Health and Well-Being Plans
Walks in a variety of natural environmental settings – from urban parks, riverways, Botanic Gardens, State Parks, National Forest areas, and more!
We often forget that we are part of nature. Nature is not something separate from us. So, when we say that we have lost connection with nature, we have lost connection with ourselves.
Forest Bathing, Shinrin-Yoku (Shin-rin-yo-kin) is a practice that originated from the work of Dr. Qing Li in Japan during the 1980s. Shinrin-Yoku means taking in the forest atmosphere. In response to the cultural pressure to overwork and the many health issues and early deaths that occurred, Forest Bathing was effective in reducing burnout, lowering stress, reducing health issues, and reconnecting people to the natural world, resulting in a higher commitment to protect the country’s forests.
Continued research, from many fields, have since discovered a direct connection between exposure to the natural world and documented improved health and well-being. A wide range of studies are showing strong evidence of healthy changes in physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and social areas: commonly agreed upon that 20 minutes in nature will have a positive effect and 2-3 hours a week creates clear benefits (see chart below!).
This international practice is growing in many countries. Several Countries and Health Care Systems now suggest nature-based solutions as part of health promotion, treatment, and rehabilitation. Green prescriptions and social prescribing are becoming part of medical healthcare systems and community approaches to developing greater health and well-beingness.
“We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it.”
Both Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy offer nature connection activities structured in carefully designed sequences that engage you in your own unique experience of the natural world. For those new to being in nature, these simple activities are safe and invitational for you to engage with or adapt as needed. Those more experienced in being in natural environments already have experienced many benefits that arise in being outside.
Susan offers guided walks for individuals, families, teams, organizations, congregations and community groups.
Forest Bathing Therapy
We use time in natural settings to slow down and engage with the natural world. In this process, we will draw upon metaphors in nature we encounter to support your specific concerns or issues you are seeking support around. We can also include: Coaching, Courage & Renewal Practices, Nonviolent Communication Practices, and/or Walk & Talk sessions.
Health & Well-Being Plans
Specifically developed for your needs, this plan will provide you with nature connection activities that you can easily incorporate into your personal and professional life. After an initial consultation, you will receive a plan that is created to fit your daily life patterns so that you can be successful in your health and well-being goals.
Plans for families, teams, and organizations have the added benefit of providing a wide variety of activities and concrete suggestions on how to support your collective atmosphere that aligns with sustaining healthy work patterns and relationships. This includes how to bring nature benefits inside and ways for both individual and communal life.
| Areas | Direct and Indirect Benefits |
|---|---|
| Physical Health | Physical activity; lower blood pressure; reduces impact of stress; improves blood sugar levels in diabetes; improves sleep; lowers risk in cardiovascular diseases; boosts immune system; quicker recovery from surgery; supports health promotion, disease prevention, treatment and rehabilitation; improves social determinants for those impacted by social inequities and systemic policies (lack of access to health care and other macro-economic and global forces). |
| Mental Health | Increases sense of well-being; reduction of anxiety; reduces stress; health promotion with new ways of being in relationship to stress; provides support for specific chronic health concerns; promotes general sense of well-being; reduces symptoms of depression; creates calm and peacefulness; allows one to reconnect to what is really important; improves mood; and supports socio-emotional and emotional intelligence development. |
| Mental | Increase in concentration; improves cognitive functions, which in turn supports greater capacity to make decisions, plan and engage with complex issues; reduction of ADHD symptoms; counter acts the fast pace of our dominant culture; reduces racing thoughts; supports greater capacity to pay attention; expands capacity for listening, speaking and problem solving; and supports socio-emotional development and emotional intelligence. |
| Spiritual | Expands experience with the world; increases self connection, connection with others and inter-relatedness to our world; personal growth; improves satisfaction with life; a greater sense of meaning in life; increases sense of purpose in life; recognizes a sense of interconnectedness with that which is greater than one self; impacts and improves emotional and mental health; and, allows one to step out of one’s life to gain a new perspective on one’s growth, life and what really matters. |
| Social Health | Directly impacts social cohesion and quality of individual and team relationships; strengthens social relationships through a shared experience; reduces social isolation; promotes healthy interpersonal relationships by developing new connections with others; experience of being valued and knowing one matters; increases community capacity; building strengths through participation; and supports socio-emotional development. |
Solutions by Joshua Troy, LLC
