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Not a hike.
5 ways this experience is different.
- Focused attention and present moment awareness. We bring our head and hearts to where our bodies are and allow our busy minds to let go.
- Activation of our five external senses - touch, sight, smell, hearing and taste - plus internal senses like intuition, wonder, imagination, and more.
- Guided progression starts with a calming, sensory-awakening meditation. Explore creative suggestions to interact and be present with Nature, and share what you're noticing with others. A foraged tea ceremony concludes.
- Wandering off-trail, hands-on interaction, and tuning into our heartfelt senses deepens a two-way relationship with Nature.
- A sense of peaceful well-being, belonging, and kinship with Nature. You will have learned new ways to relate to Nature in the future.
Yes! But what is it?
Forest Immersion—rooted in the Japanese practice shinrin-yoku ("soaking in the atmosphere of the forest")—brings the magic of mindfulness into the woods to enhance our sense of well-being and deepen our relationship with ourselves and with other beings. Invitations offered by the guide are designed to open our senses—not just our physical senses alone—but also our imaginative, intuitive and heartfelt senses. The sensory and relational practice of guided forest immersion brings us into being with the rest of nature and connects us with our own wildness.
This practice, most commonly referred to as "forest bathing" or "forest therapy", begins with a guided awakening of your senses and then follows a sequence of prompts. These “invitations” are carefully selected by the guide based on her relationship with the land and are chosen to bring a mutually rewarding connection between the participants and the other-than-human-beings on the land.
You will have the opportunity to share your own reflections, as well as listen to and hear experiences from other participants after participating in each prompt. Sharing, or quietly listening to the insights shared by others, provides insights into the limitless ways we experience the world, and a simple yet remarkable way to reconnect with humankind.
It is a meditative and mindful retreat with periods of stillness, walking, and wandering. Expect to meander off trail and have ample space to explore each prompt in your own way.