Nature & Forest Therapy
(Forest Bathing)
“All our efforts to become an environmentally sustainable species must be rooted in a deep relationship with nature; without this relationship, all our efforts towards sustainability will be subtly flawed in ways that will eventually be our undoing”.
(M Amos Clifford, Founder, Association of Nature & Forest Therapy)
“The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the door”
(M Amos Clifford)
Nature and Forest Therapy, or Forest Bathing, is a practice based on the general principle that it is beneficial to spend time bathing in the atmosphere of the forest.
There is a long tradition of this in cultures throughout the world, but you may have heard of the term Shinrin Yoku, which literally means forest bath. The term was coined in Japan in the 1980’s as a physiological and psychological exercise to provide an eco-antidote to the tech boom burnout in the country at the time and to inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the countries forests.
In the 1990’s, researchers began studying the physiological benefits of forest bathing, providing the science to support what we innately know; time spent immersed in nature is good for us. (see Links to access academic studies to support this).
Why choose me as your guide?
I am a certified Nature & Forest Therapy guide trained by the ANFT (Association of Nature and Forest Therapy).
I offer both online guided sessions or in person walks at various beautiful locations in the county of Wicklow, Ireland.
If this experience appeals to you, take the FIRST STEP which is FREE and contact me. Alternatively, why not come along to my Lunchtime Remote Taster sessions on Monday and Wednesday. See events for details of all walks.
Contact Request
So what is involved?
It is a slow, meditative, mindful walk in nature moving through the landscape in ways that cultivate presence, opening all the senses and actively communicating with the natural environment. It could be in a forest, a park, the beach or the Wicklow Mountains.
Through a series of invitations, you are invited to slow down and reconnect with both your real self and the more than human world.
It usually lasts between an hour and 3 hours and represents an opportunity to disconnect from the frenetic, digital world we live in and experience deep relaxation and the therapeutic benefits of nature.