Some strange words in the title? I don’t know to what extent you are already familiar with them, how acquainted you are, or perhaps they are entirely unknown to you? Let’s start from\u2026<\/p>\n
Mindfulness, also known as awareness, is about being present in the moment, with yourself, with what surrounds you, and what is within you. You work with your breath, with your body, with accepting emotions, with sensory awareness, and with letting go of intrusive thoughts… Practiced daily, it allows you to experience calmness, joy, and self-awareness more frequently… But it also helps you accept reality as it is, without denying or suppressing difficult emotions, thoughts, and situations. It teaches you how to let them resonate and pass… It helps in coping with stress, overcoming crises, and, above all, in recognizing that life unfolds “here and now.” Not yesterday, not tomorrow, but in this moment… We all easily forget about it. We are preoccupied with matters from the past or worry about the future. Practicing mindfulness consistently can be challenging. Therefore, I have a proposal for you \u2013 its forest version.<\/p>\n
Being mindful “here and now” during a “forest bath”<\/a>. It’s very enjoyable and much easier to achieve mindfulness and presence in the present moment. Indeed, birds delight us with their singing, streams murmur gently, and trees rustle softly… And all these sounds immerse us in a deep state of relaxation. No one can resist them! Our brain is programmed in such a way that under their influence it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation! And then you involuntarily let go of your inner “fight, freeze, or flight” response. It’s much easier to hear the gentle buzzing of insects, the rustling of the forest floor beneath your feet, the wind in the tree branches… And to focus your attention on them. With ease, you begin to notice every passing butterfly<\/a>, beetle, wandering ant, tiny mushroom, unassuming flower, various shades of green, the “scribbles” on a decaying branch, or the “forest fortress”…<\/p>\n With surprise and wonder, you’ll suddenly feel the noticeable humidity and the scent of the forest air. The sensations when touching the bark of different tree species will be distinctly different. The softness of moss underfoot will take on a “third dimension,” and the warmth of the forest floor will surprise your senses… The touch of forest air on your face and body will be felt so distinctly and yet so pleasantly, like never before…<\/p>\n And you’ve just experienced “forest bath<\/a>,” known as “shinrin-yoku” in Japanese, from which it originates. And you probably thought we would go “ice swimming,” or wade in a stream, splash in a puddle, or at least walk barefoot in the dew… And you know, you didn’t really make a mistake, because those are also wonderful ideas for “forest baths” – “shinrin-yoku,” which most of us have already practiced \ud83d\ude42 But going back to “shinrin-yoku,” know that such a forest tasting using all your senses will allow you to fully relax your body, feel it, and relax… It will also make it easier for intrusive thoughts to drift away with the clouds in the sky, falling leaves, or raindrops… You will feel light… Because either you’ll grow wings from the bird’s music, or the forest silence will embrace you, and suddenly you’ll feel safe, joyful, and calm… Those experiences are many more, but I want to leave a bit of mystery and surprise for you to discover, as they will enhance your sensations \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Even those practicing “here and now” admit after our forest baths that, to their surprise, they realize their mindfulness of the forest at the beginning of our meeting was not complete.<\/p>\n And one of the participants in the Women’s Forest Circle, who is very mindful of her physical activity on a daily basis, was very surprised that we walked a maximum of 2 km, but she felt that “so much happened, I was in so many places, saw so much, felt so much that it’s hard for me to contain it all within myself…”<\/p>\n Your biggest surprise might be the metaphorical impact of the forest! And here we are already deep into forest therapy, because we’ve been in it from the very beginning \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Because whether you want it or not, experiencing the forest in this way will always have a therapeutic effect on you. You relax. You turn off logical and analytical thinking, open the doors to the subconscious, and flow… At first, shyly and uncertainly… Because it’s new! And what’s new often triggers fear, or at least caution. But I’m convinced that these feelings will disappear after the first forest metaphor that you manage to decipher and which will be “perfectly directed at me!!!” You might add, usually more quietly at that point, “this is impossible…” But it isn’t… \ud83d\ude42 Of course, I will help you with this, guiding you not only through the forest but also through your internal walls, barriers, and defenses… Once you open those first doors to your “inner forest,” you’ll want more and more… Because it’s enjoyable, relaxing, often revealing, incredibly liberating, and sometimes conclusive \u2013 providing answers and solutions!<\/p>\n If you’re reading this on a November evening and thinking, “I can’t wait for spring…” That’s the most misleading thought! Trust me, every season is a good time to start or continue your relationship with the forest. I really love each of them! And each year, spring-summer-fall-winter in the forest bring me new experiences, new sensations, new metaphors, and consistently, joy – at the same very high level. That can also be your positive emotions if you learn to fully and wholeheartedly experience what nature has to offer. You can join me on such a forest journey during the organised “Forest Mindfulness \u2013 Forest Therapy” workshops<\/a> here, or you can book an individual session, go as a couple, with your family and teenage children, or with a group of friends. Then you can continue your own “forest journey” in your daily life. I hear your thoughts like, “Who has time for this every day?” and I understand, but…<\/p>\n You can enjoy such a daily “forest bath” in the park while taking a walk with your children, on your way to work, in your garden, on the balcony, in a city square, or even on the couch with your eyes closed and headphones on…<\/p>\n And it can be just 15 minutes of your mindful “here and now,” with one singing bird, with raindrops on your face, with a ladybug on your shoulder, with a four-leaf clover on your lawn, with the scent of lavender on your windowsill, or with deeply etched memories of our forest bath… I could go on like this for a long time, but again, I don’t want to deprive you of the joy of searching and the emotions that come with it\u2014discovery, surprise, and satisfaction! If you haven’t had your fill of information about “forest baths” and forest therapy, I invite you to visit my website and my profiles on Facebook and Instagram, where you will find much more.<\/p>\n So, when do we meet in the forest? AnaKONDA More about forest baths and hare and hounds Ana writes here<\/a>.<\/p>\nForest bath<\/h5>\n
Forest therapy<\/h5>\n
\nI warmly invite you!<\/p>\n
\nforest and inner guide
\npsychologist<\/p>\nExplorer’s Passport<\/h6>\n