experience the exquisite medicine of the forest
Why do I need a guide?
Like yoga and meditation, shinrin-yoku is a practice that is helpful to learn from a qualified guide. Each time we practice is different based on what we bring into the forest, and what the forest has to offer in that moment and season.
Why our participants say they value a guide...
I just don't do it by myself. And even if I do go for a walk in the woods, I usually let my mind spin and Deb’s well timed prompts to tune into specific senses and aspects of the forest kept me returning to the peace and guidance available in the moment. - Laura
I believe that sharing a relationship with the guide on the walk heightened my awareness of, and my relationship to, what was around me in a way that was more tangible than what I would have experienced on my own. To be frank, I was quite surprised at how exhilarating and profoundly peaceful it was to let myself indulge in this little journey together. - Robert
I am a lifelong hiker and 20 year meditator and this walk provided a remarkable reduction in my mental chatter and worry. I feel profoundly peaceful and don't often get that on my own. - Anne
Like a yoga instructor, our guide kept us supported, engaged and focused in a way that deepened our experience dramatically. - Steve
I have participated in 3 Forest Therapy walks guided by Deb Denome. I experienced joy. Multiple emotions with great relief. Deep peace. Connection with the others in the group. A new affinity with the forest. I recommend you try this. It is different than you think and must be experienced. -Gaylinn Greenwood MD
Teresa, our guide, was key to weaving the beauty of nature with a call to awareness of what's happening, both in the woods and in our hearts. - Susan
Developing a meaningful relationship with nature occurs over time, and is deepened by returning again and again throughout the natural cycles of the seasons. Like yoga, meditation, prayer, working out, and many other worthy endeavors, shinrin-yoku is a practice. And because it is a practice, it is best to learn it from a qualified guide. - Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs