FAQ 

Do I need to wear a bathing suit for a Forest Bathing session?

No you don’t wear a bathing suit. Forest Bathing originated in Japan in the early 1980s in response to a health crisis. They found time in nature helped alleviate much of people’s stress, which was the source of their other illnesses.They coined the term Shinrin-Yoku which means to bathe in the atmosphere of the forest through your senses or Forest Bathing.

For you to receive the benefits from a forest bathing walk allow yourself to simply be with the trees and nature and connect with it through your senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Throughout the walk, you will be offered you a series of “invitations”.  You are invited to what comes to you naturally and what feels comfortable for you.

What do you do in a Forest Bathing session?

Forest bathing is not a hike or a naturalist walk, it’s specifically designed to connect you to nature for the many associated benefits. During a session, you will be invited to tune into your senses and slow down through a series of “invitations”. You are welcome to do the invitations in a way that works for you. This organic process helps calm your mind and body so you can receive the medicine of being in the forest. 

As a form of forest therapy, it helps to treat many ailments which arise from urban life. If practiced regularly over time people experience a stronger immune and cardiovascular system, decrease in stress, anxiety and depression as well as increased happiness, pleasure in life, sense of wellbeing and improved relationships.

Can you do Forest Bathing as a team building event?

Yes it’s a great activity to do as a team. Forest Bathing helps prevent burnout and renews people who are exhausted. As you feel more rejuvenated you will be able to show up more authentically with your team members.

It’s the only activity that has a positive impact on physiological (internal) and cognitive (mental) stress. When physiological stress is alleviated, you can show up more authentically. Simply being in nature helps lower blood pressure and cortisol levels which helps you feel more relaxed and calm. 

When cognitive stress is relieved you will experience better concentration, improved memory, decision making and creative thinking. While in nature you will automatically have “soft fascination” or a gentle awareness of what is going on around you which helps your brain reset itself naturally. 

Additionally, social awareness is expanded in Forest Bathing through light sharing rounds. Authentic sharing fosters connection for those of you who share a common purpose. 

Forest Bathing also helps you access other ways of knowing and thinking other than your mind.  This is ideal for groups who are about to work on challenges or make big decisions.

What is different with Forest Bathing versus an amazing race in Banff? 

While amazing races in Banff are a ton of fun, Forest Bathing is more relaxed and restorative. Everyone can participate and show up in a way that feels right for them. We have had managers say that “this was the first time they really saw all their team members.”

Do you offer different team building events other than Forest Bathing?

Yes, we offer walks that use local naturalist stories to teach various topics like resilience.  For example, in the Fire in the Forest program we teach how different trees deal with fire and relate it to your team.  It’s especially helpful for teams with different generations to learn from each other. This can be done as a team building event or as leadership development.

As local naturalists we can customize a walk based on the theme of your conference or team retreat.

How do you weave in leadership development into forest walks?

Nature is a great teacher to learn about leadership. We have two types of leadership programs.   The first is using the forest bathing model. This model weaves in deep restoration with leadership development. The  session starts by using a few invitations to help people slow down and reset, this gives everyone all the benefits listed above. This way everyone is able to show up from a relaxed authentic place.

Then we start to delve into leadership development. We give the group open ended invitations linked to a leadership idea, as they are so open you will naturally use the forest as a mirror to identify areas of growth. Not only do you see where you need to grow but you see exactly how to get there, usually this involves a shift in mindset or behavours. This process involves the senses and less of the thinking mind. This helps you access other ways of knowing yourself and your roles.

The second is using local naturalist stories to teach an idea then generating conversations around the concept. Currently, Fire in the Forest is a well liked program that teaches about resilience and how the forest has built resilience to fire. We explore how each tree has done this over time. This style provides interesting local information along with learning from each other.

What type of results have you seen?

The first thing we see is individuals get more relaxed and rejuvenated. Participants are able to see themselves in a scene in the forest and find meaningful insights. Insights that surprise them.
The conversation goes deeper, people share personal elements of their journey and revelations arising in the moment. People are more willing to be vulnerable in the forest.
Because we are not trying to fit people into a leadership box, their own leadership is allowed to emerge, people start to find their own voice. They are seen and heard in the sharing rounds which helps strengthen their inner voice.
We can take people through our leadership process and we are happy to work with the organizers to customize the program to fit the specific goals of the company or facilitators.

What do you do in the mountain solace program? How is it different from a regular hike?

The Mountain Solace Program is designed to help busy exhausted people find respite and solace so you can find a sense of peace and gain deep clarity in your life. When you are so busy, it’s hard to slow down and deep clarity is not accessible.  

The Mountain Solace combines hiking in beautiful locations to do forest bathing to reset the mind and body. This helps you access other ways of knowing and deep clarity becomes accessible.  From this place productive coaching conversations flow easily. 

While we do hike to beautiful places, this is not a normal hike. It’s a day that is focused on you and what you need right now to get you to a better place in your life. It can include hard questions that you need to hear, time alone to contemplate, and inspiration from beautiful landscapes. 

Your body and mind will have time to digest any lingering experiences that are holding you back and clear the way to creating new experiences that you desire. You will gain clarity on what is next and how to get there.  

Included in this package is a pre and post coaching conversation. This will help customize the experience and afterward it will further the learning.

Is one day really enough to make a difference in my life?

Yes! When you unplug and set a strong intention, one day can make a world of difference. Once you reset your mind and body, you can regain peace and deep clarity.  From there, everything in your life comes back into focus and you know what you need to do. You can’t operate at optimal levels if you are exhausted, distracted and disconnected from yourself. This is a pilgrimage back home to yourself.

Where do you go for the Mountain Solace Program?

We go to Moraine Lake or Lake O’Hara. The trails are great and the scenery is spectacular. Life quickly comes into perspective in big mountain landscapes. This is a bucket list experience.

Do you offer one-on-one coaching?

Yes, I am certified by CTI (Coach Training International) and Positive Intelligence. I work with people who want to make changes in their life and to see what is possible. It takes courage to step into something new. Perhaps something is calling you but it feels too big yet you know you need to explore it. Working together we explore these types of topics step by step and you decide on appropriate actions.

I help people connect to their values and live a life aligned with what is important to them.  Additionally, I support people in finding and aligning to their purpose. Your purpose can change throughout your life and sometimes you need to tweak how you live into it.  

I don’t offer advice, my goal is to help you find your own answers through powerful questions and conversations.

Where do you go for the rest of your programs?

For half day team building and leadership programs, we use quiet trails near Banff, Canmore and Kananaskis Village. For Forest Bathing retreats we go to Quantum Leaps Lodge in Golden, BC.

What should I wear?

For the half day and full day programs, weather is variable so please come prepared for anything.  We will send out a list of what to bring in your confirmation email. treat at a location of your choice.

What if it’s cold the day I book?

Out here we say “there is no such thing as bad weather…just bad gear!” We go rain or shine, dress warmly. Therefore, if it’s cold we still go out. The good news is that means there will be less people on the trail which is ideal!  No matter what the weather is, the key is to be prepared.

Remember it is the Rocky Mountains, the weather here changes every 5 min so please be willing to go with the flow.

A  2023 Waiver must be signed