Forest Bathing; Mindful guided wellbeing walk ~ welcoming Autumn

FOREST BATHING: Guided Wellbeing walk

Join us for a rejuvenating experience in nature as the Earth begins winding down towards autumn. This 2.5 hour guided walk is a gentle, mindful meander through a beautiful deer park with tranquil woodlands, wildflower meadows, gentle river, peaceful lakes and collection of veteran trees including a 2000 year old ancient yew tree!

This introduction to the practice of forest bathing involves immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, and scents of the great outdoors. It is designed to help you relax, unwind, and connect with the natural world around you as you unplug from the pressures of daily life and experience the healing benefits of nature.

You will be guided through a series of slow mindful invitations and a gentle sensory exploration of the forest that transports you to a place of tranquillity and inner harmony. As you reawaken your senses, you may begin to notice the magic in the mundane and a sense of joy and wonder courtesy of the healing power of nature.

Gift yourself this opportunity to slow down, recharge your mind, body, and soul and reconnect to the natural world and to your true nature.

This experience is open to all levels of experience.

This is for you if:

🌿 You are looking for simple ways to relax and unwind from your daily pressures

🌿 You are looking for natural ways to manage stress, anxiety and overwhelm

🌿 You are curious about how nature can boost your wellbeing, resilience & quality of life

🌿 You would like to experience the healing power of nature for physical, mental and emotional health

🌿 You are keen to develop a state of inner presence and stillness yet find that sitting meditation doesn’t work for you

🌿 You love nature and want to deepen your connection to the natural world and attune to the seasonal cycles

🌿 You are curious about personal growth and self-discovery and keen to get to know your true nature

Forest Bathing has been clinically proven to:

🌲 Strengthen the immune system

🌲 Reduce stress and anxiety

🌲 Lower blood pressure & cortisol levels

🌲 Regulate your nervous system

🌲 Boost mood and increases feelings of joy, gratitude, and wonder

🌲 Boost brain power ie. Increases attention & sparks creativity

🌲 Decreases inflammation in the body

🌲 Increase energy and improves sleep

What is Forest Bathing?

Forest bathing is a mindfulness practice that involves slowing down and immersing yourself in the forest atmosphere. The practice originated in Japan in the 1980’s as an antidote to escalating stress levels, and since then a huge body of scientific research has emerged that shows how only two hours of mindful exploration in a forest could reduce blood pressure, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and improve concentration and memory. As such, the Japanese government introduced Forest Bathing, or ‘shinrin-yoku’ as they call it, as a national health programme, and is now beginning to gain popularity in the UK.

Forest Bathing allows us to experience the multitude of healing benefits offered by the forest, and it is so easy that anyone can do it. It simply involves shifting our approach to nature - away from the habitual need to ‘achieve’ something in nature - be it talking to a friend, exercising, walking the dog etc. Instead, there is nothing to do other than simply ‘be’ in nature in the present moment. A series of simple nature connection exercises will help you slow down and awaken your senses so that you can experience the therapeutic benefits of nature.

Your investment:

The exchange is £12.22 for 2.5 hours (£4.80 per hour). This includes all equipment and a herbal tea, and helps to cover my costs ie. insurance, woodland hire, ticket fee's, equipment etc.

Refund Policy: Refunds up to 5 days before event. Eventbrite’s fee is nonrefundable (approx 7% of the total fee). Exceptions made in extenuating circumstances.

About the location

Buxted Park is a beautiful deer park with a diverse terrain ranging from tranquil woodlands, wildflower meadows, meandering river, peaceful lakes, babbling brooks and a collection of stunning ancient trees including a 2000 year old Yew tree. The site can get quite muddy so decent walking shoes or high grip wellies are essential and there is a gentle incline to walk up.

The site is part of the SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) due to its high conservational value, home to a wide variety of wildlife.

Difficulty level: easy - moderate level with gentle inclines, unevan terrain and muddy areas (walking boots or good grip wellies necessary).

Sessions are for Adults aged 18+ years old.

Address: St Margaret the Queen Church, Buxted TN22 4LP.

Parking: There is ample free parking outside St Margaret the Queen Church, Buxted TN22 4LP. Please do NOT park at Buxted Park as this is private property.

Meeting point: Meet outside the gate of St Margaret the Queen Church, located on the park.

Facilities: Unfortunately there is no toilet on site so wild wee’s are encouraged!

Getting there: Nearest train station: Buxted 0.5 miles, Uckfield 4 miles, Haywards Heath 12 miles.

About your guide

My name is Emma, I am a Forest Bathing Guide, Mindfulness teacher and artist whose work is eternally inspired by nature. Moreover, I have come to experience firsthand the transformative impacts of connecting with nature for my own health and wellbeing journey. After a series of life challenges, namely a redundancy from my former media career, followed by lockdown and a mystery health challenge which left me largely bedridden for a third of a year, nature became my medicine, my solace and trusted friend. As I grappled with stress, anxiety, feeling lost and confused about my direction in life, and finally, being physically immobilised, I slowly began to find awe and wonder in the simple joys of life - often in the wildflowers that sprung up in my lawn and in the gentle walks around my neighbourhood. Gradually, previously unseen beauty began unveiling itself to me, simple joys that were there all along, patiently waiting for me to be present enough to notice. This deepening relationship with nature has enriched my life beyond belief and offered a sense of purpose and desire to give back. Not only to serve the earth that gifts us so much, but to help others who may be struggling and looking for a way through. My intention is to share my experiences to help more people tap into the healing benefits of nature and to cultivate an appreciation for this generous earth that I hope may inspire a desire to protect it. I also have qualifications in Art for health & Well being, Natural Mindfulness, colour therapy, energy healing and Forest Bathing.

Find me: You can find me at www.wildwonderment.co.uk

or email me at info@wildwonderment.co.uk for more information.