Forest Bathing Recap: Healing with Nature
On Saturday, November 4, 11 amazing participants met at the Marion University Nina Mason Pulliam Eco Lab for the final outing of the Balanced Soul 2023 Forest Bathing Series - “Healing with Nature.” Participants explored and discussed how the forest can be used for healing and personal well-being.
We started the morning by sharing places in nature where we felt healthy and vibrant. Here are a few of the locations mentioned by participants:
Walking along the White River
Beach in Santa Barbara, California
Richie Woods in Fishers, Indiana
Glacier National Park
Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park
Zion National Park
Redwood National Park
That was followed by a group meditation focused on well-being, helping us to become focused and present. We then proceeded with a silent walk down into the Eco Lab.
During the walk, we discussed scientific findings related to the health benefits experienced when we spend time in nature. We explored viewing the forest as a medicine cabinet and talked about how the indigenous people and early settlers might have used some of the Indiana native plants for healing. We showcased local Indiana artist Victoria Williams Steen. Each participant chose one of Victoria’s inspirational cards for additional healing guidance. We welcomed feelings of gratitude, using it as a natural force field against depression. Each forest bather was given a small bag of birdseed to offer as a thank-you back to the forest. Participants sprinkled birdseed as they collected items from nature that were then used to create a group mandala. The morning ended with a loving-kindness meditation.
Highlights from our experience included healing sunshine, two beaver houses- one for summer and one for winter, blue jays, a unique feather, avoiding poison ivy, moss in the shape of a handprint, beavers chewing on trees, autumn breeze, singing birds, red berries, and lily pads.
Gallery from Forest Bathing Experience
