It’s the last day of an 8 day forest therapy training near Victoria, BC. I am sitting near Mary Lake and I can’t believe how relaxed I am. 

After doing forest bathing daily this past week, I see the profound impact this practice has on me and my students.  Not only do they feel lighter they actually look different.  There is light in people’s eyes, a deep presence and a sense of joy.  For some they said this was a life changing week, others said they had no idea how stressed they were now that it has melted away.

Most people know about the physical benefits of spending time in the forest, lower cortisol levels, decreased blood pressure, balanced nervous system and clearer thinking. 

Fewer know about the psychological benefits. 

As I witness the impacts of forest therapy on my own clients and these future guides the first thing I see is a feeling of coming home to themselves.  They are centred, embodied and calm.   They dip into a sense of awe and wonder easily.  They are not lonely as they know they are part of the natural world.  As their bodies released their stress and recalibrated they came back in to equanimity, which is our natural state of being.

Many had significant insights into their own lives while on walks.  That is not the intention of the walk but I have noticed that where there is nature connection- clarity comes.

All said this course has changed how they go into the forest and experience nature.  They move slower, listen more, smell intently and feel a part of the world around them, not separate. Because of this they seek to give back in personal ways.

In this training we teach help them how embody this practice so they can go on and guide others.  Our moto is “the guide opens the door and the forest is the therapist.”  As they become deeply present and embodied they learn how to tap into the moment and allow the experience to unfold for others, not coercing or forcing an experience to happen.  We teach them how to work in partnership with the forest. When we tune in through our senses this is the doorway to being present.  It’s in that moment the forest can come in and be the therapist giving people what they need in that moment.

I look forward to the next 6 months as I journey with this group through their practicum.  I know that this is just the beginning of a much bigger process that will unfold for them. 

 After seeing the accumulative effects on myself, my clients and my students I know that if I want to be effective in the world I need to unplug daily and go for a walk in a park or in the woods near my house. 15 minutes makes a huge difference in my ability to focus and think clearly.  Where the real recalibration comes is when people try this practice for a few hours or a few days.