“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”
Henry David Thoreau
If you are a woman transitioning/have transitioned into survivorship, after your cancer treatment ends, we invite you to join us.
We are passionate in helping women who are recovering from their cancer treatment find a new way of living through restorative nature-based wellness programs.
Adjusting to Life After Cancer
The Rebloom Initiative©, created by Friends of the Forest, is a nature-based wellness program for women who have completed cancer treatment. It offers a path to healing, renewal, and reconnection through restorative retreats and workshops held in peaceful, natural environments.
For many women, the end of treatment marks a disorienting shift. The healthcare team steps away, and yet the emotional, physical, and spiritual healing is far from complete. There’s often pressure to return to “normal”—even when that version of life no longer exists. Rebloom creates space for women to explore this new chapter, supported by community, nature, and intentional healing practices.
Our events are offered by age group—30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s+, creating space for connection among women navigating survivorship within a shared life stage. This structure fosters deeper conversations, shared experiences, and meaningful support.
Why nature? Research shows that time in nature can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, ease depression, and support overall emotional regulation—making it especially beneficial for those recovering from serious illness. Forest bathing (shinrin-yoku), a core part of our programming, invites participants to slow down, engage their senses, and be fully present in the natural world. This gentle, mindful practice is proven to reduce stress and foster clarity, calm, and connection.
In addition to forest immersion, Rebloom has integrated holistic experiences that have included:
Reiki healing in nature, led by a Reiki Master trained to work with cancer survivors, to restore energetic balance and support emotional release.
Restorative yoga, taught by a certified Yoga for Cancer instructor—herself a breast cancer survivor—offering gentle, adaptive movement to support body awareness and healing.
River rock wrapping, a meditative, hands-on practice using natural materials to set intentions, release burdens, and carry forward strength.
Nourishing Your Body During & After Cancer Treatment, a workshop led by Dionne Detraz, a registered functional and integrative dietitian specializing in cancer recovery. Drawing from her personal and professional experience, Dionne shares empowering strategies—including diet, herbs, and holistic practices—to support the body during treatment and help survivors reclaim their vitality.
We understand that the financial burden of cancer can be overwhelming, which is why all Rebloom events are offered on a donation basis—pay what you can. Healing should never be limited by cost, and we are committed to making these transformative experiences accessible to every woman who needs them.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Rebloom remains open and welcoming to all women, regardless of financial circumstance.
Together, we are creating a world where every woman has the space, support, and community she needs to truly heal—and bloom again.
Nourishing Your Body During &
After Your Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatment can be overwhelming, leaving you feeling disconnected from your body. But healing doesn’t have to stop at medical treatments. Holistic, integrative practices can help support and nurture you—during treatment and beyond.
Join us for an empowering conversation with Dionne Detraz, a registered functional and integrative dietitian specializing in cancer recovery. Dionne will share how to care for your body through diet, herbs, and integrative strategies designed to support you during active treatment and help you reclaim your vitality after treatment. Inspired by her own experience supporting her father through cancer, Dionne combines traditional medicine with holistic approaches to empower survivors to thrive.
Reach Dionne: https://groundandroot.com/
The Quiet Path: A Healing Forest Bathing Walk
for Women Recovering From Cancer
TBD: Planned for Early Fall 2025
Private Farm | East Haddam, Connecticut
We invite you to join us for a peaceful and transformative forest bathing walk, a special offering for women who have completed their cancer treatment. This nature-based wellness experience is designed to help you reclaim your strength, renew your body, and connect deeply with the healing power of nature and other women who share your journey.
The Power of Forest Bathing for Healing
Forest bathing, or Shinrin Yoku, is a restorative practice that involves immersing oneself in nature to reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and foster emotional healing. This walk will provide a gentle opportunity to ground yourself in the natural world, breathe deeply, and allow the forest’s energy to support you in the next phase of your healing journey.
A Healing Space for Women
Surviving cancer is an immense personal challenge, and finding healing after treatment requires deep care and attention. The Rebloom Initiative© creates a space where women who have walked similar paths can come together in support of each other. This walk is a reminder that while our paths may have been different, we share a common intention to heal, renew, and find our way back to wholeness.
What You Can Expect
Gentle Walk in Nature: Connect with the forest environment through mindful walking, slowing down, and attuning yourself to the natural world.
Mindful Practices: Experience restorative meditation, breathing exercises, and sensory awareness as we immerse ourselves in the forest’s sights, sounds, and smells.
Supportive Circle: Following our walk, we’ll gather to share reflections, offer support, and provide encouragement to one another.
Empowerment and Renewal: Allow this time to be a nurturing opportunity to embrace your body’s resilience and honor your journey.
