Book Private Virtual or In-Person Forest Bathing Sessions

Individuals

Enjoy the health benefits of spending time in nature at your own pace in one of our private one-on-one guided Forest Bathing walks incorporating Shinrin-Yoku with our Founder Brooke Mellen. We will meet you in a park or on a hiking trail of your choosing in the Greater New York City or Austin area. Plan to be led in the use of mindfulness techniques for better wellness and self-care. We believe that as you get in touch with your career and personal life goals while in nature you will be able to manifest them in your daily life. Photography of your experience may also be included if you wish to use images for social media or personal use. Your Forest Therapy session will be kept confidential and private. Additionally we coach individuals who would like to be Forest Therapy & Nature Mindfulness Guides.

Corporate Wellness

Studies show that spending time connecting with nature through Forest Bathing and Nature Mindfulness lowers heart rate, lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the bloodstream and improves mental performance and creativity. We provide both in-person and virtual Nature Immersion experiences to corporations interested in the well-being of their employees and workforce. We will work with you to develop bespoke mindfulness programing with measurable results, whether it be through our Virtual Nature Therapy™️ or live Forest Bathing experiences. Participants will leave feeling calmer and ready to approach obstacles while being more engaged with their co-workers and clients.

Groups & Community

Bond with your family, friends or community in a relaxed atmosphere in a natural setting in the greater New York City or Austin area as we lead you on a guided Forest Bathing and Nature Meditation experience. We will also travel to you as we have led sessions in Melbourne, Finland, San Francisco, and Tucson. Our services include Virtual Nature Therapy™️ sessions that involve mindfulness techniques, leading discussions and goal setting sessions indoors to enlighten your group on how to incorporate nature into a wellness routine or leading a guided Forest Therapy. We are interested to work with groups dealing with topics related to empowering women, diversifying the outdoors, indigenous rights, people with disabilities and the Environment to name a few. We are pleased to discuss community pricing for groups in financial need.

Sample Corporate Projects and Collaborations

• We worked with a major Law Firm based in New York City with law offices throughout the world to provide our Virtual Nature Therapy™️ programming for Employee Well-being on Earth Day, which was later available to employees via recording. We offered bespoke Nature Sensory boxes as an incentive for joining. Participants showed a marked decrease in levels of anxiety after guided nature based meditation.

• We provided Virtual Nature Therapy for Arc’Teryx on behalf of their Outer Peace campaign. Members of the press were invited to visit a park local to them and dial in from a cell phone while we guided them through various Nature Mindfulness and Forest Bathing exercises. In addition, we took one press member on a private Forest Bathing walk in Central Park in NYC. This allowed for safe social distancing during the height of Covid in New York City.

• An Outdoor Retailer in New York City hired us to provide their staff with Corporate Wellness through Virtual Nature Therapy™️ Two groups of five employees met in Central Park NYC and dialed into a call virtually where our founder Brooke Mellen led them through Forest Bathing activities to promote mindfulness and nature connection for better employee wellness.

• We led designers working with Carl Hansen & Son on Virtual Forest Therapy where they video conferenced in from their offices in different locations and experienced guided nature meditation and completed creative projects. The intent was to help them explore creativity in design for office spaces incorporating nature. Afterwards our Founder spoke about the experience with the designers in an event called “The Power of the Forest in Transforming our Future Workspaces” as part of Work Place Wellness Week.

• We collaborated with The Art of Change on a bespoke event for Art Collectors, Museum Staff and Medical Doctors guiding them in Virtual Nature Therapy via video conference. We introduced the group to the history of Forest Bathing and led them in guided nature meditation.

• THE WELL, a New York City based wellness provider hired us to lead Virtual Nature Therapy for their bespoke member clients for stress relief during the Covid crisis. Participants joined via Zoom and learned how to bring the outdoors indoors and were lead in guided nature meditation for calm.

We would be honored to provide your organization with Virtual or In-Person wellness experiences incorporating art and nature. Email brooke@culturedforest.com to request a proposal. We will meet with you to discuss the needs of your brand or organization.

Health Benefits of Forest Bathing

Practicing Shinrin-Yoku or Forest Bathing lowers levels of the stress hormone Cortisol in the blood system, indicating a reduction in stress.

In Japan, guides measure the blood pressure of participants in Shinrin-Yoku and have found it improves after time spent in nature.

Trees produce a natural pesticide called Phytoncides which have been shown to boost immunity by enhancing human natural killer (NK) cell activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Shinrin-Yoku? Shinrin-Yoku is a Japanese practice that translates into “Forest Bathing”. It means to take in the forest atmosphere for health benefits. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 1982 coined the phrase and developed this practice to counter worker stress. There are now at least 62 designated trails in Japan where individuals can practice Shinrin-Yoku. While we at Cultured Forest do enjoy a good swim, it does not actually involve “bathing” or getting in the water.

2. What can I expect during a Forest Bathing session with Cultured Forest? A typical Forest Bathing session typically spans 2-4 hours and involves using the five senses to experience the outdoors. It involves walking in a natural setting at a slower pace and usually covers only about a 1/4 to 1 mile. Your guide will invite you participate in several gentle activities that allow you to relax and be mindful, while taking in the natural atmosphere around you. There will be moments where you can choose to share your thoughts with the group, but this is optional. At the end you will share tea and snacks with your new friends in true Shinrin-Yoku fashion. You will also be asked to turn your phone to airplane mode to really be able to be in the moment.

3. What should I bring with me to a Forest Bathing session? You will want to wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. During Winter, Spring and Fall we recommend dressing in layers. You might also bring a bottle of water, sun-glasses, sunscreen, a hat and bug spray depending on the season.