On Forest Bathing

For Creative Commitments, Phyllis kindly responded to three questions that frame her video submission.

How does forest bathing help people find their way?

The relational forest therapy framework in which I guide allows each participant to find their own way through an experiential and embodied immersion in a natural environment. What the participant finds on or through the journey is unique to the individual, self-directed though supported by the wisdom of the natural world, and may be prompted by the open-ended, sensory-based invitations offered by the forest therapy guide.

What do they find their way to?

Participants will often remark during the forest bathing experience that they feel calmer, more grounded, more present, that they are seeing the natural world in a new way – or in the way they used to see it as a child. At the end of the walk, there are often expressions of gratitude and an unspoken but palpable sense of relaxation and kinship with nature and with the others on the walk. What they have found their way back to is what it means to be alive.

How did moving into this work open up a way for you?

I came to the way of a forest therapy guide as a post-retirement career. I saw it as a way to stay physically fit and socially engaged and to continue to contribute to making the world a better place. What I discovered only after I had been guiding for a time was how this work connects me to the core of my being, to a deep sense of purpose…and thus is a source of profound joy.

Phyllis has shared a short video about her work. The video was created and posted by Treehugger on Instagram when she was awarded a Best Green Travel Award last year. You can read the post about the award on Treehugger and learn more about Phyllis's work at www.forestbathinghi.com.