This world had me stressed out so I went into the forest with a Forest Therapy Guide and realized that’s where I’m meant to be and where I am meant bring others. I grew up in the Piney Woods region of SE Texas where I spent long summers flipping rocks to find bugs, climbing trees, and munching on wood sorrel. Somewhere along the way I lost sight of that deep connection to our Earth and it’s importance to me and my own well-being. I’d been working in a 9-5, computer based job since college but it never feel quite right. I was successful in the field in which I received my degree and felt that I should be more grateful and settled, but instead I had increased anxiety, sleep issues, body pain, and general feelings of being unwell. Along my healing journey I attended a Forest Bathing walk at Cheekwood Botanical Garden led by Georgia from Forest Therapy Nashville. It was a magical experience that met me deep in my core and reminded me of what I hold most dear. Since then, every step on my journey to and in being a Forest Therapy Guide has reaffirmed this path for me. In the thick of my training I realized that I could not manage my existing career and fully step into being the Guide I hoped to be, so I stepped off the ledge, left the job, and finished my certification to be a Nature & Forest Therapy Guide. I believe there are many healing modalities and I believe our individual healing journeys are a life-long exploration of which combinations of these meet us in our present moment. The natural world of which we belong is vast and universal and ready to exist with us as we are. So many of us have become increasingly disconnected from our Earth, seeing it as a place of resources more than neighbor beings. We feel better when we are outside, we may have just forgotten how to be open and take it all in - that's where I come in. This specific Forest Therapy practice (ANFT) combines a standard template with the spontaneity and diversity found in nature. As a guide, I work with the forest to provide prompts that get us to dig into our senses, play, and explore. We gather together multiple times throughout the walk to share our noticing and practice deep listening. I am trained wilderness first aid and available for any accommodations that ensure you feel comfortable and safe throughout our walk.
