What Happens on a Forest Therapy Walk

Forest & Nature Therapy walks with Kelly Kiss, ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide.
Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) on Salt Spring Island, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island, BC.

All images are copyright protected by Dave Hutchison Photography. For image use requests please contact Dave through his website.

What Happens on a Forest Bathing Walk?

Forest bathing walks are not a naturalist walk or a hike. There is no plant or animal identification, and no agenda. Walks move slowly over a gentle landscape and are usually 1 km or less in length. For this reason the practice of forest therapy is accessible to people of all fitness levels, ages and abilities. Walks are typically between two and three hours in length. As a guide, I will offer you a series of invitations to open-up your senses and become deeply immersed in your surroundings. Invitations are a method that guides use to help participants find their connection with the natural world and the healing powers of the forest. Guides help participants to slow down, become more mindful and assist in creating a deeper connection with self, others, and nature beings. Your experience will always be personal to you, and invitations are just suggestions to help you interact with the forest in a unique way. All guided forest therapy walks are then concluded with the sharing of tea brewed from local plants, and healthy snacks. This final offering further strengthens our sense of community and connection.

Benefits of Regular Forest Therapy Walks:

Decreases stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels.
Boosts the immune system by increasing natural killer cells.
Heightens mood and enhances creativity.
Improves sleep and increases energy levels.
Helps you to feel a greater sense of peace and calm.
Deepens your connection with yourself, others and the natural world around you.

Learn more about forest therapy on the about page.

dendrophile ~someone who loves trees and forests

"Yes, trees are the foundation of forests, but a forest is much more than what you see...Underground there is this other world, a world of infinite biological pathways that connect trees and allow them to communicate and allow the forest to behave as though it's a single organism. It might remind you of a sort of intelligence." `Suzanne Simard, forest ecologist, University of British Columbia. Forest Bathing Retreat, Hannah Fries.

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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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linktr.ee/KellyKissArt

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.

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).

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.