NJEF: Forest Bathing and Nature Journaling скачать в хорошем качестве

NJEF: Forest Bathing and Nature Journaling

Join Jack and Dan as we explore Forest Bathing and Nature Journaling. (Class recording from 19 Feb. 2025) We have co-led a program in Yosemite National Park and are particularly excited by how synergistic Forest Bathing and Nature Journaling are! Both offer pathways to mindfulness and connection to place and self. Both practices invite us to slow down, to use our senses, and to truly engage, with the natural world. Forest Bathing builds capacity for gentle focus and connection with the more than human world. Leaning into our primary senses and noticing, without judgment, all that is around us expands our sense of wonder. In turn, heightened observation skills propel us down a path of curiosity and awe. Like ‘kids in a candy store’ we discover endless phenomena to capture in our journals. About Forest Therapy Forest Therapy is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku (translated as ‘forest bathing’ – or immersion in the forest environment). Many wonderful benefits are attributed to the practice including boosted immune function, improved cardiovascular and respiratory health, attention restoration, and reduction in stress and depression. The walks are 1.5 – 2.5 hours and are non-strenuous, usually covering only ¼ – ½ mile. We begin with an introduction to the experience, a guided sensory awareness exercise, and then a series of ‘invitations’ for participants to do individually and share after. The walk concludes with a grounding tea ceremony with fresh tea brewed from carefully selected herbs, expertly harvested nearby (allowing for the chance to literally take in the forest), and snacks. About Dan Dan began guiding in forests & deserts in college, guided youth in a wilderness camp in Maine for 23 years, taught outdoor education for 20+ years, and has been an active Naturalist-Guide with the Yosemite Conservancy for over a decade. He lives with his wife in Sonora, where he is also a teacher. Dan has found Forest Bathing as the best holistic experience for allowing people to nurture and deepen their relationships with nature and self. He is a certified guide with the Association for Nature and Forest Therapy.