Five Forest Ideas

I’ve been walking through the woods a lot lately. I feel connected to nature there more than anywhere else. There is something about forests that help me to find inner calm when my outside world isn’t. This last week, dealing with the loss of my cat has been traumatic, but walking in woods has brought comfort.

Whilst it’s great to get out for a walk, going through the woods is more like a time to notice, be involved and connect with nature. Think forest bathing, where you go to the woods to use all your senses to be with nature.

I always feel lighter when I return home after walking in a forest. It’s like my mind, body and soul have been cleansed.

Here are five ideas for you to try whilst in the forest to help you feel good.

1. Don’t rush – take your time, this is not an ordinary walk. You want to feel refreshed and calm when you return home, not rushed. Every breath you take in the woods is beneficial, being in the forest can help improve your immunity. If you are going on upur own give yourself plenty of time. Whilst your initial thoughts may have you staying for five minutes, you might find you are there for over an hour. It is very easy to lose track of time once you slow down and let everything else drop away from your mind. Think of it as losing yourself (not literally) in the forest instead of a good book.
2. Touch the trees – be gentle. Walk to a tree and place both hands on the trunk. Feel the bark beneath your hands, notice how rough or smooth it feels. Picture the inner world of the trees, the energy going up and down, connecting to each branch and leaves. Take a few deep breaths and just be connected to the tree and the forest as a whole. As you walk through the woods, stop and do this often.
3. Stop, sit down and listen – going for a walk is often just about going from A to B by the quickest route. But for this, take time to pause. Find somewhere to sit down, it could be on the forest floor on the autumn leaves or on a fallen tree trunk (provided it is safe to do so). Find somewhere that feels right for you. Once sitting take a few deep breaths to help ground you and then listen. What do you hear? Birds singing, looking for food on the ground, squirrels jumping from tree to tree? The wind blowing through the trees, stirring up the fallen leaves? What about the twigs. And leaves as they fall close by? Or the crunch of leaves and snap of twigs as a person or wildlife walks through? You’ll be amazed by what you hear when you take a moment to stop and listen.
4. Look around – take notice of all you can see around you. There will likely be a variety of trees and plants or wildlife. It could be it’s a local hotspot so many people walk their dogs or go out as a family to enjoy. Don’t just look up and around, have a look to see what is beneath your feet at ground level. You might see small bugs or flowers or footprints from humans as well as wildlife. Don’t limit yourself, look everywhere. Scoop leaves up and throw them in the air, how does it feel?
5. Give it a go, then plan for next time – often you just need to get stuck in and start rather than make a plan. First time you do this you might try a few things from the above list but perhaps only for a few minutes each. Or you feel silly and aren’t sure it’s for you. See how you go, but I’m sure you will find one thing which will resonate with you which you can then incorporate into your next walk through the woods. Who knows, you may plan to take a friend or bring your yoga mat or a blanket so you can sit and be comfortable.

Forests are amazing places, it’s a great place to see the life cycle of nature in action no matter what time of year you walk,

I would highly recommend the above particularly if you are going through times of grief, stress, anxiety or sadness.

Thank you for reading, have a great week and most importantly, look after you!

Love Emma xx