Forest Bathing at Clifton Country Park

**These sessions are made possible thanks to funding from Swinton and Pendlebury devolved budget, for the purpose of supporting the wellbeing of Salford residents . Please only book on if you know you will attend as there are limited places available.**

Forest Bathing at Clifton Country Park

Join us for a rejuvenating and immersive experience in nature at Clifton Country Park. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and indulge in the healing power of nature.

Forest bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese practice that involves mindfully connecting with nature. It is a perfect opportunity to unwind, destress, and recharge your batteries.

No prior experience is necessary, and all fitness levels are welcome. Just come as you are, with an open mind and a willingness to experience yourself, the park and the group in the present moment.

W hat to expect:

You will be taken on a mindful nature connection walk through the woods for 2 hours. During this time you will be guided in to try mindful activities to help you connect to your environment and explore nature using your senses. We end our walk with a short meditation or poem and herbal tea.

Walks will go ahead in most weathers so please dress appropriately for the day. In the unlikely event the weather is particularly bad (eg a storm) we will try to rearrange.

A fter the session you will be sent a feedback form - please do take a few minutes to fill this out as it helps us know what is going well and what to improve on. It also helps us apply for more funding in future if we can show the benefits in the words of participants.

Benefits of Forest Bathing:

F orest Bathing (also called Shinrin Yoku) has a host of well researched health benefits, including reduced blood pressure, lower stress levels, improvement in mood and more energy.

2 hours in nature per week can improve both our physical and mental health - it's such an enjoyable and easy way to boost your wellbeing. Most of us know that a walk in nature makes us feel good, but in modern life we are trained in distraction and being present to our surroundings doesn't always come easily. Natalie will guide and support you to get the most of your time outdoors so that you feel replenished and recharged, and hopefully inspired to use what you've learned again and again. It's lovely to do this as a group having a shared experience, this enriches the walk as we can connect to and learn from each other.

A year of Forest Bathing

These sessions at Clifton Country Park will be taking place regularly at weekends throughout 2024 - Forest Bathing is a practice, much like yoga or meditation, in that we get more benefit when we practice it regularly. Sessions will be available to book a couple of months in advance, if you'd like to 'save the date' here is the full schedule:

• Sat 9th March
• Sun 21st April
• Sat 4th May
• Sun 9th June
• Sat 20th July
• Sun 11th Aug
• Sat 7th Sept
• Sun 6th Oct
• Sat 9th Nov

**I am so happy to be able to offer these sessions to people free of charge. Please only book on if you are committed to attending and let me know if you are unable to make it so someone else can have your space.**