Refhygge

03/11/2026

"What to expect: think sitting around a fire telling stories, connecting to the rhythms of nature, and feeling a sense inner and outer belonging✨"

03/10/2026

Join us on April 1st 8-10pm for an evening at the Macon County Public Library where we will be guided slowly by sensory invitations to explore the meandering trails just behind the library. During this 2-hour experience, there will be a mix of leisurely strolling, observation, and reflection both individually and as a group. The finale of the evening will be a hilltop pink moonrise (also known as flower moon, sprouting grass moon, budding moon) viewing.

Please bring: weather appropriate clothes and shoes, water, snacks, something to sit on such as a yoga mat or blanket, flashlight or headlamp preferably with a red light setting, and anything else to make our time outside more comfortable. Portable expressive elements of choice like journals, paints, sketchbooks are also highly encouraged.

Your Guides + Facilitators: Ashlyn Miller is a facilitator, educator, and therapist intern working at the confluence of mental health, holistic living, and spirituality to foster experiences of belonging, becoming, and being so that we may find ourselves rooted in the river of life. Madison Traviss of House of Fig is a local ANFT certified forest bathing guide who stewards resilient spaces of curiosity to increase collective confidence, connection, and collaboration.

Please call 828-524-3600 or visit the library reference desk to register.

🌕📸: Huston Traviss

03/09/2026

This reflection from Dr. Qing Li, Physician, university professor, and specialist in forest medicine,
reminds us of nature’s capacity to support human health through mindful forest bathing.

Trees release phytoncides that have been shown to support immune function, while the slower
pace of time spent in the forest helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, easing
stress and tension.

Reconnection to oneself emerges through sensory engagement with the living world — trees,
plants, birds, and the many beings of the forest — inviting presence, relationship, and
awareness.

For those seeking calm, Forest Therapy offers a gentle, relational path to well-being.

03/08/2026

We will be spending time out at Franklin Farm Hub, we hope to see you there!

We are thrilled to announce that we are working on an exciting new project called Fresh Access Franklin, thanks to the generous support of the Dogwood Health Trust!

03/07/2026

It has been a busy few weeks for walks over here but before we keep posting upcoming events (we’re budding!), we reminded ourselves to stop and reflect:

On February 20th after rain poured the night prior, we were guided by sunshine and warm winds during our inaugural forest bathing walk at the Cowee Contemplative Trail behind Cowee School. The newly built trail mapped at the thoughtful leadership of Faith Williams of Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy intuitively meanders in such a way that balances connection and respect for our more than human world. Together, we created scent rooms to come home to and embodied, “all flourishing is mutual”. We eagerly await how the story of our little forest roots deeper still.

On February 26th on the Jackson County Greenway, mist met us along the river and we were inspired by the words of Robert McFarlane’s “Is A River Alive?” and Elif Shafak’s “There Are Rivers in the Sky”. This intimate mother and daughter duo were visiting from out of town and were curious to befriend beings as they noticed the interplay of breath and moisture within and around us. A few people appeared and disappeared from our moment in the cloud together.

On March 1st we ventured out again on Jackson County Greenway, this time beneath a blue bird sky and a bustling trail of bikers, walkers, fisherman, and anyone eager to bask in the sun. Our handful of participants co-created with the light and leap frogged the fisherman until our final tea share. “So not all of your walks end like this?” a participant sweetly asked at the end. Another returning participant knowingly giggled before I answered, “Actually no, they are all different.”

As a guide, I arrive to these spaces early to sit and receive. To trust and accept, the forest knows and I simply open the doors. And as a result, each walk is a unique pocket of time. That to me, captures the intimacy of shared space in a way hard to emulate and invites us to accept the impermanence of it all.

”Service Berry” by Robin Wall Kimmerer can be purchased in the Cowee School Mercantile, shelves stocked by City Lights Bookstore.
Forest Bathing Tea Blend can be found at Snake Song.
Self Guided forest bathing brochures for our local certified trail are at the entrance to the Jackson County Greenway (Friends of the Jackson County Greenways).

03/05/2026

Your end of week reminder -- March 27th 5-7pm!

March 27th // 5-7pm // Welch Farm Preserve

Wash off life’s stresses with sensory invitations and soothing mindfulness. During this 2-hour experience, we will stroll leisurely, observe deeply, and reflect thoughtfully, both as a group and individually.

Experience the restorative benefits of our natural world and learn to integrate these tools into your daily practice of presence.

https://mainspringconserves.networkforgood.com/events/97886-forest-bathing

03/03/2026

A great listen if you're keen to tap into your intuitive roots:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qo2VJZfHbnsBt3E3ZuD02?si=QNvkefrvTvKoP0oXoY8k9Q

The Nature Of with Willow Defebaugh · Episode

02/26/2026

It's not too late to register for Sunday's walk!

March 1st at 1-3pm // Register here: https://jcprd.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=3340&fbclid=IwY2xjawQNtoZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFKV3JpOXNkcmxUTktidUMxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvebLbsq-5YLLztwjUJRzOtW-NJXz0UVowT6I0-SM0uGGamczs0IZbBN9Tes_aem_cmyAktAQv8btYqDqG4m-wQ

02/24/2026

Join us for story weaving?
https://momence.com/Ashlyn-Miller/Spring-Equinox-Story-Weaving/131412371?skipPreview=true

02/24/2026

March 27th // 5-7pm // Welch Farm Preserve

Wash off life’s stresses with sensory invitations and soothing mindfulness. During this 2-hour experience, we will stroll leisurely, observe deeply, and reflect thoughtfully, both as a group and individually.

Experience the restorative benefits of our natural world and learn to integrate these tools into your daily practice of presence.

https://mainspringconserves.networkforgood.com/events/97886-forest-bathing

02/22/2026

https://emergencemagazine.org/feature/seasoning-a-kid/?utm_source=Emergence+Magazine&utm_campaign=ceeb3756af-NEWSLETTER_20260222&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-b208eadbce-357211647

Filmmaker adam amir takes his young son Rumi out to meet each season with annual practices welcoming the return of snow, migrating animals, blossoms, and berries.

02/17/2026

MARCH 1st 1 - 3pm // weather reschedule in case you missed it!
register here: https://jcprd.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=3340

Shall we take a walk?
Register here: https://jcprd.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=3340