Outside–Inside: Getting Started with Forest Therapy

On the inside, each of us may be weary, overwhelmed, or stressed out. On the outside, Nature goes on like it always does: changing, moving, cycling through the seasons but feeling like a constant, reliable presence in the world. We need to move the outside perspective inside. Throughout history, humans have found relaxation and calm when they connect with Nature. This is the premise behind Forest Therapy: nature itself provides therapeutic healing and wholeness for humans.

In the practice of Forest Therapy Guiding, clients learn how to make personal connections with the natural world. By doing this, they access the health benefits of woods and flowing water, including gaining more energy, feeling relaxed, and regaining a calm balance for daily living. The guide (that will be me!) facilitates this process by offering “invitations” for clients to interact and connect with Nature.

“At the heart of every invitation is a simple encouragement to play.” –Amos Clifford

Forest Therapy focuses on experiencing nature and noticing what is found in the non-human world. Guides take individuals or small groups of clients outdoors for sessions that often last 1-2 hours but cover less than one mile of walking trails. This is ideal…but sometimes we need mini-refreshers in our everyday lives. The rest of this blog post offers simple connection steps that can be used any place where one can interact with nature—even in our yards or in busy city parks.

ENTRANCE:

Going through a doorway into a new place, gets us ready to experience what we find there.  In a similar way, it helps us to more quickly connect with the non-human world if we take time to acknowledge a similar threshold.

1—Start with “Presence.” As you step outside, close your eyes and take five slow, deep breaths. Then stand quietly for a few moments. What do you feel around you? What nature sounds can you hear? What do you smell? Open your eyes, and look carefully at the natural world. As we interact and connect with the non-human world, we focus on being present rather than on doing.

2—Set Aside Distractions. Silence your cell phone. Find a small rock. Hold it in your hand. Imagine giving the rock your worries, stresses, and hectic to-do lists to be held until you come back. Set the rock back down. You can choose to pick up these things again at the end of your nature time, if you still want them.

3—Move Slowly. Notice what natural things are in motion around you. If your thoughts wander or if you find yourself walking fast, STOP! Take a few slow, deep breaths. While standing still, focus again on what natural things are in motion. Resume moving slowly.

INVITATIONS:

All invitations in Forest Therapy are based on one of these two focuses: physical senses or emotional senses. In an in-person session, specific applications of these invitations are offered, carefully tailored for the individual clients and the actual location where the guided walk occurs. These examples give you general ways to interact and connect with Nature.

1—Focus on the Outside World. As you walk, notice the sensory experiences: temperature, texture, motion, sound, smells, taste, sights. Pay attention to details such as individual trees, tiny plants, critters, moving water. Stop regularly to notice how you would complete this sentence: “Outside I see…..”

2—Acknowledge the Inside World. As you interact with different aspects of Nature, notice the sensual experiences. What emotional responses are you experiencing? Possibly joy, delight or playfulness. Sometimes sadness or anger. There are no “right” or “wrong” responses to the non-human world. Just like we do for the outside world, stop regularly to focus on how you would complete this sentence: “Inside I feel…”

COMPLETION:

At the end of your time in nature, whether you spent 10 minutes or 2 hours, it is helpful to acknowledge crossing a threshold back to daily life. Repeat the first rituals: close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths. Remind yourself of the outside and the inside ways you experienced Nature. Choose one thought or feeling to take with you. If you feel a need to carry your distractions and worries again, retrieve them from the rock where you left them. (Perhaps you will feel enough calm to let the rock hold those stresses for a while longer…)

If you are interested in learning more about Forest Therapy, read more on my website HERE. Consider signing up for email notification each time I publish a new blog post—which will be about the many different ways my daughter and I connect with nature. (Right side bar on computer, scroll to bottom of page on mobile phone.)

May you take some of the peaceful presence of Nature back with you into your daily life!