A few weeks ago, we finished our in-person element of forest bathing guide training in Surrey, UK.
It was our absolute joy and a privilege to guide a group of passionate, dedicated, caring trainees, share magical experiences in beautiful ancient forests, and learn from nature and each other.
It is amazing how every training is so unique – in terms of what we experience and share with each other, the weather conditions on the day and the way we connect and learn as a group. However, there are some principles that all of our trainings share, and we wanted to talk a bit about the two key ones below.
Taking time to slow down and appreciate how we truly feel
Many of us live in a fast-paced world. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, we often find ourselves rushing through the day – rushing to get to work or school, rushing to the meetings, rushing back home from work. Indeed, the pace of life seems to only be increasing with time. Often, this can bring undesirable effects, such as stress, anxiety, and problems with sleep, amongst others.
On top of it, we often find time for ourselves gets less priority than other tasks on our ‘to-do list’. This can result in us feeling overwhelmed with the tasks at hand while simultaneously lost, unable to see our purpose and place in this world.
If we don’t take time to look at ourselves, we can find ourselves feeling tired, burnt out, neglected, and unmotivated to pursue activities which used to bring us joy. These can impact our mood and psychological health and also lead to challenges in our day-to-day lives.
Allowing ourselves time and space to slow down and look within can have a great impact on our psychological health and also the way we perceive ourselves, resulting in a better understanding of our needs, improved ability to cope, and a clearer sense of our place in the world and how we can contribute to it.
During our forest bathing guide training, we offer our trainees an opportunity to go within and spend time connecting with themselves and the world around them. Often, this contemplative aspect of our training brings around interesting insights and an opportunity for self-reflection, which many participants find enormously helpful to not only understand their connection with nature, but also their other relationships.
Learning how to look to notice the beauty around us
While all of our students have prior experience with going out into nature (often, this is how they find our organisation), many of our trainees report re-discovering a new relationship with nature during our forest bathing guide training – a newly found joy, a deeper sense of appreciation, and a stronger sense of being part (rather than apart) of the natural world.
Indeed, forest bathing is different from a regular walk in the woods. Apart from the speed of the forest bathing event being considerably slower than a general casual walk, there is also a difference in how we perceive the natural world around us. We walk quietly and slowly while paying particular attention to what is happening around us – the colours of the plants, the sounds of the forest, the smells. This conscious way of observing things is what is called mindfulness – non-judgemental moment-to-moment observation of external factors (such as the world around us) and internal factors (such as our bodily sensations, emotions, and thoughts).
When we walk into the forest with a mindful attitude, we start paying more attention, which allows us to notice even minute elements. When we start paying more attention to things around us, not only do we see more details, but we are also able to appreciate small joys in life better – like the little blossom starting to bloom in spring, a bird song on a sunny day, gentle warm summer breeze on our skin… Indeed, mindfulness can allow us to look anew at things that we got used to, re-discovering the magic of everyday life and appreciating our place in the natural world.
Gratitude to the natural world and the need to protect it
Often, out of the appreciation of the beauty and the joy that the natural world brings us springs a deep-held desire to take care of the world we live in, including all its inhabitants (both human and non-human, including plants and animals).
When we feel connected to the world around us, we see less of a distinction between ‘us’ and ‘them’. Indeed, nature connection is seen as one of the important factors in pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. Not only does connecting to nature make us feel a part of something bigger than ourselves, nurturing a deep sense of belonging, but it also inspires us to make positive steps towards bringing positive changes to this world. No matter how small these steps might be, they all add up to bring a noticeable positive change in our world.
If you are interested in learning more about our unique teaching style, you can join our upcoming training Q&A, where you can learn more about our organisations and the training we offer, as well as receive answers to your questions about the training we offer. You can sign up for our upcoming training Q&A here.