Forest Bathing Walks

The idea for leading some type of group hike or walk has been on my mind for a long time.

Many of you already know about my love for the forest, but I wanted to find a way to share this with others. I’m passionate about the health benefits of spending time in nature, the benefits of mindfulness and a practice called forest bathing. and I am so happy that this came together this summer. I wanted to create a free community event to bring people together in some of the beautiful natural areas that we have right here in our own neighbourhoods. As much as I love travelling to Killarney, Algonquin, Alberta and BC, we can get all of these benefits right here, and enjoy the parks and trails in your own backyard.

These last four weeks of leading our “Forest Bathing Walks” here in KW has been just the best. Somehow I was lucky enough to be joined by two other awesome nature lovers - Meagan Walker (resilienceinmotion), a Naturalist who blows my mind with her plant and bird knowledge every time we’re outdoors together, and Sarah, a Landscape Architect and Arborist who has an incredible breadth of knowledge about our local trees and ecosystems. I learned so much!

Forest Bathing is something I’ve been doing intentionally for the last few years now, and has been one of the most practical ways I’ve found to practice mindfulness.
Called Shinrin-yoku in Japanese, it originated in Japan in the 1980’s in response to the tech boom, and has become an integral part of preventative healthcare in Japan today.
Slowing down, disconnecting from your devices, and simply connecting to your five senses while you walk silently in the forest, is like nothing else. I promise you, you’ll feel different afterwards.

We had a great group came out each week, and we had such a good time we’re planning to do it again in the autumn so we can enjoy the fall colours together!
I love this practice so much, that I’ve even figured out a way to include it in the retreat I’m hosting in September.

If you’d like to know when we offer the walks again in the autumn, you can join the list here: Fall Walks Sign Up

If you’d like to learn more about my fall retreat, and join the waitlist for future retreats, you can join that list here: Retreat Info and Waitlist