Event Overview
Meeting location - Belvedere House, Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area. Directions.
Registration link (May 28) - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/forest-bathing-walk-at-the-ann-sandy-cross-conservation-area-tickets-635032458177?aff=erelexpmlt
Join a certified Forest Therapy Guide to experience the health benefits of nature on a 3-hour forest bathing experience. Inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku (which translates to "forest bathing"), the practice encourages our bodies and minds to slow down, disconnect from the stressors of our modern lives, and deepen our connections with the natural world. In doing so, we open the door to the healing properties of forests and other natural areas.
Since the 1980s, a great deal of research has come from Japan and other parts of the world indicating that guided forest bathing/forest therapy experiences can offer a broad spectrum of health benefits to humans. Some of these benefits include increased creativity and focus, better sleep, reductions in blood pressure, and improved mental health and immune system functioning. Not to mention a significant decrease in stress.
Expect to have some fun, share stories along the way, and enjoy a cup of forest tea at the end of each walk.
All guides are certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. The guides are not therapists and these walks are not intended as therapy; however, the practice itself can be considered therapeutic. The guide helps open the door to the healing properties of nature.
To learn more about Forest Therapy, visit the websites of the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides (ANFT) at https://www.natureandforesttherapy.earth and Nature and Forest Therapy of Canada (NFTC) at www.natureforesttherapycanada.org.
Please note that we will not be hiking. These are gentle walks in which we move slowly and spend time in selected spots along the way (though we will likely encounter some ups and downs given the landscape of the foothills). With this in mind, please dress appropriately and bring additional layers to stay warm. Also, please bring sunscreen and/or layers for sun protection as needed. You’ll be invited to sit at times, so you’re welcome to bring along something to sit on like a blanket, towel, foam pad, or a small camping chair that you are comfortable carrying. Please also bring water for the duration of our 3 hours together.