Some of you might be wondering “why would I pay someone to guide me on a nature walk? I can walk in nature, receive the healing benefits, and connect to nature on my own.”
If you are already deeply connected to nature, comfortable with slowing down, quieting your mind, and have mastered the tools that allow you to easily calm yourself, experience true relaxation and embodied presence, then you might not feel it is necessary. However, many of us struggle with these seemingly simple things.
For those of us interested in starting a nature therapy practice, it may be useful to go out with a trained guide who has experience in slowing down and leading the group into deeper sense of connection and calm. Just like with a yoga or meditation practice, some may enjoy practicing alone and others might respect the added benefits of having a guide. There is something special that happens when you can let go of your mind, your responsibility, your effort, and just surrender.
Many of us have spent so many years disconnected from nature and ourselves that we may not be able to access the healing benefits of the forest without a guide. For many of us, self care and wellness activities can be hard to integrate into our daily life, whereas setting aside the time to attend a guided walk might be the very structure necessary to achieve your health and wellness goals. The forest is the therapist, but the guide serves an important role. The guide helps you slow down, awaken your senses, and open pathways of connection between you and the forest.
Nature therapy guides have learned to speak two languages; the language of the civilized and the untamed language of nature. We can help you develop ecological awareness through specific prompts and invitations offered on a guided walk. When you let someone lead you, it becomes easier to quiet the mind and immerse deeper into your sensory explorations. We can help you to slow down and feel safe to see what has been hidden inside of you all along.
“You travel faster alone, but farther together.” ― Michael Benanav
Community is an essential component to this practice and is an added benefit to attending a organized walk. Getting together with a group of like minded individuals creates an amplified energy, experience, and outcome for us all.
“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship. – Brené Brown
Biophilia Wellness 