This offering is a reminder that healing doesn’t only happen in a clinical setting—it can also happen when we create space for reflection, connection, and rest within the natural world. Together, we will share the simple, yet profound, joy of stepping forward in life with renewed strength.
Financial Support
This event is made possible by the generosity of our donors and is offered on a pay-what-you-can basis. We firmly believe that financial barriers should never stand in the way of a woman receiving the support and healing she deserves.
Join Us
If you’ve recently completed cancer treatment and are ready to step into the next chapter of your healing journey with the support of others, we invite you to walk with us this April. This walk will create space for you to reflect, to heal, and to reconnect with life after cancer.
Details
Our workshops are exclusively available to six women who have recently completed their cancer treatments. Should you wish to participate in this offering, kindly complete the application form, and we will contact you.
The application process is simple and straightforward. We ask that you provide us with some basic information, such as your name, contact details, and a brief statement of interest in the program. This helps us better understand your needs and ensure that our workshop can provide the support and healing that you deserve. We also understand that every woman's cancer journey is unique, so please feel free to share any specific challenges or concerns you may have.
Our goal is to create a safe and supportive space for women to connect, heal, and learn from one another.
Our Rebloom Programs for Women
Adjusting to Life After Treatment
For many women, a key dimension of healing is to be in community with women who share your wound and your strong intention to find healing. Join us in the serene, healing environment of Mother Nature, away from everyday stress, safe among an unconditionally supportive community of women survivors, and experience workshops and activities focused on healing, recovery, and moving forward.
Contemplative Journaling
and Poetry
Although the practice of journaling certainly isn’t new, it’s definitely a bit of a forgotten art. In today’s digital age, we tend to use our smartphones for everything.
But the physical act of putting pen to paper, especially while spending time in nature, can be calming, relaxing and rewarding. It makes us slow down and become quiet observers. It can also deepen your connection to the more than human world—and ultimately, to yourself.
Restorative Yoga in Nature
Restorative Yoga (RY) is a gentle form of yoga requiring minimal physical effort. It is accessible for post-treatment survivors of any age, any level of yoga experience, and in all states of health, even those recovering from surgery.
Its gentle nature allows women to find solace amidst their journey toward healing while providing numerous benefits for their overall well-being.
Persons who practice RY use long-held, resting poses mostly on the floor or in a chair, with an emphasis on breathing and relaxation. It is commonly called “restorative” because of its ability to restore the body to its natural homeostasis by using props like bolsters, blocks and pillows to create supportive poses of ease and comfort that release chronic patterns of muscular tension.
The Quiet Path
Forest Bathing Walks
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.
This is a walking meditation, not an exercise, hiking, or jogging, but simply being in nature and connecting with it through our sense of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.
Art & Creativity
Cancer has life-changing and enduring effects on the lives of women who experience it. Our creativity workshops are designed with a focus on emotional health, well-being, and creative self-care. You are guided every step of the way.
We offer a safe space for self-expression and reflection on changing identities for women who live with cancer without necessarily having to resort to words. These mindful art-making opportunities help women explore their stories for insight and healing.
Creative expression can improve our mental health and help us maintain a healthy outlook on life, give meaning to our life, and help us deal with daily challenges and grief.
We understand that financial constraints can often prevent individuals from accessing much-needed programs like this. That is why we offer our services on a sliding scale basis - ensuring that no one is turned away due to lack of funds. This commitment is made possible by the generosity of our donors. We are incredibly grateful for the support we receive from individuals who share our passion for helping women cancer survivors reclaim their lives. Your donations enable us to continue providing this vital program free or at an affordable cost for those in need.
Why Donate?
Smile, and the world smiles back
Nature has always been a source of solace and healing for humanity. The serene beauty of the natural world has a profound impact on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Spending time in nature can be particularly therapeutic, offering a respite from the challenges you have faced during your battle with this devastating disease.
Cancer is an illness that not only affects the body but also takes a toll on one's mental and emotional state. The diagnosis, treatment process, and ongoing recovery can leave survivors feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed. However, research has shown that spending time in nature can help alleviate these symptoms and promote overall well-being.
Nature has a way of reminding us of the cycles of life and the importance of embracing change. Witnessing the changing seasons, observing flowers bloom or leaves fall, can serve as a powerful metaphor for women who have undergone their own transformation. Nature offers hope and reassurance that just as nature herself goes through cycles, so too can you navigate the ups and downs of your survivorship journey.
Falling in Love with the World Again
Be thankful for your life, spend time in nature, breathe deeply, let go of your worries,
forgive yourself and others, and build your life around what you love.