Forest Bathing Walks
Forest bathing, which is one of many forms of nature therapy, is a guided experience informed by the Japanese art and science of shinrin-yoku, which literally means bathing your senses in the forest (like sunbathing only in the shade of a tree). These are slow-paced walks of 2 to 3 hours exploring invitations opening our senses to the nourishment that comes from being in thriving natural systems. Forest bathing supports health and well-being through expanding our awareness of our connection to the natural world. This exchange of connection between your system and the ecosystem is the therapy. Connective invitations guide participants to listen to their bodies while experiencing the rhythms of the living world as opportunities for connection.
Science is increasingly showing evidence that time in nature can boost immune response, reduce anxious thinking, and improve cognitive functioning (see example review of research here). In forest bathing we slow down, remember our part in the larger whole, and give ourselves a break from the daily stressors we face.
Mindfulness Walks
Mindfulness walks takes contemplative practices from the halls of yoga and meditation studios into the outdoors. These walks are 1-2 hours in length where a guide provides sensory-based mindfulness invitations to increase awareness and presence. Research indicates that the stress-reduction benefits of nature-based mindfulness walks increase with regular practice (see example study here). When integrating mindfulness practices such as measured breathing, tuning into senses, counting steps, or using a word as a point of focus while on a walk, it becomes a way to physically take your contemplative practice outside. If you’ve been wanting to start a mindfulness practice this is a great introduction. And if you already have one, walks allow you to explore how to integrate your practice more deeply. One on one walks are also available.
Group Walks
If you are part of a small (up to 5) group of friends, family members or neighbors, we can find a day of the week and consistent time where I show up and provide personalized guidance to the group using different mindfulness practices. We can choose a neighborhood walk, a walk in park, or a combination. Everyone is required to wear a mask in order to be in alignment with Covid19 guidelines. We limit groups to no more than eight participants during the coronavirus pandemic. Download a flier for reference here.
Team Building Walks
We offer a tailored structured walk for organizations who are seeking a unique experience for team building. In our team-building approach we provide pre-walk and post-walk reflection activities to help the team use the walk as a source of inspiration for problem solving as well as a way to reconnect with one another. Organizations can request to pair the walk with an interactive workshop on topics such as mindfulness and neuroscience, nature and health, or other community health issues you request. Fill out the form below and share your ideas!
Family or Friend Neighborhood Park Walks
I can work with you to plan a family, neighbor, or friend-filled walk using the group walk form below. All mindfulness practices for regular offerings can be adapted for children age 12 and over if guardians/parents/care-givers want to include young people in the event. Together we review a park or neighborhood green-space walk route taking body needs and safety into consideration. We can combine mindfulness with forest bathing invitations. These are great to add to a retreat, a weekend celebration, give as a wedding or birthday gift, or simply to introduce friends and family to the idea of mindfulness and walking together!
One on One Walks
If you’d like your own one-on-one personalized guided walk you can email an inquiry at info@findingmindfulnow.com and we can plan a location and day/time that fits your schedule. Your first one-on-one guided walks use a sliding scale starting at $75 for 1.5 hours. Discounts are available for Black, Brown and Indigenous community members. Please contact me at least two weeks in advance so we have time to reserve a park permit for the activity if one is required by the public agency who manages the park.
Pricing & Scholarships
Cost for publicly advertised walks is $30 a person unless there is an additional park permit beyond the City of Portland’s (some parks require $150). You have the ability to contribute to a scholarship fund that allows people who would not otherwise have access to these supports to attend free or at a reduce rate. If finances are a barrier, please email me and I will send you the scholarship registration. I aim to have 2 spots of every walk be scholarship funded. If you already have a mindfulness practice or a walking practice and you are interested in expanding and integrating the two, a personalized intensive may be a better fit for you.
Email me at info@findingmindfulnow.com with “walk request” as the subject. Let me know where you want to go, approximately when, and for what size group. We can work together to develop a series of activities and a walking route that fits your goals. I’ll provide guidance and personalized instruction. Packages vary based on your needs and goals, so email today and let’s start working together!
Land Acknowledgment
Most walks through FMN occur on “public land” meaning parks that are now managed by government organizations with tax dollars. These natural places were taken from indigenous communities during hundreds of years of colonial conquest and attempted extermination in the U.S. For example in Oregon, the U.S. government began giving land away to European descended settlers through the Oregon Donation Land Act before it negotiated any treaties with tribes who had lived here for millenia tending the land and waterways. You can read more about broken treaties in Oregon here. Consider reading An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz to learn more about this history. Finding Mindful Now recognizes the ongoing oppression and wrongdoing toward indigenous communities and honors the history of ancestral land as the first step toward repairing these harmed relationships. We recommend contributing to indigenous, Native American and Native Alaskan communities near you. If you are in the Portland region you can donate to the Chinook Indian Nation at www.chinooknation.org, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde at www.grandronde.org, the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz at https://www.ctsi.nsn.us/ and the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) at www.nayapdx.org. If you don’t know whose land you are on, you can start exploring the Native Land app, an indigenous-led non-profit that honors indigenous Nations at www.native-land.ca. You’ll want to contact tribal representatives in your area to clarify the history of land where you are.