Stephen D. Stewart-Hill
Step outside – mindfully – and feel the difference. This Mindful Woods Walk is more a saunter than hiking or exercise. Inspired by the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing, this guided experience allows us to shift from our thinking minds, where we spend most of our time, to a direct sensory experience of what’s around us in the natural world. It’s no surprise that this connection is essential for our health and well-being as our human species evolved in the outdoors. Even after small amounts of time in nature, science shows that our bodies respond with a lowering of our stress hormone, cortisol, reduced anxiety, improved mood, focus and sleep. More than science, nature connects us to ourselves and to others. Sign up for one or more in this 3-part series. Each month we explore a unique aspect of Forest Bathing from embodiment to species loneliness and relationship, to our sense of time. The cost per person for Mohonk Preserve members: $20/session, $55/series. The cost for non-members: $23/session, $62/series.