“A walk in nature, walks the soul back home.”
Get Outside. Go Within.
What if there was more to the natural environment that we are missing? What if there was a way to more deeply appreciate and connect with the more-than-human world, which can result in improved health and a deeper understanding of ourselves?
Enter the practice of forest bathing or shinrin-yoku. Forest bathing encourages you to slow down, relax, and reconnect with nature by quieting the mind and awakening the senses.
Certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, Kathleen Lowe, will lead you on a slow, relaxing walk, inviting you to recover from the stress of daily life through a series of thoughtful invitations and reflections that help quiet the mind, open the senses, and deepen your relationship with the more-than-human world.
In a world in which we are on 24/7, the negative effects of living hectic lives have taken a toll on our health and happiness. Forest bathing offers a healing way to get back to nature and ourselves. A mindful connection with the outdoors is crucial for cultivating a balanced, inspired, and fulfilled life. Let yourself be guided for a mindful walk through the forest.
For your body: Release stress, breathe fresh air, and enjoy a sensory forest-based experience.
For your mind: Settle your awareness on nature’s soothing atmosphere.
For your spirit: Venture into the woods to gain inspiration from the living earth.
What is Forest Bathing?
Forest bathing is a wellness practice. It is a mindful and slow walk in nature during which your guide will share mindfulness practices and invitations designed to awaken your senses, tune in to the present moment, and reconnect with nature. In the process, stories surrounding nature - both inner and outer, often arise. It is unlike a usual stroll in the park, a hike, or a nature walk. Science and research studies on forest bathing have quantified health benefits, including improved mental clarity, increased body immune functions, increased production of anti-cancer proteins, lower stress levels, lower blood sugar levels, and lower blood pressure, amongst many other benefits.
The decades-old practice originated in Japan and is known as shinrin-yoku, which literally translates to "taking in the forest" or "bathing in the atmosphere of the forest." The word "bathing" refers to the idea of absorbing the experience using all of the senses rather than anything to do with water.
Forest bathing isn't a hike—it’s surrounding yourself in nature and allowing its sounds and rhythms to wash over you. It is part nature walk, part moving meditation, and part quiet, contemplative experience of immersing oneself in the healing presence of the forest.
What Happens on a Guided Forest Bathing Walk?
On a forest bathing guided walk, the guide presents a series of "invitations" or suggestions to participate in various activities to deepen the nature connection throughout the walk.
The walk includes an orientation and invitations to activities to enhance and awaken your senses. These may consist of independent wandering and sitting interspersed with the opportunity to share.
Walks are very slow and usually cover less than half a mile in the two-hour time frame. They are designed to be accessible for just about everybody.
A special tea ceremony is held at the conclusion of the walk.
Forest Bathing excursions are open-ended; there is no prescription for what a person "should" experience or what benefits they "should" receive.
A certified forest bathing/therapy guide (CFTG) is a person who has completed a training program and practicum by an accredited training organization. The training is designed to provide the foundational skills for guiding individuals and small groups to use the practice of mindfulness to deepen their connection with land, place, and the more-than-human world.
As a guide, you deepen your relationship with nature, and you hold space for people from all walks of life to heal and connect to the natural world. They are not a therapist as a result of completing the certification.
Guides learn skills that are applicable in any forest ecosystem or bioregion. Forest bathing walks can be adapted to other natural settings besides forests, such as city parks and botanical gardens. Walks can be integrated with health promotion, yoga, Reiki, nature education, employee wellness programs, conservation efforts, and many other specialties.
What is a Forest Bathing Guide?
Why Forest Bathing Is
Good for Your Health
“Nature deficit disorder” is a modern affliction. With more people living in cities, working in office buildings, and becoming addicted to electronic devices, we are experiencing a nature deficit.
In fact, the average American spends 93 percent of the time indoors and some ten hours a day on social media—more than they spend asleep.
The health secrets of trees lie in two things—the higher concentration of oxygen that exists in a forest, as compared to an urban setting, and the presence of plant chemicals called phytoncides—natural oils that are part of a plant’s defense system against bacteria, insects, and fungi. Exposure to these substances can have measurable health benefits for humans. Physiological stress is reduced, and blood pressure and heart rate are lowered.
