Experience a deeper connection with nature
A Forest Therapy walk is a gentle, immersive experience in nature
where you are guided and supported
to connect with yourself and nature, using all of your senses.
What is Forest Therapy (also called Forest Bathing)?
Forest Therapy is inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. The Japanese created shinrin-yoku for the the health benefits of being in nature. Despite its title, Forest Therapy doesn’t have to be in a forest; you can do this at the beach, in a garden, or your backyard!
The slow immersive approach of Forest Therapy offers participants the opportunity to be guided and supported to take in nature with all your senses and explore your relationship with self, nature and others.
This gentle practice has been found to reduce stress and boost immune function.
What happens on a Forest Therapy walk?
We allow nature to provide for us.
The guide, Erika Hovland Bahij, will offer structure to support you in the immersive Forest Therapy experience.
The program includes:
- an introduction to the walk
- a series of invitations (guided prompts or questions) to support you in connecting with nature during the program
- a check-in between prompts
- sharing circle where we gather to drink tea together and close the program.
We typically spend 2.5-3 hours exploring a natural setting, such as the woods, a park or botanical garden.
The intention is for you to experience whatever nature is offering you that day.
Therefore, Forest Therapy walks are invitation-based, which means you choose whether to participate in the guided invitation or to follow an inner prompting which might be different than the invitation. Erika will explain how this works as part of the introduction to the walk.
People of all ages, skill levels and fitness levels are able to join.
Importantly, you can set aside any worries about doing the walk rightly or wrongly. Just trust that you’ll be doing it perfectly for you.
Programs are offered live and via Zoom.
In the virtual programs, you can join from your backyard or favorite walking / hiking trail! Erika will guide you through a unique way to connect more deeply with the environment around you.
Email erika@roseandredwood.com to learn more or to schedule a walk.
Why try a Forest Therapy walk?
Forest Therapy provides you an opportunity to connect with nature, self and others. Additionally – there are health benefits to spending time in nature! In the 1980s, the Japanese government sponsored research to figure out how to combat a rise in poor health caused by heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases and others.
One of the questions was:
“What happens when people spend time in forests?”
There was an amazing discovery.
Researchers found trees keep themselves healthy by releasing chemicals called phytoncides. These phytoncides seek out and kill fungus, so when a tree is attacked or invaded by an organism, it releases these chemicals. And when we humans inhale phytoncides, we have a reaction to them, too. Our bodies begin to produce a special white blood cell, called a natural killer or NK-cell. NK-cells destroy cells that are stressed and could turn cancerous, so they work as a preventative measure to support our physical health.
The Japanese saw this as an important finding and began to encourage people to got into the forest to “bathe” in phytoncides, which is why the practice is called forest bathing. And the research has been continued by other scientists, in other parts of the world.
What did research find?
Nature is good for us.
A Forest Therapy walk is a sensory experience that opens space for you to slow down and to engage your senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste) in a natural setting.
Forest Therapy offers an opportunity to engage with nature, while connecting with your senses. The simple act of using your senses can support you in connecting to yourself, nature and/or others.
Engage your senses.
Your guide – Erika Hovland Bahij
Erika Hovland Bahij is certified through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) as a Forest Therapy guide. She is also certified in Wilderness First Aid. Erika grew up in Minnesota (the land of 10,000 lakes!) and has spent many hours camping, hiking and enjoying the outdoors. She believes nature provides us with energy, peace and insight – and that building a connection to nature is a pathway to discovering one’s true nature.
