This guide is part of the Comox Valley Hospice Society Nature Walks Program (CVHS). It is a self-care program designed to connect people who are journeying through loss, illness, or caregiver fatigue, with the healing powers and beauty of nature. Using the guidebook provided, you can take part in a self-led nature walk at your own pace, using the themed questions provided for personal reflection, and allow nature to be a therapeutic environment in which wellness can occur. By focusing on the present moment and experiencing the sights and sounds of nature, many find that a sense of wellbeing and calm reduces feelings of sadness, hopelessness, fear, anxiety and loneliness.

How to Use This Guide: Using the questions in the provided reflection points, you'll be exploring the theme of Trust. We suggest choosing a walking location you're already familiar with, but this guide can be applied in any location where you feel comfortable. As you walk, the guide will refer to five stops you'll be asked to make. These stops can be any places on your route that invite you to slow down, to linger, or rest. The guide will refer to these places as "reflection stops" followed by a few questions referred to as "reflective points". As you consider these questions, you can use the "My Reflections" tool in the app to access common smart phone functions to help you to store any thoughts you may want to revisit later.

Welcome

Please dress appropriately for the terrain and the weather and bring along some water. As this is a reflective walk and you'll be focused inwardly as well as outwardly, we recommend muting your phone and leaving pets at home. Please review the alerts page in the site menu.