Forest Therapy (shinrin-yoku, Forest Bathing) is a research-based practice for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments. The decades old practice originated in Japan and is known as shinrin-yoku, which literally translates to “taking in the forest” or “forest bathing”. Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits, especially in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and for stabilizing and improving mood and cognition. Your Nature & Forest Therapy Guide builds on those benefits and looks beyond to what happens when people remember that we are a part of nature and are intrinsically connected to all other beings in fundamental ways.
Forest Therapy is a practice. It is open-ended; there is no prescription for what a person “should” experience, or what benefits they “should” receive. Instead, it is a practice of developing a deepening relationship of reciprocity, in which the forest and the practitioner find a way to work together that supports the wholeness and wellness of each. In Forest Therapy, there is a clearly defined sequence of guided events that provides structure to the experience, while embracing the many opportunities for creativity and serendipity offered by the forest and the individual inspiration of each guide. This practice, developed by ANFT has become the most-widely used framework for Forest Therapy in the world.
“ I have never, ever in my life, taken 2 hours to walk 1/4 mile – and enjoyed it so much. You were right, it was quite different from anything I’d done, yet it all seemed so natural I had to wonder why I had never thought of doing it myself. Thus, the power of Forest Bathing! You are a wonderful guide -> I felt very comfortable with you right from the start, and so delighted in sharing the delights of my own small forest with you. You definitely shined a new light. ”
An anxious 7 Days reporter’s article describing our Forest Bathing Walk in Shelburne.
Private One-on-Ones, Private Groups or Public Group Walks, choose what’s best for you. Take part in the experience of slowing down and tuning in to Nature through all of your senses.
As we spend less time in Nature and more time indoors in front of the screen, we end up feeling mentally fatigued, stressed and physically altered. Our Guided Nature Mindfulness Walks have the ability to restore the body, mind and soul.
Having clean air to breath, water to drink and green space to exercise and immerse yourself in is beneficial to your physical well-being.
With exposure to the calming effects of Nature, people experience less anxiety, stress and depression. The results are in: Nature can significantly increase your overall mental well-being.
Through developing a meaningful relationship with Nature and experiencing its Awe, we can strive to conserve our natural world for generations to come
Receive information about the Upcoming Nature Connection Walks. Once a month e-mail will also include tips, interviews from professionals, anecdotes, blog posts and special offers for subscribers. Become more informed about the ways to connect to the Natural World!
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-E.O Wilson, Author of Biophilia
NCG would like respectfully acknowledge that we are guiding in Vermont, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Abenaki People.
The Science-Based Benefits of Forest BathingMay 8, 2022 - 5:57 pm
Nature and Psychology: What’s the Connection?March 11, 2022 - 6:59 pm
Can Technology Help Deepen our Connection to Nature?March 3, 2021 - 1:30 am
Social Distancing While Forest BathingMarch 19, 2020 - 2:53 am
Becoming a Forest Therapy GuideJanuary 13, 2020 - 1:50 am
