GROUND YOURSELF

with Forest Bathing

Why Forest Bathe?

Physical Benefits
- Better immune system function
- Decreased sensory pain response
- Lower cholesterol
- Reduced risk of diabetes
- Reduced risk of heart disease and high blood pressure
- Slower pulse rate
(UT Southwestern Medical Center)
Mental Health
- feeling of calm
- Significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety
- improve memory
- stress reduction
Technostress

“Technostress” is the combination of stress and screen time on the body and mind.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re spending 28.5 hours a week looking at mobile devices + time at work.
One recent study found that increased screen device usage during the pandemic resulted in more anxiety and depression and less sleep.

Common physical symptoms of technostress include headache, fatigue, chest pain, and trouble sleeping. Unmanaged stress can contribute to serious health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
Is this a cure?

Chances are you will not see doctors claiming that forest bathing is a cure for physical or mental health concerns any time soon, as more research is needed. But here’s the thing: does it really matter?
Being in the forest has a positive impact on the oxygen levels in your brain, You are inhaling oxygen-rich air because the plants are absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the air. This cycle supports your blood and brain function, contribute to stress reduction and finds your body in a state of emotional and physical well being. Add in a walk in the woods and you have the perfect recipe for health. Most important, a few hours in nature is not going to hurt you. So if you think, this sounds perfect, then this could be “just what the doctor ordered”.

Private Forest Bathing Session

Your personalized Forest Bathing Experience will include:

Two hours of guided restoration in a local Door County natural space (That 120 minutes is important to get the full benefits!)

Communal space to gather at the end of our bathing experience
Tea Service for the group

Perfect for groups of 4-20

Private Session

Allow our facilitator to support you in all that the forest has to offer. You will be invited to deepen physical presence, pleasure, and partnership with nature.

When we connect with nature with all of our senses, we are then connecting with ourselves.

$150 for Group

Forest Bathing…What do you do?

The essence of forest bathing is sensory immersion in the ambience of the forest. We begin by setting a firm intention to forest bathe. There will be a threshold that will mark the start of the forest bathing walk. This is called the “Threshold of Connection”. After crossing The Threshold we will participate in silence.

Studies have shown that people spend an average of 90% of our time indoors.

National Library of Medicine

Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing

Connect with our natural world.

Embodied Awareness.

After a short mindful walk (less than 500 feet) we will stay in one place for at least fifteen minutes. Choose a wonderful spot that energetically draws you in! Using your senses to explore here, Ashley will talk you through a sensory meditation called the “Embodied Awareness”. You feel the touch of the breeze on your skin; you notice the sounds of the brook and the birds and the movement of trees in the wind. And you take that noticing in, give it hospitality, let it land inside you.
You will then walk slowly and with intention for about twenty minutes and notice things. What is in motion around you? How does a caterpillar crawl across a single leaf? How do two birds communicate with each other? What do the gills of a mushroom feel like?
Infinite Possibilities.

Forest bathing is not the same thing as hiking. The destination in forest bathing is “here,” not “there.” Your Forest Bathing Guide will then provide invitations to explore this section called “Infinite Possibilities” because the forest offers many choices. Each guided experience is met with different invitations that are the best fit for the place, weather, people and mood of the bathing experience.
The pace is slow, not fast. The focus is on connection and relationship. We will then find a space to sit. You may want a small “sit-upon” or blanket if you choose. We will be in our sit spot for about twenty minutes. Here you can soak in all that you have internalized and immerse yourself in the time and space of the moment.
Threshold of Incorporation.

We will then exit the Threshold of Incorporation marking the end of the forest bathing and the return to ordinary experiences.
Guide Ashley will then hold a tea ceremony with a lovely cup of tea and conversation. This is a wonderful opportunity to share your experience with your fellow forest bathers and incorporate your actualizations into your being. It is recommended to stay at the tea ceremony for at least 10 minutes, but it can go longer.
When you are ready to exit or would like to float away on the bliss of your experience you are welcome to leave.

Local Offering

Join us:

Forest Bathing | COMING SOON | Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal

Register

What Should I Bring?

These are all considerations, but not requirements

Dress in loose-fitting, layered clothing. Door County weather changes so it is best to be able to adjust with whatever comes! You may want a raincoat, scarf, mittens, ect.
Wear, sandals, sturdy shoes or boots appropriate for the terrain and time of year.
Use sunscreen and insect repellant and considering wearing a hat and sunglasses.
For longer experiences, carry a snack and water.
We will do a “Sit Spot” you may choose a sit upon or blanket to deepen your comfort.
Minimize distractions by putting your devices on airplane mode. Many people use their phone as a camera. Use it, but make sure that you are not accessing the distractions.
If you choose, plein-air supplies such as a sketch book, watercolors or markers. Some like to focus on the details around with art.