Nature Immersion

Forest Bathing

It is a national past time in Japan. There, they call it shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. There is a lot of documented and studied positive affects to spending unmitigated time in nature, being there to just be. Without agenda. And this is basically what forest bathing is. Exploring the forest slowly, watching it, letting it watch you, without trying to go anywhere or learn anything in particular. Even though this sounds simple enough, it can be quite hard to allow ourselves to just enter in without a core desire to learn something or grow. Of course, we do learn things and grow by just being in nature. But trying to make it happen is like a cork stopping the flow of it. In my practice, I offer very basic techniques and guided trips into beautiful places near the town of Knoxville. And once acquainted with the practice, my clients find they begin to freely roam and practice on their own, leading to profound roundedness of being.

Solitude

The noise and pace of our world can be overwhelming. And the traffic in our own minds especially so. In solitude, as we learn to slow down and sit, listen and watch, the busyness and chaos starts to unthread, and we find ourselves in the vast and uncontrolled “weave” and beauty of nature. This works to settle the pains and confusions of everyday life and allows us to (little by little) walk in the contentment and integration of the natural world. It also builds the foundation of breathing, mindfulness and creativity. I provide resources and offer guidance to help guide my clients in different methods of entering into the great art of solitude.

Sit Spots

The Cherokee use sit spots as part of their medicinal and healing practice for the mind and body. They say, “If you sit long enough on the earth, you will begin to hear the worms beneath you, building soil. Then you will begin your path toward healing.” Sit spotting is a wonderful way to find healing, yes, but it is also a wonderful path to discover creativity and vitality. This in turns has tremendous effects in all of life, from deepening relationships, healing from a broken one, or finding inspiration for your craft (art, writing, building, etc.).