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Forest Therapy Blog

Sit Spot With My Dogs

1/28/2023

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I love to forest bathe with my dogs, especially sitting with them in a "sit spot" near the end of our walk.  I have a favourite place that I like to go, in a secluded neighborhood park, that has a bench and is surrounded by beautiful cedar, chestnut, and fruit trees.  Today we sat together for about fifteen minutes, just using our senses to notice.  I have found that my dogs do best after they have walked awhile, burnt off some energy, done some sniffing and of course, done their "business".  If you decide to do a "sit spot" just find a place in nature that calls to you, sit, and do nothing, just relax. You might find that the first five minutes or so they are impatient, or whiny, and your own mind begins to wander, however in time this will dissipate for all. I notice that the longer I sit, the more patient and calmer we all become. 

Today the songbirds were out and we were sitting near a magnificent chestnut tree.  When I entered the park, I felt her beckoning to me, to come and be near her.  I have walked to this beautiful sanctuary for many years, and she has become like an old friend knowing the stories in my heart. Everything is okay she said, just come sit with me awhile, and be still.  So we all sat together my dogs, and I.  My oldest girl is twelve (photo above), loves to whine, and can be very impatient.  It took her about five minutes to settle and join me in the sit spot.  As I sat I quietly noticed my body as it too started to calm, my breathing became softer, and my mind relaxed.  Then my second girl joined us, sitting motionless and just noticing.  
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​Together we forest bathed --in the distance I could hear the sound of water from a nearby creek, the ocean waves, the songbirds singing and feeling a gentle breeze on my face and skin.  My girls were looking up, and I wondered, what are they seeing? So, I followed their lead,  looking up and noticing the slow movement of clouds and some sunlight trying to come through.  The little bit of sun felt good, and I experienced joy in that moment. The branches on the tops of the cedar trees were swaying in the wind, and a flock of songbirds flew quickly by, scattering from the sound of a moving vehicle.  Together they moved on,  finding shelter in some distant trees.  There must have been at least fifty hiding in the tops of the cedar trees today.  My girls were quiet now, just being in that moment in time, as though nothing else mattered.

The wind picked up.  I love the sound of the wind; it is music to my heart.  Silence in nature, is music to my ears.
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    Forest & Nature Therapy
    with Kelly Kiss.
    ​Come walk with me...
    Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) on Salt Spring Island,
    the Gulf Islands &
    ​Vancouver Island, BC.

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    Kelly Kiss

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What participants Are Saying

"The experience was unbelievably rich and deep.  I easily dropped deeply into presence and maintained that state throughout.  So life affirming.  The guide Kelly was so kind and steady and fully embodied the love and appreciation of
​nature and our connectedness." 


"Find the time! It is worth the investment to understand how you can benefit from listening and smelling the forest!"
​
"I think everyone would benefit to experience the calming effect of a
forest therapy walk." 
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Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park. Located on the Southwest coast of Vancouver Island, B.C.
​Experience some of British Columbia's oldest and most beautiful trees.

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I would like to acknowledge the land where I am living ~the unceded territory and ancestors of the Coast Salish Peoples of Salt Spring Island and surrounding areas who continue to use and steward the lands and waters of the Salish Sea. These include the traditional land of the local Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group (Cowichan, Halalt, Lyackson, Cowichan Lake, Penelakut), and Saanich First Nations
​(Tsartlip, Tseycum, and Tswaout).
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All photographs are the sole property of Kelly Kiss and/or Dave Hutchison Photography (where noted) and are held under copyright. The images and contents of this website may not be copied, collected, or used for personal or professional gain without express written permission from Salish Sea Nature Connections, www.salishseanatureconnections.ca. 
Copyright ©2023.
  • Home
  • About
    • What Happens on a Forest Therapy Walk
  • Your Guide
    • Training
  • Walks
    • Private Forest Therapy Walks
    • Salt Spring Island Forest Therapy Walks
    • Victoria & Vancouver Island Forest Therapy Walks
    • Nature Play Walks
    • Nature Photo Tours & Forest Therapy on Vancouver Island
    • Retreats >
      • Nature & Nurture Retreat
  • Trail Certification
  • Contact
    • Walk Gallery
    • Articles & Links
    • Blog