Forest Therapy
Forest Therapy sessions starting March 30th
Sessions are open for registration!
Save your spot for our forest therapy walks, starting March 30th. To register for this walk, please fill out the form below or email Dan at dan@foresttherapyniagara.ca.
Discover the healing power of Forest Therapy
Forest Therapy is a gentle practice of mindful awareness and connection to nature that promotes mental and physical wellness. It is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku which translates as Forest Bathing (bathing the five senses).
The Forest Therapy walk is not a demanding physical exercise, covering approximately one kilometre in two hours.
Registration is open!
To register, please fill out the form to the right or email Dan at dan@foresttherapyniagara.ca.
Space is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
A note from our facilitator
Forest Therapy/ Forest Bathing/ Shinrin Yoku: What is it?
The forest is the therapist, I will be a guide. We will use our five senses to experience our surroundings. I liken this practice to mindful meditation but with an inverse relationship. My mindful practice is noticing within myself to the exclusion of what is going on around me. Forest therapy encourages you with prompts to open your senses and to notice what is around you. There will be no prescriptive exercises, no tasks and no directions other than to get out of your head and to not exert effort to think, but to rest and notice, to not process and to not analyze. We will go off on our own, quietly, slowly, to sit or lean or wander, and after about 20 minutes or so I’ll let out a howl like a coyote and we will gather and share what we noticed. There are no expectations to share. Silence can manifest strength within. Scientific evidence informs us that the aromas, colours, textures, sounds and sights from the forest offer healing properties that take us back to a time when we lived in harmony with the environment. We will acknowledge the Indigenous People of the land where we now live. I will encourage you to embrace your own heritage and the various physical landscapes where your ancestors once lived in harmony with the land. The hope is that this practice may inspire a higher quality of selfcare.
Upcoming Sessions
Did you know that…
Phytoncides are antibacterial and antifungal essential oils that help plants and trees protect themselves from disease.
The benefits of humans breathing in these natural compounds include improved immune system function as well as decreased anxiety, depression, and anger.
Given that humans (Homo sapiens) lived within nature for approximately 300,000 years and it has only been the last few hundred years that we have moved to the concrete jungle, we are obviously deprived of our natural environment and some elements that enhance the quality of our health.
Phytoncides are naturally occurring elements that promote good health. Let’s return to the forest and experience the benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
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One of our founding family members, Dan Silver, will be leading the sessions. Dan is a mental health clinician with twenty-eight years of experience. He is currently training to become a certified Forest Therapy Guide with The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. His expertise in mental health adds valuable insights to the forest therapy experience.
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Research has shown that spending time in nature offers numerous health benefits. These include improving physical health, lowering blood pressure, strengthening the immune system, reducing pain, improving sleep, reducing depression and anxiety, decreasing stress, reducing feelings of anger and aggression, and improving concentration and memory function. The forest therapy walk provides an opportunity to tap into these natural health benefits.
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While there are similarities to mindfulness practice, a forest therapy walk emphasizes a slow, mindful way of being in nature. The use of silence during the walk enhances observations and helps quiet the mind from the overstimulation of modern society.
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Yes, the forest guide will carry a cell phone that is turned on during the walk in case of emergencies. Your safety and well-being are of utmost importance.
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No, the forest therapy walk is not group therapy. It is a guided experience in nature where participants are invited to slow down, connect with their senses, and interact with the natural environment. The group will have opportunities to share insights and learn from each other, but it is not a traditional therapy session.