Forest Bathing For Organisations & Agencies

Forest Bathing For Organisations & Agencies

Get your team out of the office and into the forest.

What is it?

‘Forest Bathing’ means to immerse ourselves in a forest or woodland. It is unique in affecting all our senses and by breathing in the essential oils (phytoncides) that trees give off, which are absorbed by the body, the experience has a profound effect on positive feelings, stress hormone levels, sympathetic nervous (fight or flight) activity, parasympathetic nervous (rest & recover) activity, blood pressure, heart rate and brain activity.

Background

Research, primarily conducted in Japan and South Korea, has proven the health benefits of spending time amongst the trees. Every study so far has demonstrated that forest bathing positively creates calming neuro-psychological effects through changes in the nervous system, reducing the stress hormone cortisol and boosting the immune system. Every study conducted so far has shown proven reductions in stress, anger, anxiety, depression and sleeplessness amongst participants. In fact after just 15 minutes of forest bathing blood pressure drops, stress levels are reduced and concentration and mental clarity improve.

Uses

Forest Bathing can be used in a number of ways to enhance training and leadership skills. We’ll either choose a location and arrange transportation, or, if you are organising an off-site board meeting or away day at a location where there is access to a forest, we’ll come to the location and run the session form there. The experience can be used in many ways, but a few examples include:

• To improve staff to customer relationships
• Improves creative thinking
• Used by CEOs seeking a breathing space
• As stress relief and ‘avoiding burnout’ tools
• Improves empathy

Useful quick facts & figures

• You only need to spend two hours in a forest to see the beneficial effect of Forest Therapy/Bathing
• Forest bathing once a month is enough to maintain a high level of natural killer cell activity.
• Women’s moods are particularly positively affected by forest bathing
• Forest bathing can help you sleep better. Research in Japan 2006 showed that the average sleep time of participants after a two-hour forest walk increased by 15%, or 54 minutes.
• Forest bathing lowers your heart rate and blood pressure. It improves your cardiovascular and metabolic rate.
• Forest bathing improves your immune system by increasing the number of natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells are a type of white blood cell that attack and kill unwanted cells. They do this with the help of anti-cancer proteins: perforin, granulysin and granzymes
• Phytoncides are the natural oils emitted by the trees a forest. The main components of phytoncides are terpennes. These are all proven to help with anxiety and lift depression. They also increase the NK cell activity and presence of anti-cancer proteins perforin, granzyme A and gransulysin
• There is a common and harmless bacteria which is released when we walk in the forest, called Mycrobacterium vaccae which makes us feel happy. This is because it stimulates the immune system
• Spending time in nature can boost problem-solving ability and creativity by 50%
• Researchers have shown that we become more helpful and caring after watching David Attenborough’s Planet Earth and looking at pictures of breathtakingly tall trees. Looking at nature increases our levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. These are proteins that make our immune system work harder which gives a positive boost to our health.
• There’s no medicine you can take that has such a direct influence on your health than a guided walk in a beautiful forest
• ‘Soft fascination’ is an involuntary attention that requires no mental effort, it just comes naturally and is what we use when we are in nature. Our minds are effortlessly captivated by clouds and sunsets, the movement and sounds of the wind in the leaves, waterfalls and streams. This leads us into a meditative state which allows us to reflect and restore our capacity to think more clearly at work (and home)
• When trees die, people die. The US Forest Service found that in places where ash trees had been affected by emerald ash border disease (100 million so far) mortality rates were higher – specifically the rates from cardiovascular and respiratory tract disease which are two of the most common causes of death in America
• Natural silence has been called one of the most endangered resources on the planet. Silence is considered such a precious commodity that the US National Park service has put a protection order on it in the middle of the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park, Washington State

What to expect

As a trained Forest Therapy Guide with IOFTM, Justine facilitates safe gentle walks, providing instructions — referred to as “invitations” — which are used as ways to open the senses. We spend so much time using our vision that our other senses often get forgotten and are underutilised. Each walk begins with establishing embodied contact with where you are. Next comes a series of connective invitations, often improvised in the moment and adapted to the needs of your group. These may be followed by wander time and/or sit spot. The walks end with a ceremony of sharing tea made from foraged local plants.

Forest therapy walks are not hikes in the traditional sense. An entire walk is typically 2 to 4 hours in duration and often covers no more than a quarter mile distance. In that relatively short distance and time most people experience contact with nature in a much deeper way than they ever have prior to the session. People have a wide range of experiences, some of which they feel are significant, even profound. As a guide, Justine is trained in the skills and perspectives needed to be a supportive witness of these experiences.

3-hours is the minimal time we recommend you should allow for this experience and it is best run for up to 8 people. It doesn’t matter if you are all from one team or spread amongst a few different departments. This is based on you coming to Surrey or Sussex in the forests we work with there. But if you’re short on time, it’s also possible to run a 2 hours taster session. If you’d like us to travel to woods/forest near your offices or for an offsite, that’s also possible.

Please also see our session on Forest Bathing & Storytelling For Organisations & Agencies.

Contact Justine to discuss on +44 (0) 7714 333418 or email us to start the conversation hello@thelifeadventure.co

Presenter Justine Clement

Justine Clement is Founder of The Life Adventure. Curiosity prevails, for she is a chaser of life's magic and wonders. The past 20 years have been spent understanding the path to true wellbeing, both her own, as well as how others can learn to take responsibility for their own health and wellness. She has spent much of her career sourcing and creating unique experiences for global brands, their marketing agencies, as well as for organisations. She's currently working on a community enterprise called The Selsey Sea Bathing Society, improving the confidence and outlook of women through outdoor swimming.

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What’s included

Forest Bathing sessions which can be organised as half or full days, or even 2 hour taster sessions and are available as part of our revolutionary business programmes. Please contact us at hello@thelifeadventure.co for pricing according to your requirements and any more details you may require on this session.

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