Forest Walks
“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”
In August, I joined a forest therapy walk led by Tammy Wong, founder of Bay Forest Walks. I wasn’t sure what to expect, having never participated in forest therapy before or even quite sure what forest therapy was. But I love trees and love being among them, so I was down for whatever might unfold.
A small group of us met at the edge of Heroes Grove, a grove of redwoods inside Golden Gate Park (adjacent to the Rose Garden for you locals). Tammy started by sharing the history of forest therapy and the benefits—both physical and psychological—of spending time among trees. Especially in our tech-based society. And especially in our urban environment.
Here’s the thing about redwood groves, at least in my experience—they’re magical. A healthy grove of redwoods creates a canopy, a roof of soft filtered light, like walking into a high-vaulted cathedral with glass windows all around. The dampened sound arrests me, making me pause, speak quietly, and listen. The woody perfume fills the air with a heavenly earthy incense.
So the forest quite literally produced the perfect environment for Tammy’s next invitations to slow down and engage our senses. We smelled. We listened. We looked. We touched. We did these things quietly and alone and then brought our noticings back to the group for reflection. It’s amazing what you notice when you slow down.
A calmness overtook me as I engaged my senses slowly, methodically. My thoughts became more and more attuned to the present. At the beginning I had been present physically, but over time I found presence of mind and spirit. It reminded me of the words of John Mark Comer in his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, how in the busyness of life we must prioritize “unhurried time to just sit with God in the quiet. To pray. Read a psalm. Take an internal inventory. Let our souls catch up to our bodies.”
What filled my soul in the calmness was gratitude, expanding within me like a balloon, creating spaciousness to delight in the Creator and His good gifts of creation, and an intention to carry this with me beyond the forest into my daily life.
As we wrapped up, I was struck by the memory of the words of John Muir:
“In every walk with Nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”
To learn more about the benefits of forest therapy, visit the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.
Join us on our next Nature Connection Forest Walk.
