Our leisurely Forest Bathing & Nature Therapy walks are carried out in Surrey Wildlife Trust nature reserves

April 2018: Our events are running at Newlands Corner Guildford, we offer 2 varieties, a 2 hour introductory session or a 3 hour deeper therapeutic session, join us see how you enjoy the experience.

All of our 2018 event dates can be found on the following link, please join us on Meetup https://www.meetup.com/Forest-Bathing-and-Nature-Therapy/

Please call us with any questions, we are always happy to hear from people 01932 880 712

ABOUT FOREST BATHING & NATURE THERAPY:

Forest Bathing & Nature Therapy, as defined and practiced by Holistic Healing Therapy, is a type of relaxation involving spending time in nature to promote health and well-being. We combine different practices including mindfulness, grounding, and natural aromatherapy; using short exercises we also encourage the development and use of various senses. We aim to give you an opportunity to stop and look at life from a larger perspective. We have been inspired by forest bathing, currently widely practiced for its therapeutic properties in Japan and the USA.

In Japan, a forest bathing trip is called Shinrin-yoku.

“A forest bathing trip involves visiting a forest for relaxation and recreation while breathing in (wood essential oils). Incorporating forest bathing trips into a good lifestyle was first proposed in 1982 by the Forest Agency of Japan. It has now become a recognized relaxation and/or stress management activity in Japan.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_bathing

Some of the scientifically proven benefits of spending time in nature include reduced stress levels, stronger immune system response, and a stabilised cortisol cycle. You can read more about the benefits of Nature Therapy on our website www.holistichealingtherapy.co.uk

THE ABILITY OF PARTICIPANTS:

We have designed our Nature therapy sessions for all ages and abilities; the only caveat is you can walk across uneven ground. For the larger sites such as Newlands Corner, you will be asked to walk for at most 20 to 30 minutes without a rest; there will be regular rest periods, and opportunities to sit down. As well as group discussion and exercises.

We do not walk continuously; these are not walks as you might expect from a rambling club. We have a different ethos, to enjoy the benefits of Nature Therapy we need to spend quality time in beautiful natural settings, this involves relaxing, soaking in the atmosphere, sitting, and perhaps, should you feel inclined, laying down. The science behind forest bathing clearly shows, that once we relax and tune into the slower pace of the natural world, our heart rate and thoughts slow down. Olga and I have experienced this on many occasions, many of us are unaware of how often we are living on adrenaline, Nature Therapy helps us to tune into our body and emotions and provides a very welcome break from living on our nerves.

We are very fortunate to be working in co-operation with Surrey Wildlife Trust.

“Surrey Wildlife Trust currently manages 82 sites, together covering almost 8,000ha, which is 5% of the land area of the county. We also work with many partners and other landowners to advise on land management for conservation, with particular emphasis on woodland, wetlands, and heathland.” http://www.surreywildlifetrust.org/

ABOUT GARY AND OLGA:

Gary and Olga have traveled extensively visiting ancient sites and forests, from their studies of indigenous wisdom they have come to understand that something vital has been missed from modern educational systems. Where was our education on emotional health and well-being? How should we handle stress when life takes an unexpected turn? Most of us have no idea what to do. To find useful and helpful tools, we have to look to other cultures and times long past.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

We will start with an introduction: who we are, what we do, and give simple tips for the session ahead.

We will take a walk around the site and then gather to start some simple relaxation exercises, these will involve breathing exercises, aimed at calming your breath and bringing mindfulness to your senses.

We will then do a guided grounding meditation. Our walk will include different exercises to sharpen your senses to make you more aware of your surroundings. Please note, the exercises will be aimed at sensual experiences rather than intellectual understanding – we want you to learn about the environment with your senses rather than with your mind! We will work on sharpening the sense of smell, hearing, touch, and sight.

The rest of the walk will be in silence – we call it a “mindful walk.” There are many benefits to mindful walking, including, by playing the part of the observer you will notice a lot more wildlife as this is a quiet exercise, animals, and birds will not be scared away by human voices.

To finish, we will take a gentle stroll back to where we started; we will sit down and discuss our experiences. Gary and Olga will be available for any questions, and will also provide details for future events.

Throughout the walk, you will be supervised by Gary and Olga, who will do their best to give you as much attention as possible, and take the best care of you. After some of the exercises, we will join in a group to briefly discuss our experiences, which will help us learn from each other and, maybe, notice something new about ourselves.

To find out more about our 2018 events, please join us on Meetup https://www.meetup.com/Forest-Bathing-and-Nature-Therapy/

Please call us with any questions, we are always happy to hear from people 01932 880 712

2018 Inspirational Events in Surrey, Gong Baths, Yoga, Cacao & Mindfulness

Location for indoor events: 

Clandon Wood (just outside Guildford), Heather Farm, Woking & Kingston Quaker Centre

Mindfulness Teaching: Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation

The aim of these classes is to teach the foundational principles of mindfulness meditation, its objectives and benefits, and how to implement mindfulness into your daily routine for inner peace, clarity, and strength. We have designed our classes to be as comfortable, practical, and straightforward as possible so that you can implement the exercises at home. We firmly believe in the benefits of mindfulness and hope to encourage wider adoption. We would love to share our experience with you in hope to make your life a happier, more peaceful, and healthier experience!

Booking and more information: http://www.meetup.com/The-Alchemy-of-Sound-South-West-London-and-Surrey/

Cacao, Gong Bath, and Meditation

Following the success of our weekend gong bath across Elmbridge, we would now like to offer a deeper spiritual experience for those interested (we have had requests!) Our Cacao events are designed to build on the weekend gong baths. Sound healing has many uses and depths of experience. We will incorporate our cereminial Cacao and gong and a guided meditation into these special events. We hope you will love these sessions as much as we love sharing them!

Booking and more information: http://www.meetup.com/The-Alchemy-of-Sound-South-West-London-and-Surrey/

Gong Bath: De-stress and Relax

Our sound experience evenings are designed to help release stress built up over a busy week. We want to give you a timeout, somewhere to relax and recharge for the coming week. We have received some wonderful feedback about our events, many of our members are now attending on a weekly basis.

Booking and more information: http://www.meetup.com/The-Alchemy-of-Sound-South-West-London-and-Surrey/

Traditional Himalayan Style Yoga

Trained in India, we are teaching traditional Himalayan style yoga. Yoga is a balance between mind, body, and spirit. Our yoga practices combine all three elements – physical workout in the form of yoga postures; exercises to extend vital force (also known as prana or chi/ki) – pranayama; and spiritual practices – in the form of mantra repetition and concentration on internal states of consciousness throughout the practice.

Booking and more information: https://www.meetup.com/The-Alchemy-of-Sound-South-West-London-and-Surrey/