Forest Bathing &
Forest Therapy
Slow down. Awaken the senses. Enter into relationship with the living forest.
The practice of forest bathing — or shinrin-yoku — is an evidence-based way of deepening our connection with the natural world through sensory immersion. It is not a hike, nor is it a lesson in natural history. Instead, it is an unhurried, guided experience that invites us to slow down, quiet the mind, and open our senses to the subtle, restorative presence of the forest.
Through a series of gentle invitations, you are invited to wander, to notice, and to simply be present. In this stillness, the forest begins to reveal itself in ways that go beyond the visual, allowing for a profound sense of calm, clarity, and renewed perspective.
This work is grounded in forest ecology, the science of forest therapy, and a recognition of the forest as a living presence that has always offered another way of listening, knowing, and being.
Guided by a Certified Sylvotherapy Practitioner.
Not a Hike. A Different Way of Being with the Forest.
A forest bath is measured in attention rather than distance. Unlike hiking or exercise, the goal is not to reach a destination or achieve a physical outcome. Instead, we move slowly and deliberately, often covering only a few hundred meters over several hours.
We focus on the senses — the sound of wind in the canopy, the scent of damp earth, the texture of moss, the play of light through leaves. By quieting our habitual, analytical minds and engaging our sensory awareness, we shift from a state of doing into a state of being.
The forest is not simply the setting for the experience. It is part of the experience.
What Does a Forest Bath Actually Look Like?
While every walk is unique, a guided forest bath typically follows a sequence designed to help you leave the world of clocks and tasks behind and enter into forest time.
There is nothing you need to achieve. The invitation is simply to become present enough to notice what is already there.
Arrive
We begin by gathering at the edge of the forest, transitioning from our busy lives into the unhurried pace of the woods through a simple opening circle and grounding practice.
Awaken the Senses
Through a series of guided invitations, we quiet the mind and open our senses — sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste — to the living world around us.
Wander & Notice
With our senses awake, we wander slowly with the forest, following our own curiosity and noticing the subtle details and relationships that exist in the wild.
Reflect & Integrate
We finish by coming together once more to share our experiences over forest tea, allowing the insights and calm of the forest to integrate before returning.
The Old-Growth
Much of this work takes place in a secluded, private old-growth forest nestled in the heart of the Hockley Valley. This is a rare and precious ecosystem, home to ancient trees, rare plants, and a deep, quiet presence that can only be found in places that have been left to their own rhythms for centuries.
In this forest, the relationships are complex and the pace is slow. To be in the presence of these elders is to be reminded of our own place within the living world. The forest offers a sense of continuity and perspective that is often missing from our modern lives.
The forest becomes somewhere we know — rather than simply somewhere we go.
The Science of the Forest
While the experience of forest bathing is intuitive, it is supported by a growing body of scientific research that demonstrates the profound effects of the forest on human health and wellbeing.
The science confirms what we have always intuitively known: we are part of the natural world, and our wellbeing is inextricably linked to the health and presence of the living forest.
Stress & the Nervous System
Spending time in the forest has been shown to significantly reduce cortisol levels and shift the nervous system from a state of 'fight or flight' into a state of 'rest and digest,' allowing the body to recover from the chronic stress of modern life.
Phytoncides
Trees emit volatile organic compounds called phytoncides to protect themselves from disease. When we breathe these in, they have a direct and measurable effect on our own immune systems, increasing the activity of cells that fight infection.
Immune Function
Research indicates that a single forest bath can boost the activity of natural killer (NK) cells — a key part of the immune system — for up to 30 days, helping the body defend against illness and chronic disease.
Mood & Wellbeing
Forest immersion is associated with significant improvements in mood, a reduction in anxiety and depression, and an increase in focus and cognitive function. The forest provides a restorative environment for the mind.
Where Science and Something Older Meet
Forest therapy is where modern scientific understanding meets an older, more relational way of being in the world. It recognizes that our relationship with nature is not just about what the forest can do for us, but about the relationship itself.
As your guide, my role is to create the space and provide the invitations that allow this relationship to unfold. I don't provide the answers; I help create the conditions for you to discover them for yourself.
I create the conditions for the experience. What you discover in the forest remains your own.
A Forest Bath Can Meet You Where You Are
Whether you are seeking deep rest, clarity on a personal question, a new way to connect with nature, or simply a break from the noise of the world, forest therapy offers a supportive and flexible container. You don't need any special skills, knowledge, or physical fitness to participate.
The forest meets you exactly as you are. All that is required is a willingness to slow down and notice what is happening in the present moment.
There is no right way to experience the forest.
Pricing
Slow down. Notice more. Spend time with the forest in a different way.
Private and small-group experiences are offered in our secluded old-growth forest in Hockley Valley.
Private Groups
A forest experience designed around your group
Forest bathing can be offered for private groups, gatherings, retreats and workplace experiences. Group size, timing and the structure of the experience can be adapted to suit the people taking part and what brings you together.
Contact me to discuss your group, what you're looking for and pricing.
Couples
Experience the forest together. A private two-person experience is available as a single 2-hour session or as a five-session Forest Journey.
Five-session journey includes: Five sessions for the price of four — a $175 saving — plus walking sticks and handmade organic forest incense to help keep your experience alive between journeys.
$175 single session | $700 five sessions
5-Session Forest Journey
Go deeper through five private forest bathing experiences across the changing forest. Five sessions for the price of four — a $125 saving.
Includes: Five 2-hour sessions, your own walking stick and a small box of handmade organic forest incense created from materials gathered from the forest.
Try one private session first and, if you choose to continue, apply your $125 payment toward the five-session journey.
$500 | 5 private sessions
Private Session
$125 | 2 hours
A private, one-to-one guided forest bathing experience, moving slowly through the forest through a series of sensory invitations designed to deepen your connection with the natural world.
Includes: Guided forest bathing experience, closing tea and time for reflection.