Compassion Focused Forest Bathing

Join us for an experiential afternoon of compassionate mind practice and nature connectedness.

In this afternoon workshop, we will be offering a chance for participants to engage in compassionate mind guided practice session followed by two hours of guided forest bathing. This format is inspired by the promising results from a recent research study conducted by Kirsten (who will lead the forest bathing session) and colleagues, in which participants showed "improvements in positive emotions, mood disturbance, rumination, nature connection and compassion and 57% of participants showed an increase in heart rate variability." (McEwan, et al, 2021)

Practices designed to develop your compassionate mind have repeatedly been shown to help us to better manage difficult emotions like shame, anxiety, and self-criticism, using evidence based practices and skills. Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku (Japanese for "taking in the forest atmosphere"), refers to the practice of mindful walking and spending time in nature among trees to improve physical and mental health, and now has a substantial evidence base that demonstrate numerous physiological and psychological effects.

Timings & Venue

We will meet (and later reconvene) at Markeaton Lodge, which is at the end of Markeaton Street, Derby, DE22 3AW (we'll send you a map with directions). The forest bathing sessions will take place in Markeaton Park.

13.00-13.15: Registration and refreshments on arrival

13.15-14.30: Compassionate Mind Guided Discovery and Practice

14.30 -16.30: Forest Bathing

16.30 - 17.00: Reflections and Closing

Pricing

£30.00 per person. Places are limited to 30 people.

Faciliators

Associate Professor Kirsten McEwan: Associate Professor of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Derby. I am happiest spending time in nature and was really pleased to be able to bring together my passion for the outdoors and health and wellbeing research by becoming a Forest Bathing researcher and practitioner. Working closely with Forest Bathing training organisations, I conduct research which evaluates the effectiveness of Forest Bathing and assess adaptations to make it accessible to wider audiences.

Dr Hannah Gilbert is a compassion focused psychotherapist and trainer who also works as Community and Strategic Development Manager at the Compassionate Mind Foundation. Originally training in the social sciences, she has a BA in Anthropology and a PhD in Sociology, as well as an MSc in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. She has worked in a psychiatric inpatient unit, and until recently was a lecturer in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling at the University of Roehampton, London. Her research interests are in the therapeutic relationship, and in the anthropology of belief and mental health. She is a co-author of Mental Health, Spirituality and Wellbeing: A Handbook for Health and Social Care Professionals, Service Users and Carers.

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