How will I benefit?
The biophilia hypothesis states that human beings have an innate connection with nature. We evolved in the outdoors for thousands of years after all, which partly explains why urban life can be so detrimental to our health. Forest bathing is about acknowledging and being mindful of our connection with nature and make it as an essential pillar of our health. Acknowledging we are also part of it and how we must care for our surroundings…
The practice concerns each one of us and how we relate to what is inside and outside ourselves. Everyone is unique and we can be different versions of ourselves depending of the time and day of the week. Adding different seasons and weather conditions will therefore mean that even the same walk will always resonate in different ways (or not at all, in rare circumstances).
Nevertheless, there are some benefits you might experience during and after a session. Those may last up to a few hours or even days after a walk. You will also be able to transfer some of the techniques into your routine, creating short restorative breaks throughout the day.
Do you feel burned out, stressed, anxious, or want to improve your connection with life? Forest bathing might help you.
Despite the possible therapeutic outcomes from a walk, forest bathing it is not a form of therapy or a substitute for professional help.
MANAGING STRESS AND ANXIETY
Work, raising children, exams, life changes, worries… Life stressors are countless and our minds always have time to worry! Our cortisol and blood pressure will rise, our digestive system may struggle and our overall health will suffer. And yet how many times do we schedule restorative activities in our ‘to do’ list?... The time when we just stop and allow ourselves to slow down…
One of my aims in for each walk is to do just that: to assist you in slowing down, stop and connect. This is facilitated by a natural setting which is not demanding our attention and has a natural soundscape.
I will guide you through a process which aims to engage your parasympathetic nervous system and activate your vagus nerve, bringing a sense of calmness and relaxation. This can put your problems in perspective and distinguish between regular life stressors and life threatening stressors.
If you find it difficult to stop worrying and would like to learn different ways of relieving stress, this is for you. Similarly, if your default mode is to be always ‘on’ and you find it challenging to slow down, a structured walk might help you as well.
IMPROVED COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Research shows the high stimulation of urban life can affect our capacity for directed attention, which is involved in focusing, reading, studying, problem solving or decision making. Directed attention is subject to fatigue, therefore, restoring it is critical to perform demanding cognitive tasks.
Nature is a non-attentional environment which restores our ability to focus or think creatively. Although a simple walk in the park is already beneficial, a structured forest bathing walk aims to immerse you in nature and maximise its restorative benefits.
If you experience mental fatigue, have a demanding life or are particularly involved in the creative industries, management or problem solving, then forest bathing might help you.
ACCESSIBLE WELLBEING ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
During a walk you will be introduced to holistic techniques to improve your wellbeing, which are structured and articulated in order to maximise their benefits. By simply participating you will expand your own portfolio to use beyond the walk itself. Most of them of can be practised anytime and in any place.
If you are interested in a form of self-care that does not rely on consumerism, expensive holidays away from home and can be done regardless of time or location, then this experience is for you.
CONNECTEDNESS
Feeling in relationship to others and our environment has been proven to boost mood and increase our sense of wellbeing. Unfortunately, our lives don’t always provide enough connection other than through technology. As a result, many of our senses are not sufficiently stimulated.
My walks have a high focus on sensory engagement and overall connection with ourselves and what is beyond us. Finding appreciation or beauty is also a major component.
If you would like more connection in your life or bring beauty and a sense of novelty and escapism to your days, a forest bathing walk may provide that to you.
MEANING
Meaning is at the core of our human experience and is highly related to our psychological well-being. Provides a purpose for our existence, gives us values or standards by which to judge our actions and a sense of control over the events in our life. It also provides us with self-worth.
Our minds tend to find associations and meaning in many things surrounding us and nature is often a theatre of symbols or metaphors for our lives. Noticing those can mirror our own experiences and provide respite and perspective to some of the challenges of being human.
I do incorporate explorations around meaning in my walks, so if that is something you are curious about, this can be a place for you.
AN EXPERIENCE TAILORED TO YOU
In addition to groups walks I also provide individual sessions. Individual walks are an opportunity to tailor the experience to your needs. I will ask you a few questions before the walk in order to do so. Please e-mail me to forestinmind@protonmail.com find out more.