Forest Bathing
with Wisdom House
Forest Bathing is simple and easy to experience.
All you need to do is to open your senses to the sights, sounds, smells, touch, and taste of the immediate environment. It engages your nervous and limbic systems and starts the cascade that quickly and efficiently relaxes your heart, body, emotions, and mind. I will lead you to the door into the forest, and Nature will meet you there with her own magic for you to discover.
Forest bathing is the literal translation of the Japanese words Shinrin-yoku. It was coined by Tomohide Akiyama in 1982 as he was promoting the link between public health, wellness, and forest visits. Forest bathing’s roots are in the ancient Shinto: the indigenous people of Japan whose belief holds that all things have an in-dwelling spirit. The Shinto people would visit specific places in nature to connect with the spirit of the place — the soul of the land — and ultimately their own souls.
The relationship between Nature and humans Mr. Akiyama fostered is based in scientific fact. It is clinically proven from decades of studies by universities, national health organizations, and government-sponsored researchers in Japan, Korea, Germany, USA, and countries across the globe. These studies have tracked the blood pressure, oxygen and cortisol levels, brainwaves, and more of Forest Bathers to conclude what we all intuitively and instinctively know: Time spent in nature is good for us. Not only does our physical health benefit, our mental and emotional states are elevated as well. The research found that Forest Bathing is true Body, Mind, and Spirit medicine. New insights and understandings have emerged in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and immunology from this body of research. We now know that time in nature is an effective tool in dealing with stress and depression, weakened immune systems, cardiovascular issues, dementia and cognition disorders, PTSD, and much more of what ails us humans. It’s being called “green medicine,” or the “nature pill.” In the USA, growing numbers of MDs and therapists are prescribing it.
It makes sense.
We humans emerged and evolved in the wild. Every system in our bodies and brains is hardwired to respond to the sights, sounds, and experiences of being in nature. It’s in our DNA. Our urban and digital worlds are constructs of our human skill and intelligence. Yet these environments neglect to accommodate the primal needs of our physiology, the very land we grew from, to our detriment, and that of our global ecosystem.
Forest Bathing is simple and easy to experience. All you need to do is open your senses to the sights, sounds, smells, touch and taste of the immediate environment. And then keep returning to your senses if you become distracted. It engages our nervous and limbic systems. It starts the cascade that quickly and efficiently relaxes our hearts, lungs, and minds.
I will lead you to the door into the forest, and Nature will welcome you there with her own magic for you to discover.
Forest Bathing Sessions Includes:
Welcoming you to the land
Gentle warm-up and centering exercises
A guided hike
A nature meditation
A closing circle
We will be standing, walking, and sitting during our time outdoors. We will move at a light to medium pace over varied terrain. Sessions typically last 1.5 to 2 hours. Longer sessions can be arranged.
Please come prepared:
Nature speaks to us through all sorts of languages, including weather.
Please dress and bring weather-appropriate clothing, with boots or shoes that can travel in mud, brooks, and forest trails. A backpack with extra layers and a water bottle are necessary.
Our session will go forward in most weather: rain, snow, or sunshine. In rare cases, I will cancel the session because of severe weather, usually with short notice. High winds, thunderstorms, and hail all present safety hazards. Sessions canceled for weather will be rescheduled or refunded.
Participants include:
I welcome all ages, each in their turn. Children under 10 have different needs and skills than adults. I will be happy to accommodate them on a walk designed for them, or in a family walk that includes their needs in the session. I do not allow pets to accompany us into the woods. They too have different needs and agendas which diverge from the typical mindful encounter with nature.
Here on our land, I can accommodate folks with many different mobility ranges. There are several beautiful places we can reach without challenging terrain, a short distance from our starting place.
I guide sessions on our 175 acres of forest, fields, and brooks in Wells, Vermont. I’ve been walking these hills and fields for over 30 years. They are old friends, and will welcome your company. I am often reminded of this quote from Muir:
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than one expects.”
Rates:
The 1-person rate is $40.00 a session.
Groups of 2 or more are $30.00 a person.
Life Happens.
If you cancel or reschedule your session, it must be done at least 4 days prior to the reserved session. With less than 4 days’ notice, I charge a cancellation fee of $25.00 for the time reserved. If there are extenuating circumstances, please contact me and we can reach a solution.
**Please Note**
Unfortunately, due to COVID, all Forest Bathing has been paused until June of 2021. Please contact me if you are interested in booking a session after June 1, 2021.