Forest Bathing
A deeply immersive experience in Nature to help you slow down, connect, and rejuvenate
Offered in The Berkshires, Massachusetts or the surrounding area
What is Forest Bathing?
Forest Bathing, or Shinrin Yoku, is centered around opening oneself to the healing power of the Natural World.
This practice started in Japan in the 1980s as a way to address widespread physical and mental health epidemics. Studies have shown that Forest Bathing helps lower stress and anxiety, strengthen immune function, improve cardiovascular and metabolic health, and boost overall well-being.*
Backed by science and blended with spirit, this practice can be deeply nourishing, connective, and relaxing for the mind, body, and soul.
My style of Forest Bathing, for individuals or small groups, involves a 2-hour, deeply immersive, guided experience designed to help participants slow down and open to a state of true receptivity to the natural world. Through facilitated exercises and guided invitations, participants connect with and experience nature in a way that is different from how most of us typically interact with the woods. This approach allows us to experience deep rest, relaxation, presence, and receptivity, allowing the forest to open our minds and hearts and infuse us with both healing energy and medicinal compounds.
*Source: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_forest_bathing_is_good_for_your_health
What to Expect
This guided experience will last about two hours. It will consist of a welcome circle, grounding exercises, a series of interactive invitations, and a closing circle, as well as periodic opportunities for group sharing. This experience is deeply personal and encourages an intimacy with the forest that is nourishing and specific to each participant. As we will be moving very slowly and mindfully, we will likely not travel more than a ½ mile and people of all fitness levels and bodily conditions are welcome to join. Please bring weather-appropriate clothing and an open mind!
If you would like to schedule a private or group Forest Bathing experience in the Berkshires, please reach out to Zach directly here
Suggested Donation is:
$100 for a one-on-one session
$50-75 per person for 2-4 people
$25-50 per person for 5+ people
*”Pay what you can” takes priority- no one will be turned away for lack of ability to pay!
Testimonials
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I’ve gone on plenty of walks through the forest, but this was like no other. I was able to experience nature in a completely different way, taking in the forest with all five senses and returning to a sense of childlike wonder I so rarely get to enjoy as an adult. Two hours flew by and I was sad to see it come to an end. Thanks Zach!
-Max, 33 years old
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Although I hike a lot and spend time in nature, this was my first experience with Forest Bathing and I wasn't really sure what to expect. I arrived interested, but a little apprehensive about what I was getting into – would it be safe, too woo woo, or so slow that I'd be bored? Within minutes of meeting Zach, my concerns faded. He has a calm and gentle manner, a deep knowledge of the forest and offers an innovative approach to a full sensory experience in nature. I came away feeling calm, open, and more alert. I can't wait to take his next program!
-Donna, 66 years old
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This is something I would love to do again. I appreciated being able to connect with nature while connecting with others in an accessible/low physically demanding atmosphere. I have chronic health challenges that make long/hard hikes impossible, so this is the first outdoor social event I think I’ve ever attended. I really appreciated the opportunity you created for someone like me. Thank you.
-Anne, 48 years old
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I’d recommend forest bathing to anyone! As someone who spends lots of time in nature, usually through sports and activities, I wasn’t sure what forest bathing could offer that I wasn’t doing already. But to be immersed in nature the way that forest bathing asks you to is something different. I was grateful for the pause that this experience offered, a chance to appreciate the forest around me as it is rather than through the lens of the activity I chose to do that day.
-Hannah, 25 years old
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Zach lead us recently on a wonderful experience of Forest Bathing! His good leadership skills made it so people from diverse backgrounds felt that they were important and that their needs and insights were valued. The walk in the woods he directed was inspirational and helped us long time hikers gain a new set of eyes when out in the wilds.
-Mark, 70 years old
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As a regular outdoor recreational participant and, Sierra Club staff and outings leader, I found Zach's forest bathing experience precisely what I needed to destress from a challenging work week. Instead of climbing to the top of the steepest mountain we meandered along a forest stream and got to be a part of the woods, not just a passerby. Zach is well-trained to ground you with nature and make you feel connected to the forest.Item
-Robb, 53 years old
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I consider an experience valuable when I gain new insight into myself or the world. After an hour with Zach, I gained both. I took away the visual of circularity in my breathing connecting me with the tree I got to know. And I loved focusing on the smallest thing I could see. These different modes of interacting with the forest helped me change up my approach, like what happens to you when you really make sure to stop and smell the roses
-Gabe, 29 years old
Articles about Forest Bathing
“How forest bathing can help you reduce stress, become one with nature” -Good Morning America
“More than a walk in the woods” -Sierra Club
“Can forest therapy enhance health and well-being?” -Harvard Medical School
“Why everyone should try forest bathing” -Vogue
Also, check out a 30-minute radio interview with Zach about Forest Bathing and its benefits here!
Upcoming events
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Forest Bathing at Berkshire Botanical Garden!
Join Zach at the Berkshire Botanical Garden for a special Forest Bathing outing.
When: June 8th, 2024 from 2-4pm
Where: Berkshire Botanical Garden
5 W Stockbridge Rd, Stockbridge, MA 01262
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Don't See What You're Looking For?
If you would like to schedule a personalized Forest Bathing experience, either for an individual or small group (up to 10 people), please reach out to Zach directly here!
