Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing, is deeply influenced by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest,” and yoku means “bath,” or bathing in the atmosphere and smells of the forest. Forest therapy has demonstrated various health benefits particularly in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and for balancing emotions and cognitive function. However, physical benefits are not the only aspect of this practice.

Mary Oliver beautifully captures in Wild Geese the essence of forest therapy. It is a practice and an exploration of the world using all the senses - the traditional and the imaginal.  This exploration points you back to recalling the inextricable bond you have with the natural world, and the remembering that you are nature. This realization promotes reconnection and healing and allows one to see their “place in the family of things.”

Forest therapy allows for further unfolding and deepening of one’s relationship to self, others and the more-than-human world. I invite you to join me, and experience your own wild nature.