Boston Flora

Tag: Forest bathing

  • Sunday, August 11, 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Forest Bathing: A Mindful Nature Experience

    Join guest guide Stefanie Haug (LICSW) on August 11 as we explore Mount Auburn Cemetery by slowing down, being attentive to nature with all our senses, and deepening our appreciation for this special slice of our Watertown and Cambridge neighborhood. Our Forest Bathing experience will include simple warm-up movements, a natural history of the area, guided breathing and centering awareness, mindful walking with sensory activities, and finding our nature meditation/sit spot.

    What to bring: comfortable clothing, walking shoes, small mat or towel to sit on, water. Check-in for the experience will be outside Story Chapel. Stefanie Haug guides people on journeys of self-awareness and relationship with nature as a local psychotherapist and certified Mindful Outdoor Guide (Kripalu). Her international career has spanned the corporate and nonprofit world with a focus on the wellbeing of humans and the more-than-human world. Stefanie is a lifelong nature lover and can often be found outdoors in all types of locations and weather, taking it all in with a sense of wonder, humor and calm. $10 for Friends of Mount Auburn, $15 general public. Register on Eventbrite HERE.

  • Sunday, January 14, 8:30 am – 10:00 am – Forest Bathing in the Conservatory

    If you’re not into forest bathing in the snow, try an indoor equivalent at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill on January 14. Relax and refresh through mindfulness practices, sensory awareness, and nature. A guided experience in the Orangerie where you will walk around the conservatory and stop and sit together. We will focus on our senses to develop an immediate connection with the plants. This is a very relaxed, slow, and mindful way of walking. The walk should last about 1.5 hours and we will finish with a Shinrin Yoku tea and a small snack. The conservatories are warm so you can dress in comfortable clothing. Instructor Nadine Mazzola is an award winning author, Certified Forest Therapy Guide and founder/director of New England Nature and Forest Therapy Consulting based in Massachusetts. She is also a trainer, mentor and advisor for the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Nadine’s training includes special knowledge in guiding people of all ages in Shinrin-Yoku, “Forest Bathing,” walks and the body of scientific knowledge demonstrating the benefits of spending time in nature as a wellness practice and an effective way to manage stress. She has come to know the healing and support that nature can offer us through her own personal wellness journey.

    Also an artist, she facilitates Expressive Arts classes at the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden, often incorporating elements of forest therapy throughout. She works with a wide variety of populations including the corporate business world, wellness professionals, people affected by cancer, students, special needs and seniors. Nadine is available for consulting, private or group forest bathing half-day and full-day workshops, and speaking engagements.

    $30 for NEBG members, $40 for nonmembers. Register at www.nebg.org

  • Tuesdays, January 9 and 23, and February 6, 9:00 am – Forest Bathing at Polly Hill Arboretum

    Enjoy an easy, mindful walk through beautiful Polly Hill Arboretum trees in a peaceful winter setting. These walks are led by Shanta Gabriel, who has worked in the field of alternative health for 40 years and has been leading groups in nature for over a decade. Sign up for one class or all. Rain dates will be held on the following Thursday. Please meet at our Visitor Center. Remember to dress accordingly, this program will be held outdoors.

    Cost: $15; $10 for PHA members. Register HERE.

    Proceeds benefit Polly Hill Arboretum and help make it possible for us to hold future affordable and free educational programs for our community. Thank you for your support!

  • Wednesday, September 22, 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm – Forest Bathing 101: Tapping Into Everyday Nature

    Join us for an interactive, meditative “stroll” guided by Judy Beaudette, who explains the history behind forest bathing (‘shinrin yoku’ in Japan), a research-based mindfulness practice that offers wellness through immersion in nature. Evidence-based research links forest bathing to powerful health benefits, including reduced blood pressure and stress levels, a stronger immune system, improved sleep, better cognition, and higher energy levels. You’ll have the chance to practice a few techniques and will leave with ways to weave forest bathing into your everyday life.

    A lifelong nature enthusiast, instructor Judy Beaudette tended her first garden at age 12 in Nebraska, then went on to create vegetable and perennial gardens on both the East and West Coasts.  Her interest in forest bathing emerged while serving on the board of Friends of North Creek Forest, a Seattle-area nonprofit that successfully preserved 64 acres of urban forest as a wilderness park in Bothell, WA. Since 2017, she’s been designing and leading forest bathing walks for groups and individuals within the greater Seattle area. 

    This webinar takes place September 22 at noon. Sponsored by the Ecological Landscape Alliance, free for ELA members, $10 for nonmembers. Register HERE

  • Thursday, February 15 and Friday, March 16, 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Forest Bathing in the Conservatories

    Reset the stress button and experience the grandeur of the Tower Hill Botanic Garden conservatories in a whole new way with the practice of Forest Bathing. We will use our senses to meet and develop a connection with the living residents (the plants) of this special space as we explore with our senses their flowers and fragrance, outstanding foliage and enticing fruit. This simple yet profound practice draws from mindfulness, sensory awareness and nature. You’ll engage all your senses through a series of invitations to bring you to the present moment. We will conclude with a tea ceremony and a snack next to the conservatory.

    Nadine Mazzola is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs. Her training includes special knowledge in guiding people of all ages in Shinrin Yoku, “Forest Bathing,” Walks and the body of scientific knowledge demonstrating the benefits of spending time in nature as a wellness practice and an effective way to manage stress. As a cancer survivor, practicing good self-care is Nadine’s most important guiding principle for herself. She has come to know the healing and support that nature can offer us through her own personal wellness journey. A Massachusetts native who loves spending time wandering and exploring in nature, she is joyous to be sharing Forest Bathing with the community and creating environments for Forest Therapy. Image from www.greenbiz.com.

    Each session is $20 for THBG members, $30 for nonmembers. Register at https://towerhillbg.thankyou4caring.org/pages/event-registration-form—forest-bathing-in-the-conservatories-winter-2018

  • Friday, August 19, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Healing with Nature: Forest Bathing

    Immerse yourself in “forest bathing” — a well-known Japanese practice (shinrin-yoku) for managing stress and connecting to nature — during this half-day retreat with Certified Forest Therapy Guide Nadine Mazzola on Friday, August 19 from 9:30 – 12:30.  Co-sponsored with the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden, Harvard, MA. $5 of your registration fee will be a tax-deductible donation to the Healing Garden. The session will be held again on Saturday, September 10. Tower Hill member price $25, nonmembers $30. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.