http://www.thatforestfeeling.com/

Sarah Abu-Absi, Mind-Body Coach + Forest Therapy Guide, Evanston, IL (2025)

07/10/2025

I may be on social media less*, but I'm out in the forest and prairies and parks and preserves and lakefront guiding forest therapy as much as ever.

I'm so thankful for my clients and partners that prioritize being / connecting / rest / mindfulness when we have so many other pulls on our attention (and when we need it the most).

Shout out to my partners from the last couple of months, including Northwestern University, Healing Lake County Collaborative, SUM, Evanston Parks and Rec, and my private clients - I'm so grateful for you!

Reach out to me anytime if you want to join me, and we'll figure out a way to make it happen.

*I'm on social media less for many reasons, including but not limited to:

1. My new role with Lin Health as a pain recovery coach is keeping me busier!

2. I do not like selling or being sold to, and more and more social media is just that. I want to grow my forest therapy reach via relationships, not imposing a scarcity mindset like so much marketing does. (And the amount of targeted ads telling me I'm not good enough as I am, especially as a middle-aged woman, is astounding.)

3. I often feel like I'm talking into the void on social media. I'd rather talk to the person in front of me.

4. My teens are home for summer break and I want to hang out with them when they want to hang out with me!

5. vibes.

07/09/2025

I’m excited to share that I’ve started working as a Pain Recovery Coach at Lin Health.

I will continue to guide forest therapy, as well as see my own pain recovery clients, so don't hesitate to reach out to me about either!

Working with Lin will allow me to increase my impact, see a broader range of clients (Lin accepts insurance!), spend less time marketing (my least favorite part of what I do), and expand my access to resources, peers, and leadership in this groundbreaking field.

I'm super grateful for this opportunity and to be a part of this compassionate, groundbreaking team.

Reach out to me if you're interested in learning more!

06/06/2025

These are actual things I've heard from people that I guided in forest therapy.

For most of these, I hear different versions of them over and over again (just not the novel one, but I loved that).

It can be hard to prioritize stepping away from our busy lives and busy minds to check in with ourselves, but it's so necessary.

(You can join me this Saturday (via Evanston Parks and Rec) or schedule a private forest therapy experience. DM me with any questions :))

05/20/2025

Settle Into Summer with me
at one of my favorite gems in the city
Harbert-Payne Park

Saturday June 7th
9am

Register through the City of Evanston Parks and Recreation
Activity Code 123136

05/15/2025

Grateful for another collaboration with our amazing public libraries (aren't libraries the best?) -- this time with Deerfield Public Library.

Maybe you want to ask your favorite librarian to partner with me to bring to you and your fellow library-lovers?

It's so great.

05/13/2025

Regular practice is where it's at.

I hear from my regular clients how they are able to be truly present in their lives so much more, compared to when they first started practicing.

How they can sit with the hard stuff and savor the good stuff. How they can tap into their sense of awe and wonder more easily. How they can access perspective more easily, and find their center in times of stress or overwhelm.

It's so simple (mindfulness + nature) and nothing new, but our busy lives, habits, patterns (and our darn phones!) make it realllllly hard to just be PRESENT, without fixing, changing, analyzing, worrying or planning.

Our brains and nervous systems weren't designed to ALWAYS BE ON. But it's hard to "shut it off."

The more you practice, the easier it becomes when you really need it.

That's where a guide helps, and nature helps.

p.s. Results may vary from the photos lol, and the photos are not mine obviously but I did compile the images :)

p.s.

05/09/2025

Thank you to the changemakers that gathered today to BECOME THE GROUND. We connected with the Earth and our bodies and the present moment, we let ourselves FEEL what needed to be felt, and we listened for wisdom about how to meet this moment in the world and our lives.

Thank you to the Earth.
Thank you to all that care for the Earth.

Let’s keep going, and paying attention, together.

Again the Prentis Hemphill quote that inspired this:

“If we are to be with what is, to face that…. As our world is destabilized by climate, by conflict, by everything, by war, by oppression…
as the ground shakes underneath us, how can we practice to become the ground….
Practice to feel the ground…
How do we practice together in community that allows our breath to eventually become the breath of this world
The breath that allows us to feel, to cry, to experience and express the awe, the wonder, the beauty of life.
How do we practice in a way that allows the beauty to still be here, because that is the thing that gets covered up. The truth of our connection, the truth of our aliveness….”

05/09/2025

I'd love to hear from you -- what are your favorite ways to tend to your relationship with the Earth -- both through ACTION and through BEING?

ALSO -- recognizing and honoring that we may go through phases where we are a little out of balance -- too much action, not enough being -- or vice versa. Knowing we can honor what our bodies and souls need (or are capable of) in our current phase, and also looking for ways we might balance it out a bit more (acknowledging there may be some discomfort in breaking our current pattern, to get through to a state of more balance).

You've got this. We've got this.