Breathing in forest air increases the level of natural killer (NK) cells in our blood. Our body uses these NK cells to combat infections and cancers. One Japanese study showed a rise in the number and activity of these NK cells by people who forest bathe. In addition to affecting immune system function, phytoncides improve sleep, lift mood and attention, and boost creativity.
The positive impact of spending time in nature is proven. It turns out that walking and relaxing in this type of immersive experience amongst the trees offers various health benefits. That’s why forest bathing is also called forest therapy.
The Forest is the Therapist. The Guide Just Opens the Door.
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CONNECT
Unplugging from the demanding outside world, you will be invited to relax, unwind, and de-stress, through a series of sensory invitations. Join us on an intentional and meditative walk through the Connecticut forests.
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SHARE
The guided walk will blend time for solitude in nature with conversational sharing. Participants will be invited to share in any way that feels right to them; silence is also a welcome form of sharing. The walk will vary between wandering, sitting, and standing.
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RESTORE
Each forest bathing walk will culminate in a gentle outdoor tea ceremony with wildcrafted tea gathered from local herbs. This practice allows for a smoother transition from forest bathing back into everyday life.
Evergreens—pine, cedar, spruce, and conifers—are the largest producers of phytoncides, so walking in an evergreen forest seems to have the greatest health benefits.
FAQs
Friends of the Forest, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Your Guide
Walks are led by Kathleen Lowe, founder of Friends of the Forest. Kathleen studied at and is certified by the Kripalu School of Outdoor Leadership as a Mindful Outdoor Guide, which is influenced by yoga philosophy and mindfulness practice. She is also certified as a professional guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT). She is certified in Wilderness First Aid and fully insured by Alternative Balance Professional Group.
Weather
We will walk rain or shine so please check the forecast, dress accordingly, and bring your adventurous spirit! Sometimes, more severe weather may require us to shorten an experience for safety reasons. If the weather cuts our experience short by more than half the expected time, we will reschedule your walk or issue you a credit for use on a future forest bathing walk so we can try again for clearer weather.
Mobility Issues
Forest bathing walks can be adapted. If you or a person in your party has mobility or other issues; contact us and we can make adjustments. Forest Therapy Guided walks can be modified so that anyone can participate.
Please note it is important for the guide to be aware of a disability prior to the walk to modify the experience to be accessible. This may require changing the location of the walk; the types of invitations that are crafted and other actions.
Please contact us if someone in your party has mobility issues.
Location
All the trails are chosen based on the gentleness of the terrain and your guide’s geographic area of expertise. The location of your walk also depends on weather conditions, road closures, etc. Our walks are scheduled in the Lower River Valley region of Middlesex County and typically are 2 to 2 1/2 hours long.
Cost and Registration
The investment is $40.00 per person. Due to the limited group size, registration is required. Your donation gives back, allowing Friends of the Forest to reconnect seniors living in nursing homes with nature through our Nature Nurtures Project.
All guests must complete our online release waiver.
All guests must complete our health questionnaire before joining a forest bathing walk.
Please review our participant terms and conditions before registering for a forest bathing walk.
Hosting a Private Walk
Kathleen can work with you to lead a forest bathing guided walk designed for you and your friends or professional colleagues. She can lead a walk during a conference or workshop, hold a wellness walk for employees, celebrate a birthday or upcoming wedding, or simply have a walk with friends.
Contact us to discuss.
What to Bring
Bring sun protection, bug repellent, rain protection, water, an open heart and mind, and anything else you need to be comfortable. We recommend close-toed shoes and long pants. Please bring a mat or trail seat
(for sitting on wet ground). Be sure to wear weather-appropriate clothing and remember that layers are your key to comfort.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations more than 48 hrs prior to your scheduled experience are refundable minus a $10/person admin fee or you may choose a credit for 100% of your registration fee. Cancellations between 0-48 hrs prior to your experience are non-refundable.
Who is Forest Bathing Suitable For?
Forest bathing walks are suitable for anyone looking for a deeper connection with nature. The long list of benefits includes stress reduction, better focus, improved mood, an increased sense of calm, more altruistic behavior, enhanced creativity, and boosting of the immune system.
Forest bathing does not engage in activities that require a great deal of physical exertion. Part of the appeal of Shinrin-Yoku-inspired forest bathing is that it is highly accessible to people with a wide range of fitness abilities and conditions. No physical exertion is encouraged or facilitated during our walks.
