Spending 20 minutes or more in nature can improve concertation, cognition, and memory.  Exercise and physical activity in green spaces offer even more benefits than similar activities when done inside.  Walking and being in nature can improve heart health, increase circulation, reduce blood pressure, and boost the immune system.  Being present with the sights and sounds of nature promotes well-being, reduces stress, and improves mood.  Frequent exposure can reduce anxiety and depression and influence how one perceives stress.  

On Nature and Forest Therapy walks, people have many experiences, some of which they feel are significant, even profound.  The benefits are individual - each person experiences nature in their own way - and they are endless - worth exploring, don't you think? Nature and Forest Therapy is built on the idea that the forest is the therapist; the guide opens the doors to the senses.  Guides are trained in the skills and perspectives needed to be supportive witnesses to whatever nature offers.

​

It is true that being out in nature, slowing down, and connecting to our senses can offer benefits.  But it can be difficult for us to hold space for ourselves and offer the room to really disconnect from everything else and be fully present.  That is the role of the guide - to pick a place conducive to the experience, hold the space for people to have their own experience, offer different ways to connect in a natural, direct way, and walk with you from beginning to end.  

​

You don't need a guide to connect to nature's benefits.  Set aside some time to tune in and find a spot to sit - at a local park, your backyard, your favorite outdoor space - and give yourself permission to do nothing but notice what is around you.  Drop your need to label or link things to our internal stories.  Just be, use your senses, and let the natural world and its gifts unfold around you for about 20 minutes.  What you experience may surprise you.