05/08/2025

I'm so inspired by the organizations that prioritize well-being, slowing down, and connecting with each other and the wisdom of nature -- all needed more than ever in these times.

Last week I had the honor to guide groups from (a social work class), (as part of SESP's Well-being Week), and (their At Ease program for Veterans).

Are you part of an organization that could benefit from this? Hit me up! (Or tell your boss :))

I do my best to make it easy to organize, accessible for everyone in your group, and overall a meaningful, enjoyable experience for all.

Email or message me :)

05/06/2025

I have been wowed by the changes I see in my repeat 1:1 forest therapy clients.

Regular practice is really when the benefits happen.

1:1 sessions allow me to meet you where you are (mood, personality, experience, challenges), support you in defining and reaching your goal(s), and find ways of practicing that work for YOU.

Buying a package of 3 sessions allows you to commit to showing up for yourself and connecting to the wisdom of nature and presence.

Before the first session, we will communicate about your current challenges, goals, and any accommodations needed.

You and I will be in touch in between sessions to share how you are integrating what you are learning and experiencing into your daily life, and how you are progressing toward your goal(s). (This is where my coach training comes in.)

Each session will build on the previous one, and meet you wherever you are that day. If you are new to forest therapy, the first session will include an introduction to the practice (learn more here).

Choose Your Theme(s):
Reclaim Your Attention: forest therapy to improve focus and presence

Spiritual Re-boot: finding the divine in nature and yourself

Find Relief: forest therapy for chronic pain, symptoms, and anxiety

Changemaker Support: balance your drive to change the world with the reality of your current capacity

Special May Offer:
Three 1:1 in-person forest sessions for $333

includes email+texting between sessions for support integrating into your life

Weekday morning, afternoon, and evening availability

Locations include Evanston parks, NW Chicago and suburb forest preserves

All three sessions must be used by November 30, 2025.

Easy scheduling and more info at www.thatforestfeeling.com/1-on-1-package

05/01/2025

New chance to join — Rescheduled from last Friday, whose Thunderstorms kept us away ⚡️⛈️⚡️

A few spots remain available…🥰

ARE YOU AN (ASPIRING OR CURRENT) CHANGEMAKER?

The answer is YES if you are feeling stirred by the state of the world and want to contribute to a more just, kind world for all (people and nature).

Whether:

(a) you’ve been over-giving and are on the verge of burnout, or

(b) feelings of overwhelm and helplessness are keeping you from acting...

YOU ARE WELCOME, as you are.

At this (free) forest therapy-inspired gathering, I will hold space for you (us) to...

- anchor in the support from the Earth;

- honor how you are feeling; and

- find clarity on the next right steps (or way of being) that will allow you to contribute to a more just and kind world for all.

Register at:

www.thatforestfeeling.com/Register

“Becoming the Ground” title is inspired by Prentis Hemphill’s book “What it Takes to Heal” (see my previous post with more about their quote and what it means to me).

04/30/2025

A) Gosh they are out of touch.

B) Hey, whatever floats your boat!

C) Ooh, they are so smart to protect themselves against ticks!!

For me the answer is C, especially this time of year when the tick population tends to be highest around here.

No need to freak out or let that stop you from getting your nature fix, but here are some tips to help protect you from ticks and tick-borne illness…

+Use a repellent. Natural repellents with essential oils such as thyme, oregano, lemon eucalyptus, and rose, have been shown to be helpful. (I love the local, eco-friendly option from Luna Delgado Botanicals — Vampire Repellent. If going to heavily-infested areas (or if you’re deep-woods camping), you may want a stronger, chemical-based repellent such as those with DEET, or to apply permethrin on your clothes and shoes and allowing it to dry before you put them on, but I typically just use natural repellent when I’m doing forest therapy.

+Stay on trodden paths, and avoid walking through tall grasses or thick shrubbery.

+Wear close-toed shoes, socks and long pants that are light-colored so you can see ticks more easily.

+Consider tucking pant legs into socks. (Let’s make it cool again!)

+Check yourself before you leave the woods/prairie for any ticks, realizing they can be as small as a poppy seed.

+When you get home, if you’re not washing the clothes you wore, put them in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any remaining ticks or larvae. (Alternatively, you could shake them out outside and leave them outside overnight.)

+Before you go to bed, and ideally within a couple of hours, do a full-body tick check, using a mirror to see your whole body. Check all the nooks and crannies as ticks like to go to the warm spots. Shake out your hair (either outside or over someplace where you can see anything that may shake out, like the bathtub), making sure to feel around your scalp.

+Consider a shower or bath for extra precaution.

Sarah Abu-Absi, Mind-Body Coach + Forest Therapy Guide

07/10/2025

07/09/2025

06/06/2025

05/20/2025

05/15/2025

05/13/2025

05/09/2025

05/09/2025

05/08/2025

05/06/2025

05/01/2025

04/30/2025

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