In-Person Experiences
Forest Bathing in Taos, NM with Nature Therapy Guide
Forest bathing is a path to deep connection with the natural world. Through full embodiment of all our senses, forest walks guide us into a magical realm in which to commune with the nature beings all around us. Meet me in person in Taos for a two hour experience in the high desert of New Mexico. Forest bathing is a slow wander through a green space, usually not walking more than half a mile to a mile in two hours.
We begin with an introduction to each other and to Forest Bathing. Learn what it is, how it originated and the benefits of this practice, including lowering blood pressure, decreasing inflammation, reducing cortisol levels and increasing calm, focus and creativity.
As your guide, I will give invitations that will open your senses to the wonders of the world around you in ways that you have never experienced nature before even if you are a lifetime outdoorsman. Slow down, quiet your mind, tune in, become one with nature and feel better. After each invitation, we have a brief optional share with the group.
We end by gathering together for a cup of forest tea.
This experience is accessible to all ability levels. Read more about me and forest bathing here.
I will work with you to find the perfect location depending on your group's interests and capabilities.
COST: $200 + $10 for every person after the first 9 people
Optimal group size: 3 or more
ReWild Your Words: nature immersion with creative journaling in Taos, NM with local author
Combine forest bathing with nature writing for a fully immersive and creative nature experience.
We follow the same structure as the one described above in Forest Bathing, but in addition to group shares, time is given to write intuitively, channeling the natural world and nature beings all around us. Option to share writing or not.
Because of this, the immersion is a minimum of three hours long to allow time to write.
We use automatic writing techniques (also known as free writing), that allow us to supersede the ego and free our creativity with the help of nature.
Read more about my writing experience here.
Perfect for group retreats. We can work together to choose the perfect location according to your needs.
Cost: $300 + $10 for every person after the first 9 people
Optimal group size: 3 or more
Intuitive EcoWriting Workshop in Taos, NM with local author
Nature Writing is a way to tune in more deeply with our self, the environment, and our connection with nature. Taos has a rich literary history of authors from around the world who found creative inspiration in our beautiful and unique surroundings, including D.H. Lawrence, Aldo Leopold and Willa Cather. My class will teach you my unique method of generating inspired writing, which includes guided meditation, creative visualization and experiencing nature firsthand.
We will meet at the lush and beautiful Fred Baca Park early in the morning and begin with an orientation where I will guide you to create your own personal intention for the day. After a guided meditation to ground and center, we might take a mindful walk along a nature trail (less than a mile on a flat path), allowing time and space to open all our senses to the natural world around us.
Following the walk, we will gather in the shade to write. I will discuss the craft of nature writing to give you tools to work with and I will read from some of my favorite nature writers. Writing exercises are interspersed with short guided meditations to bring us back to our bodies and back to nature. All writing is stream-of-consciousness and free of judgement. No writing experience needed, only an open mind and the desire to create.
Read more about my writing experience here.
Perfect for individuals, couples, families and group retreats. Accessible to all levels and abilities. This is a two-hour class.
Cost: $88 for one person, $200 for 2-9 + $10 for every person after the first 9 people
Optimal group size: 1-6
Interested? Contact us!
From the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides:
What is Forest Therapy?
Forest Therapy is a practice that supports health and wellness through guided immersion in forests and other environments to promote the well-being of both people and the land. It is inspired by Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of “Forest Bathing.” In Forest Bathing, people spend time in forested areas to enhance health, wellness, and happiness. In Forest Therapy, people are guided through a clearly defined sequence of invitations to slow down, allow the senses to open, and experience the environment to deepen the reciprocal relationship between participants and the forest. This supports the wholeness and well-being of both. These Slow Walks in the Forest are typically one- to two-kilometers long and fit for all ages and physical conditions. Invitations are open-ended. There is no expectation for what participants should experience or receive. Rather, participants spend time in silence, listening and feeling with a quiet and accepting presence. They become reconnected with their senses and their innate creative potential is tapped, which allows the imagination to awaken.
Forest Therapy promotes:
• The improvement of human health. People are more stressed, anxious, and depressed and have more chronic health conditions. Forest Therapy provides a pathway for people to remember how to immerse themselves in nature to rest from all that consumes them in their daily lives.
• A greater sense of connectedness. Jacques Cousteau once said, “People protect what they love.” A heartfelt, embodied relationship with nature naturally leads to a love of nature and recognition that we are nature.
• A greater sense of compassion. Somatic work with the Earth and our bodies provides participants the opportunity to remember the nature of relationship and the way we are all connected. The sense of connectedness leads toward compassion and away from apathy, greed, and selfishness. This deeper compassion supports the kind of relational values that will support new solutions for the health of people and the planet.
