Alongside her spiritual and mentoring offerings, Joanna’s Nature Therapy and Forest Bathing+ sessions in Surrey apply mindfulness techniques in the beautiful fragrant setting of ancient woodland or a colourful garden.
Join me for a relaxing and reviving Forest Bathing+ session in local ancient woodlands. Here I will lead you slowly and pleasurably through a series of mindfulness-based sensory exercises and meditations. Deeply relaxing and undoubtedly profound, you will be surprised by your enhanced appreciation and reconnection with nature.
A minimum of two hours wellbeing mindfulness session through Forest Bathing+ in local ancient woodlands. All of our Surrey-based sessions follow the current government guidelines. As at November 2020, costs from £30 (individual). Private and corporate bookings available from £150.
Origins of Forest Bathing
The term Forest Bathing derives from the Japanese, ‘Shinrin Yoku’, referring to immersion of the human spirit under a canopy of trees. The practice originated to mitigate high levels of stress experienced by Japanese executives in busy urban environments and combines mindfulness, meditation and gentle exercise within an ambient forest location.
The Forest Bathing Institute (TFBI) has pioneered the addition of sensory mindfulness exercises in the ancient woodlands, which has created the enhanced experience known as Forest Bathing+.
Ancient civilisations greatly venerated nature and the natural world, and they gained much wisdom from listening to and learning from observations in nature. An increasing body of contemporary research highlights the physiological benefits of time spent in natural surroundings. Trees emit essential oils known as ‘phytoncides’ into the atmosphere, which have been proven to evoke relaxation and additional wellbeing benefits. By immersing ourselves in the natural forest environment, we re-connect with nature, reinforcing our relationship with the natural world including any wildlife within it.
Some societies still hold a very strong affinity with nature, but most have become disconnected.
Forest Bathing+ presents a unique opportunity to reconnect both with nature, and with ourselves. A growing body of evidence has determined that Forest Bathing can:
- Alleviate stress
- Regulate blood pressure
- Improve metabolic and cardiovascular health
- Increase anti-cancer protein production
- Support weight loss
- Improve concentration and memory
- Reduce blood-sugar levels
- Lift depression
- Improve pain thresholds
- Recover energy levels
- Boost the immune system by increasing the body’s natural killer (NK) cell count
Nature Therapy and Forest Bathing+ Sessions in Surrey
While I lead this practice in multiple locations, most of my sessions take place at Newlands Corner or in the grounds of the Harry Edwards Healing Sanctuary, close to the picturesque village of Shere, near Guildford in Surrey.
This Sanctuary, which has been run as a charity since 1966, perfectly complements Forest Bathing+ with its focus on Energy Healing and support for people with serious illness.
During the Forest Bathing Session, in local ancient woodlands, I will lead you through a series of mindfulness-based sensory exercises and meditations aimed at enhancing your appreciation of nature through all your five senses.
Whilst my public sessions are mainstream, I can also run themed sessions incorporating nature angels, which may give you a useful introduction to the other services that I offer, including mentoring towards spiritual expansion, RSE® Egyptian alchemy healing and practitioner training. See my separate sections on this website under Spiritual Consciousness and Ancient Healing for Modern Living.
For group and corporate Forest Bathing+ sessions, UK-wide, contact me for details.
How I developed an interest in Forest Bathing
I was lucky enough to grow up with access to dense ancient woodland, and the freedom to roam. I spent much of my childhood playing in those woods and visiting Broadwater Lake with my sister, Fiona. Largely unsupervised by adults, my childish enthusiasm nurtured my love of nature, animals, and woodlands, all laying the foundation for my later work.
As an adult, I spent over 15 years in senior management specialising in customer care and training before realising something in my life had become misaligned. Driven by a desire for greater inner peace, I developed an interest in Ancient Egyptian philosophies and natural healing techniques, which would later become my areas of expertise.
Training as a Forest Bathing+ Guide felt like a natural progression, to promote connecting with nature through mindful sensory exercises during immersion in UK woodlands. I trained with, and am fully certified by, the Forest Bathing Institute (TFBI), who continue to conduct ground-breaking research on the potential physiological, immunological, emotional and mental health benefits of this practice.
Having spent over two decades working with healing energy (my company, Harmony Healing, was founded in 1999) the importance of a natural connection for health and wellbeing is clear. More about Harmony Healing on this site at Ancient Healing for Modern Living.
Garden Therapy sessions are also available for private and corporate bookings, either in your own garden (if suitable) or in a beautiful garden setting in Surrey.
For Forest Bathing+ and Nature Therapy session dates, see my website at www.harmonyhealing.co.uk/forest-bathing. Blog updates with seasonal activities are emailed out to Harmony Healing subscribers.