Forest Bathing
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Dates and Bookings |
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Our new Friday De-frazzles are the perfect way to end the week and start the weekend. What could be better than a slow, guided walk through the woods, immersing your senses and reconnecting with nature. Ending around the campfire with tea or a wild herbal brew.
Forest Bathing, the Japanese art of Shinrin Yoku (established in Japan in the 1980s), is a way of allowing ourselves to deeply connect with the forest environment. To ‘Forest bathe’ we simply go for a gentle, slow meander into the woods, and learn to develop our senses to hear, touch, see, taste and smell the forest. We learn to become still and really disconnect from the hectic lives we now all lead.…..a time to reconnect deeply with the natural world, and ourselves too. Nature makes us feel wonderful - the sounds of the forest; the way the sunlight shines through the canopy of the trees dancing on the forest floor; the smell of the forest and the smell of different trees; the amazing colours of the forest floor and canopy no matter what time of year it is; and being able to breathe more deeply in the forest; all bring us comfort and remind us that we used to (long, long ago) be part of the forest and know this environment so well. Modern lives are now so disconnected from the natural world, and as our disconnection increases we begin to fear and ignore the natural world around us. Our concrete and brick houses, built close together, offer very little connection to the wild. For us to truly understand the natural world around us we need to connect with nature once again. Like our ancestors, we need to remember our place in nature, and connect deeply through the forest to the world around us. Once we become connected and immersed in the forest the magic happens - our blood pressure drops, stress levels significantly lower, deep relaxation of the body and mind, immunity is increased and so to is our general sense of wellbeing. Spending time in the forest helps restore our moods, revitalises and rejuvenates us and increases our energy. “Allow nature’s peace to flow into you as sunshine flows into trees” John Muir And the really good science bit……..trees emit a chemical called phytoncides which give the ‘aroma’ of the trees. This chemical is produced primarily by the trees to help protect themselves from harmful insects and bacteria. The good part, when we spend time in the forest we breathe in these phytoncides which in turn help our immune systems for several days after our trip into the forest. As well as the phytoncides, the green colour of the forest, the peace and tranquility experienced in the forest, all play their part in bringing us back to nature; of remembering how we should be with nature. Spending time learning Forest Bathing is easy, you just have to let go……open your heart and allow yourself to ‘be’. Open the senses to welcome in the forest and bathe in the forest environment. Forest Bathing walks are not a hike or a trek but a very gentle, slow, meander through the forest with a deep gratitude and honouring of the forest environment. Will you accept the invitation to ‘Bathe in the Forest’? |
April 2nd & May 1st 2pm-4.30pm Includes tea(s) and snack/biscuits Introductory price (per session) £22.00  Your Guide
Better know for her falconry work, these sessions are led by Dr Karen Stead Dexter. She completed the Shinrin Yoku Practitioner Certificate October 2019 and is currently undertaking the International Forest Therapy Guide Diploma with Stefan Batorijs of Nature & Therapy UK www.natureandtherapy.co.uk Having spent the majority of her academic career learning the damage ‘we’ have done to the planet, the need to explore ancient ways of understanding our relationship with the Earth led her in to learn more of the ways of the Shaman. She now describes herself as Medicine Woman, Teacher, Environmentalist and Bird Whisperer. Academic work and Spiritual work, for a long time, were always kept separate but for Karen something was missing. Karen now has a strong understanding of ancient healing modalities, spanning 30 years, bringing in Shamanic traditions of North America, South America and Celtic Shamanism. She runs a popular clinic in Somerset for Energy Healing, and runs regular Shamanic workshops in Energy Healing, Bird Spirit Medicine and Plant Spirit Medicine connecting people back to nature, back to who they really are and gets them to truly listen to the world around them. 1st class Honours degree in Environmental Science Masters in Radiation & Environmental Protection PhD Environmental Geochemistry Post-Doctoral Ecotoxicology www.kingfisherhealth.co.uk/shinrin-yoku 
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