. The guide simply facilitates the opportunity for participants to receive the healing benefits of nature. The guide trusts that the trees, plants, rocks, animals and water will offer whatever is needed in that moment to the participant and that the participant will be empowered and able to use the guidance offered to find their own healing experience during a session.
What if I already hike and spend a lot of time in nature? Do I really need this practice?
Yes! Even if you spend plenty of time in nature, an immersion experience with Nature and Forest Therapy is very different. Often times when we are in nature we are continuously moving without fully noticing our senses, we are thinking about life off the trail, we are talking with friends, we are paying attention to our phones or clocks, we are trying to reach a destination or get exercise. By stepping into a Nature and Forest Therapy session, you are free of all those constraints and distractions and instead are given the time, space and guidance to slow down and receive the healing benefits that quiet the mind, calm the body, and connect us to nature in ways we don’t always do. Sometimes it feels like coming home.
What if I already did a session? Should I do it again?
Yes! This is a practice…which means that the more you do it, the deeper you can go! Every session will be different; a different day, different season, different weather, a different community of people to share with, different emotional or energetic states you might be in. The forest is always changing and even the same location will offer a different experience every time. Each session is aimed to work with what is happening in the forest on that day and the sensory invitations will also change. This practice offers a gentle way to help calm the nervous system, boost immunity, and reset our minds and bodies. We were made to be in relation with nature and the more time spent doing it the better.
Who is Forest Therapy best suited for? Is it good for kids too?
Nature and Forest Therapy is for EVERYONE! Although immersion sessions might be altered for children, RootedHeart offers programs specifically designed for families, groups of adults, mixed ages, and children. Children have a natural ability to drop in to the imagination, play, discovery and the senses. These sessions are highly enjoyable for them and foster a great sense of self, creativity, and learning through interacting with nature. Preorganized groups, staff, and families can share a bonding experience through a session as well. And the great thing about this practice is, EVERYONE benefits whether medically, mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually.
How do I sign up for a session?
Join us for WEDNESDAYS IN THE WOODS: A 5-session forest bathing series starting in July and ending in October. Christiane would be happy to craft a private session for your group. Please visit our events page to see what exciting things RootedHeart has planned and how you can get involved. Or go to the contact page and send an inquiry. We hope to meet you in the woods soon!
