Contemplative Forest Walks, sometimes called "Forest Bathing"
Wait! Before you read more... I AM RETHINKING "Forest Bathing"...
Forest Bathing feels like a term that still keeps us separate from nature... as if it as something we can dip in and out of. The truth is that we are always interconnected... it is just that we are, most of the time, oblivious to the interconnectedness. The current work/play of The Academy of Natural Rhythms is a shifting of relationship with beings in the other-than-human world from objects to subject... the recognition that all beings are our Kin. When I walk in the forest, I stay conscious that there are layers of "conversations" already going on there whether I am there or not. My practice has become one of choosing which conversation I want to join in with, and listening before I join.
So, while I will leave the explanation and links below, it is with the caveat that it is one perspective, and still quite anthropocentric (human centered).
The Japanese call it shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest bathing’ and the practice is spreading all over the world. With strong, measurable, documented, medical evidence of specific health benefits - lowering cortisol levels and blood pressure, and increasing our infection and tumor fighting NK cells - physicians have begun writing prescriptions for a walk in the woods. In Japan, it is even covered by insurance. Imagine that!
These benefits come as no surprise to those of us who have ever walked in the woods - the calming and refreshing feeling as we let in the sights and scents, the flora and fauna, from dawn to dusk, as the seasons change. The woods are a great place to get outside of ourselves and witness life regenerating.
INQUIRE ABOUT...
Open-to-the-Public walks, generally 2.5 hours.
Private and Group walks, customized based on your needs or goals.
Online and in person "Sync with Nature" leadership certification, for your own community programs
Links to learn more about forest bathing
Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review
by Margaret M. Hansen, Reo Jones, and Kirsten Tocchini
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580555/
http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/forest-bathing
http://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/the-science.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19568835
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html
http://www.spafinder.com/blog/trends/2015-report/forest-bathing/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/17/forest-bathing-is-latest-fitness-trend-to-hit-u-s-where-yoga-was-30-years-ago/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_bathing
Wait! Before you read more... I AM RETHINKING "Forest Bathing"...
Forest Bathing feels like a term that still keeps us separate from nature... as if it as something we can dip in and out of. The truth is that we are always interconnected... it is just that we are, most of the time, oblivious to the interconnectedness. The current work/play of The Academy of Natural Rhythms is a shifting of relationship with beings in the other-than-human world from objects to subject... the recognition that all beings are our Kin. When I walk in the forest, I stay conscious that there are layers of "conversations" already going on there whether I am there or not. My practice has become one of choosing which conversation I want to join in with, and listening before I join.
So, while I will leave the explanation and links below, it is with the caveat that it is one perspective, and still quite anthropocentric (human centered).
The Japanese call it shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest bathing’ and the practice is spreading all over the world. With strong, measurable, documented, medical evidence of specific health benefits - lowering cortisol levels and blood pressure, and increasing our infection and tumor fighting NK cells - physicians have begun writing prescriptions for a walk in the woods. In Japan, it is even covered by insurance. Imagine that!
These benefits come as no surprise to those of us who have ever walked in the woods - the calming and refreshing feeling as we let in the sights and scents, the flora and fauna, from dawn to dusk, as the seasons change. The woods are a great place to get outside of ourselves and witness life regenerating.
INQUIRE ABOUT...
Open-to-the-Public walks, generally 2.5 hours.
Private and Group walks, customized based on your needs or goals.
Online and in person "Sync with Nature" leadership certification, for your own community programs
Links to learn more about forest bathing
Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review
by Margaret M. Hansen, Reo Jones, and Kirsten Tocchini
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580555/
http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/forest-bathing
http://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/the-science.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19568835
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html
http://www.spafinder.com/blog/trends/2015-report/forest-bathing/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/05/17/forest-bathing-is-latest-fitness-trend-to-hit-u-s-where-yoga-was-30-years-ago/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_bathing
