May 8th Forest Bathing Experience

A forest bathing walk to relieve stress and join the flow of the forest in community!

A May forest immersion experience in beautiful La Conner, WA! Participants will be led through soft, mindful exercises at the relaxed pace of the forest and we’ll discuss how we are linked to the natural world.

Benefits of Yasei Shinrin Yoku, or wild forest bathing, include:

• Increasing metabolism
• Lowering blood pressure
• Reducing heart rate
• Stabilizing breathing
• Enhancing focus, memory, & cognitive skills
• Support in task initiation

Shinrin-Yoku was developed in the 80’s in Japan where nature deficit disorder had been on the rise, just like most other developed countries. It is an integral part of health care in Japan and South Korea. Qing Li, a medical doctor at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo and one of the world’s experts in forest medicine and immunology proved that forest bathing stimulates the activity of natural killer cells and anticancer proteins, thus strengthening the immune system. In South Korea, there are at least 40 “Healing forests”.

Participants will also be led through meditation, breath-work, exploration in the forest, and personal visioning.

ABOUT YOUR GUIDE

Lindsey Walker is a Yasei Shinrin Yoku Practitioner (Wild Forest Bathing) in addition to a Holistic Clinical Herbalist and Integrative Wellness & Life Coach. In the practice, participants are provided with a connection to wilderness therapies, energy work, and other methods to grow connection to self and nature, meaning and purpose in one’s life, and more.

Lindsey serves as a guide that supports the fostering of your whole being to that of the sentient forest and exemplifies how to create a relationship with it. She incorporates components of medical qigong, herbs, mindfulness, and coaching into her walks. Lindsey is an advocate for everyone to have access to shinrin-yoku, or components of it and is grateful to serve as a guide, supporting you on your healing journey into the forest and beyond.

The regenerative energy of springtime can be met on a Forest Therapy Walk. If you believe trees and plants to be sentient, your life will be much more interesting.

WHAT TO WEAR, BRING, AND NOT BRING

Dress in appropriate layers and comfortable. We will be walking with the flow of the forest and this is at a very slow pace. Please wear comfortable clothing, We will be walking up a slight hill so you may want to consider hiking boots. Bring a full water bottle.

Bring a journal if you’d like to write your personal reflections as you go.

For our younger friends, please keep in mind this will be a calm, quiet, introspective nature event. Children must be well attended.

Pets are not allowed at this site.

PARKING & MEETING PLACE

Please park and come into Crescent Moon Yoga for the initial meeting place. Walk location is 10 minutes from the yoga studio.