Autumn Forest Bathing: A Mindful Sensory Walk with Anna

Slow down and decompress with guided Shinrin-yoku. Reconnect through gentle sensory invitations, an autumn sit spot, and quiet reflection.
About this Event

About the Practice Forest Bathing is a structured, nature-based wellbeing practice developed in Japan in 1982, where it is known as Shinrin-yoku (literally "forest bath"). Designed as a preventive health strategy, it focuses on slowing down, opening your senses, and allowing the natural woodland environment to support physiological and psychological relaxation.Unlike everyday outdoor activities:

• It is not a hike or fitness walk — there are no physical targets or fitness goals to achieve.
• It is not nature education — we are not analyzing facts, identifying plant species, or learning science.
• It is about "being, not doing," "sensing, not thinking," and "experiencing, not achieving".

What You Can Expect During the 2 Hours When you attend, you will be guided through a restful, carefully paced sequence designed to help you decompress from daily busyness:

1. Restful Pace & Short Distance: We walk no more than 1.5 kilometres (1.1 miles) over gentle terrain, moving slowly and pausing frequently to remain present.
2. Sensory Invitations: Your guide will offer a series of gentle invitations — simple prompts designed to activate your senses of sight, sound, touch, and smell. These are opportunities, not instructions, and you are free to explore each invitation in whatever way feels comfortable for you.
3. Autumn Sit Spot: You will spend a quiet period in stationary stillness at a chosen spot in the woods, allowing yourself to settle into nature's quiet rhythm.
4. Closing Sharing Circle & Gathering: We gather together in a small circle to pause. An optional object is passed around; you are welcome to share what you noticed or simply hold the object in silence—sharing is entirely optional. We complete our session with a gentle gathering that may vary each time, such as a warm herbal tea ceremony or a simple creative activity.

Backed by Science A 2-hour immersion in nature meets the weekly threshold identified by researchers for significantly boosting health and psychological wellbeing. Research shows that guided Shinrin-yoku sessions help:

• Reduce Stress Hormones: Significantly lowers salivary cortisol levels and calms the nervous system.
• Support Cardiovascular Health: Lowers blood pressure and resting heart rate.
• Boost Immunity: Increases Natural Killer (NK) cell activity, strengthening the body's early defense against viruses and infections.
• Restore Mental Clarity: Quiets an overactive mind, reduces cognitive fatigue, and alleviates feelings of stress and overwhelm.

Guided with Care Sessions are facilitated by Anna, a trained Forest Bathing guide listed on the official Forest Therapy Hub Map of Guides. The guide's role is to hold a safe, relaxed space so you can step away from responsibilities and focus purely on your own restorative experience.