Community Forest Bathing & Nature Therapy Retreat

Reset after the busy holidays and start 2024 off on the right foot with a restorative retreat on New Year’s Day, Monday, Jan. 1 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Pink Beds trailhead in Pisgah National Forest. Join certified nature and forest therapy guide Kelly Bruce for a peaceful afternoon in the healing forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains filled with intentional nature connection.

The practice of forest bathing encourages participants to slow down, quiet the mind and awaken the senses. Through a series of mindfulness invitations, guests will have the opportunity to linger in the present in the moment, deepening their connection with nature, community, and enjoying the many gifts of the forest. We’ll conclude our retreat with a wild foraged tea ceremony and snacks, reflecting and releasing 2023, then setting intentions for 2024.

Inspired by Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in the restorative qualities of a forest environment, forest bathing invites guests to spend time in nature in a way that invites healing for ourselves, our fraught ecosystems, and our community.

“A few of the benefits of forest bathing include improved mental and physical health, enhanced wellbeing and creativity,” says Kelly Bruce, a guide certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, and owner of Natural Wanders. “I will lead you on a journey through the forest, weaving mindfulness, breathwork, forest bathing and nature therapy together for a restorative afternoon. Words don’t do this practice justice, you simply need to experience it for yourself.”

Tickets are $45 per person and advance registration is required. Visit NaturalWanders.us to register or email kelly@naturalwanders.us for more information.

About Natural Wanders
Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Natural Wanders’ mission is to help cultivate a deeper connection with nature, community and Self through forest bathing, nature therapy and mindful hikes. Certified Nature and Therapy Guide, Kelly Bruce, offers experiences in Pisgah National Forest, the North Carolina Arboretum and Conserving Carolina’s Transfiguration Preserve, as well as community, corporate and private retreats locally, remotely via Zoom, and abroad. Learn more at NaturalWanders.us.