BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.3//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2231@coolcleveland.com DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250410T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250425T000000 DTSTAMP:20260402T095053Z URL:https://coolcleveland.com/events/in-these-anxious-times-try-forest-bat hing-by-laura-kennelly/ SUMMARY:In These Anxious Times\, Try Forest Bathing by Claudia Taller DESCRIPTION:\nWhat is Forest Bathing? Can it be as simple as sitting in the backyard? Or does it have to be in the deep woods unhindered by developme nt? Must it be guided\, or can one just be present?\nI think the answer is that it can be any of those things if an intention is made to be present to the sights\, sounds\, smells\, feel\, and even taste of a wooded area\, and to spend the necessary time to be connective to the woods in a meanin gful way. Forest bathing\, also known as forest therapy\, became common in Japanese preventive health care and healing in the 1980s. Science says th e benefits of forest bathing are derived from essential oils called phyton cides with antimicrobial and antifungal properties\, which are given off b y trees and plants in the forest. These oils protect trees and humans by b oosting the immune system\, fighting disease\, and reducing stress. Just b eing near trees can provide benefits.\nAt Bradley Woods one morning last y ear\, I walked in the meadows in complete silence. Bees buzzed in clover\, and tall grasses and native plants whispered in the breeze. In the woods\ , I crouched close to tree root hollows to see the spongy bright green mos ses and noted that some patches were tightly woven like carpet and others were like a stand of bright little saplings. I heard the wind blowing thro ugh the leaves in the upper canopy of trees and felt the stickiness of spi derwebs on my face. Rough bark scratched at my hand\, and the soft place w here a tree had been injured felt like a smooth sanded table. My skin reac ted to the differing air temperatures as I moved from sunlit spaces to the dark woods. I heard the skitter of small animals in the undergrowth of le afy plants but never saw them. The air carried the scents of pine and mint \, but mostly it just smelled like “green.” The trees stood together l ike sentries as I moved through their cathedral of entwined branches and w ondered what the forest thought of me as I displaced the surface of the sa nd dirt path.\nI was part of a forest bathing session with Certified Fores t Therapy Guide Catherine Mangan and seven other women. Bradley Woods Rese rvation is a Cleveland Metroparks property in North Olmsted and Westlake. The park that humans visit is relatively small\, but the surrounding deep forests of birch\, maples\, oaks\, tupelos\, and sour gums are a habitat f or deer and other wildlife. The centerpiece of the park is Bunns Lake\, wh ich was created in 1986 to provide a waterfowl habitat — wings flapped o ver our heads as the big birds squawked. We met at a picnic shelter near t he parking lot.\nI’ve always been keenly aware that when I’m in the wo ods\, I feel better. Stress and worry dissipate in the same way that breat hing and meditation soothe the central nervous system. While walking in th e woods and paying attention to the birds\, trees\, and plant life\, breat hing and meditation happen naturally. We have this wonderful connection wi th nature that is enticing and calming. I wanted to know what I would feel during a “real” guided forest bathing experience.\nBack to that walk. We began by creating a sense of community with introductions and talking about what we wanted to gain from the morning. From the beginning\, Cather ine made it was clear that we were going to explore our relationship with the “more than human world.” Then she told us about the indigenous hun ter gatherers and the Ice Age and the formation of the Great Lakes\, nothi ng new\, but yes\, we live in a special place. Knowing our space\, we set out into the grasslands and headed for the trees. During our walk\, we wer e given invitations and spent 10-15 minutes on each one: noticing things t hat move\, holes and hollows\, voices of the forest\, texture\, the forest ’s dappled light\, letting the heart lead. We stopped along the walkways to share what we connected with when the silence ended. Then we headed ba ck to the picnic table for tea and snacks. The experience has stayed with me months after the event.\nForest Bathing Finder writes of Catherine\, “She believes it is through our relationships with ourselves and others that we find opportunities for healing and experience our own unique expre ssion of Life. Believing that each person is on a journey filled with a v ariety of relationships\, Catherine views forest therapy as naturally suit ed to offering each person the opportunity to explore their relationship w ith the ‘more than human world’ in a safe\, simple and gentle way.” Upcoming walks take place on May 10 at Bradley Woods and on May 25 at Gard enview Horticultural Park.\nRam Dass wrote that “We're all just walking each other home.” I hear intimacy and love in that statement. Magnificen ce is all around us if we make time for it. Guided forest bathing is one t ool we can use for healing ourselves.\nClaudia Taller is a RYT 200 yoga in structor who teaches classes at Rocky River Recreation Center and has been leading workshops and retreats for many years. ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://coolcleveland.com/wp-content/uploads/202 5/04/ForestBathing.jpeg CATEGORIES:college,Spirituality,Education,----WRITERS----,Outdoors,Preview ,RSS,Nature/Environment,Healthy,Claudia Taller,Tags END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250309T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR