Rather than a traditional hike, it is a stroll that usually takes 2.5 to 3 hours with a distance of no more than a half mile. The practice of Forest Bathing or Shinrin Yoku, Japanese for Forest Bathing, originated in Japan in the early 1980s., and is the inspiration for The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) guided Nature & Forest Therapy Walks.
As your ANFT guide, I will offer you various invitations to help you awaken your senses, slow down to be present, and to connect deeply with yourself and the natural world around you. This practice has many evidence-based health and emotional benefits including: reducing stress, increasing immune system function, improving sleep, increasing focus & creativity, and increasing feelings of connection to one’s self and to others, including the beings in the more than human world that we encounter on the walks.
