Aqua Sana Forest Spa offers exclusive Forest Bathing sessions to boost wellbeing amidst the November gloom in a UK-first partnership with The Forest Bathing Institute.
As the UK braces for the colder weather this week and the pre-Christmas panic begins to set in, Aqua Sana Forest Spa will be the first spa in the UK to team up with The Forest Bathing Institute, to offer one-day complimentary mood-boosting Forest Bathing sessions in a bid to help combat the November doom and gloom. For one day only this week (Friday 28 November), Aqua Sana Forest Spa Sherwood Forest will be the first spa in the UK to invite spa guests to join Forest Practitioner, Olga Terebenina – of The Forest Bathing Institute – for an exclusive trial introduction to the therapeutic practice of forest bathing. Forest Bathing is the Japanese practice of being immersed in nature to encourage mindfulness and reduce stress. With the latest research from The Forest Bathing Institute and University College London concluding that spending as little as two hours among the trees can increase positive emotions by over 30% and reduce negative emotions by over 40%, Olga Terebenina will run a series of restorative and soothing trial sessions, taking in the unique, Sherwood Forest setting of Aqua Sana Forest Spa.
Nestled within the treetops of Sherwood Forest and for one day only, each session will transport spa guests between the two branches of the nervous system – moving from ‘fight or flight’ to the ‘rest and digest’ branch. Terebenina will embrace the forest sights, sounds, smells and touch sensations in a bespoke therapeutic experience, designed to lift the mood and restore a true sense of balance.
Olga Terebenina shares advice on how to practice Forest Bathing this season to help relieve stress:
Listen – tune into birdsong and rustling leaves.
Walk slowly – let go of destination and focus on presence.
Breathe deeply – inhale forest air, exhale and relax.
Silence your phone – to minimize distractions.
Touch trees – notice textures and sensations.
Aim for two hours for full relaxation benefits.
Olga Terebenina, Forest Practitioner at The Forest Bathing Institute said: “Over the last 10 years, I have spent time with thousands of people in the UK’s beautiful woods and heard how they benefit from slowing down and restoring balance by being surrounded by the forest atmosphere. It’s very exciting to be bringing my experience to guests at Aqua Sana Forest Spa, Sherwood Forest, in what is undeniably a very stressful time of the year. We can’t control the pre-Christmas pressure, but we can go some way in controlling our emotion, using the power of Forest Bathing to reconnect, balance, lift our mood and restore a sense of balance”.
Group Spa Manager at Aqua Sana Forest Spa, Laura Freeman, commented: “We understand this can be a stressful time of year for many. Our complimentary wellbeing sessions have proved extremely popular with our guests and knowing how important it is for them to truly reset and unwind whilst they are with us, we’re always looking for new ways to help them achieve that. Our Sherwood Forest location is the ideal spot for us to trial these one-of-a-kind forest bathing sessions, with our Treetop Sauna allowing guests to take in panoramic views of the forest canopy”.
The exclusive and complimentary Forest Bathing sessions will run as part of a trial, at Aqua Sana Sherwood Forest on Friday 28 November at 10am, 11am, 1pm and 2pm for pre-booked guests.
Located within the heart of the forest, Aqua Sana Forest Spas provide the ideal location to feel revitalized in nature. With five locations across the UK, every steam room, sauna, spa pool and relaxation space is crafted to evoke the rhythms of the forest, a perfect opportunity to reconnect and soothe the senses. To find out more about Aqua Sana Forest Spa and spa days available, please visit: https://www.aquasana.co.uk/spa-days-and-packages.html
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Aqua Sana Forest Bathing Sessions
*Sessions will be hosted throughout the day at Aqua Sana Sherwood Forest on Friday 28 November 2025. Guests will be able to sign up to the sessions upon arrival at the spa on the day. Spaces are limited to 10 people per session.
Forest Bathing
The Forest Bathing Institute’s peer-reviewed research with the University of Derby, found forest bathing can improve relaxation and positive emotions, as well as reducing mood disturbance. It produces similar benefits to Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) which is an established psychological wellbeing approach. What’s more, the same study showed a 57% improvement in heart rate variability (HRV, a marker of autonomic nervous system balance and physiological resilience).
Notes to Editors:
About Aqua Sana Forest Spa: Aqua Sana Forest Spa | Luxury Spa Days, Spa Breaks and Treatments | Aqua Sana
The first Aqua Sana opened at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest in 1987. Since then, with continued investment and development, the brand has grown to include six spas in different locations across the UK and Ireland: Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Elveden Forest in Suffolk, Longleat Forest in Wiltshire, Whinfell Forest in Cumbria, Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire and Longford Forest in County Longford, Ireland.
About TFBI
The Forest Bathing Institute (TFBI) was founded in the UK by Gary Evans and Olga Terebenina to advance the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku (“forest bathing”) within UK and European woodland settings. Olga and Gary are both peer-reviewed authors and researchers, and the authors of the book, The Healing Power of Trees. Our mission is to research and clinically investigate how time spent in nature — particularly in woodlands and forests — supports human health and wellbeing. We provide training programmes for Forest Bathing+ (FB+) guides, deliver public and corporate sessions, and collaborate with government departments, universities, and charities to bring nature-based wellbeing into mainstream practice.
www.tfb.institute
Notes
A Breath of Fresh Air: Perspectives on Inhaled Nutrients and Bacteria to Improve Human Health https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831324001674?via%3Dihub
People and Nature Survey for England (PaNS)
https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2025/09/30/celebrating-five-years-of-the-people-and-nature-surveys-what-weve-learned-about-englands-love-for-the-outdoors/
A Pragmatic Controlled Trial of Forest Bathing Compared with Compassionate Mind Training in the UK: Impacts on Self-Reported Wellbeing and Heart Rate Variability
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/3/1380