Forest bathing and nature connection events across North Yorkshire and Teesside
Welcome
It doesn’t matter who you are – the world can sometimes feel like a busy, frantic and difficult place.
In response, we are offering a range of activities all designed to ease the pressure, increase your resilience and creativity, and boost your mental and physical well-being.
We’re passionate about what we do because we have (literally) walked the walk and we know how much benefit we get when we go outside and into nature, or inside and into our feelings, and we wanted to spread the love!
Go to ‘Events’ for details of free taster sessions, nature reset retreats and forest bathing sessions. More events are in the pipeline!
We’re all in it together
We are a Community Interest Company – a not for profit. By attending our events you help us fund those who might not be able to make their way to our services without some assistance.
It’s a double win – a win for you and a win for our community.
#puttingpeoplebeforeprofits
Forest Bathing
How would it be to have an hour or two where no one is making any demands of you? Where you can be exactly as you are without needing to meet anyone else’s expectations? An hour or two of turning your attention not to the list of things that forever needs doing but just to this moment with nature as your backdrop?
With forest bathing we’re gently guided to tune in and engage the senses and to meet nature just as it is. We may discover that it is just as we are – perfectly imperfect, and feel the relief of that. Nature makes no demands that you get anything ‘right’ or have all the answers and neither do we. In forest bathing we make no demands at all – we simply offer gentle invitations to explore…
When we slow down in this way we give ourselves the opportunity to let nature IN and allow it to work its magic.
Time spent amongst trees is never wasted time
Katrina Mayer
So, what are the benefits?
Most of us know that nature is good for us and that spending time in nature makes us feel better, we know that from our own experience and there’s plenty of science to back those experiences up.
However, the positive effects get super-charged when we engage with nature in a slightly different way. Going for a walk with the dog, riding a bike in the woods or having a picnic in the park can be great fun, but they can also end up being just another job to do, especially if we’re the ones in charge of organising, or a specific outcome is expected (getting our steps in etc.).
The super-charging comes when we slow down enough to let nature IN, rather than just being in nature in order to tick something off a list. Slowing down can feel difficult for many of us – we live in a world of rush, rush, rush and ‘got to get on with it’ but then our bodies and minds can suffer – we may end up feeling overwhelmed and exhausted and experiencing anxiety and/or depression.
When we engage in forest bathing, we get to:
- Improve our physical wellbeing (blood pressure is reduced, heart rate goes down, our immune system improves)
- Improve our mental wellbeing (anxiety and depression are reduced and grief and PTSD can feel more manageable)
- Improve our creativity (disconnecting from multi-media and technology, spending time in an environment that doesn’t require us to keep switching our full attention from one thing to the other)
- Increase our resilience, especially if we make it a regular part of our lives.
What happens during a session?
The sessions start with a short introduction as we make our way into the trees and that’s then followed by a series of ‘invitations’. Invitations are our opportunity to connect to nature in a relaxed and easy way, using our senses. You can’t get an invitation wrong and you don’t have to meet any specific goal. You can interpret the invitations in any way you like.
“Kim introduced us to forest bathing, which was a great experience. We braved the cold to immerse ourselves in nature and to respond to various invitations to notice and relate to what we could see, hear, feel – using all our senses. I know I need this kind of reminder of my place in nature, and Kim does it so well.”
There will be between 3 and 6 invitations (depending on the season) during our session and there’s always a hot/cold drink and a snack at the end if you fancy it.
Most of the session is run in silence and there’s no pressure to perform in any way. There are opportunities to reflect on your experiences but they’re certainly not compulsory and there’s no pressure to share.
How did it come about?
Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku in Japanese) is a term coined in 1982, by Akiyama Tomohide when he was the director of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.
Their government realised that with Forest Bathing not only could they help mitigate the huge problems they were having with stress and burnout but that they could also protect people’s general wellbeing, bring work to rural areas and get people interested in the forest conservation projects that they had going on. They recognised that when we feel connected to something we are more inclined to care for it.
It’s been a huge success story for Japan and that success story now continues to grow throughout the world.
Events
Danby Lodge National Park Centre
Well-being Tasters (free!)
April 18th & 19th
Forest Bathing
10am – 11am
or
1.30pm – 2.30pm
Zen Meditation
11.30am – 12pm
or
3pm – 3.30pm
Shibashi Qigong
12.30pm – 1pm
or
4pm – 4.30pm
Come and join us at the wonderful new Hub in Danby for free taster sessions of Forest Bathing, Meditation and Qigong. Come to one taster or all three. Booking is essential as spaces are limited.
Forest Bathing brings slow and mindful grounding and connection to nature through our senses, bringing respite from a busy world.
Zen Meditation is a very simple and direct method of mindfulness that has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and increase resilience. No experience is required and you don’t have to sit on the floor or attempt to have a mind empty of thoughts – that’s not the point!
Shibashi Qigong is an ancient Chinese wellness practice, focusing on simple slow flowing movements. It’s meditation in motion and accessible to most people. It helps oil the joints and move energy around the body.
Sutton Bank National Park Centre
April 25th
Nature Connection and Reset
10am – 3pm, £50 (or £60 to pay forward).
Kim and Jo will be in the glorious surroundings of Sutton Bank to deliver this day retreat/nature reset designed to release you from the grip of the digital world for a good chunk of the day and reconnect you to yourself and to nature. We’ll slow down with some forest bathing, engage with gentle mindful movement practices, and have opportunities for ‘creativity without perfection’. We’ll also have some periods to rest and reflect and to soak up what this amazing environment has to offer.
This will be a wonderful chance to put the phone down and engage with something meaningful and fun! Bring a packed lunch or take advantage of our special lunch deal at The Truffled Hog.
We plan to confirm more dates throughout the year, please drop us an email if you’d like to be notified of new events.
Forest Bathing Sessions
TBA
Nature Connection and Reset
TBA
Information to come
FOREST BATHING SESSIONS in New Marske, Saltburn, Middlesbrough and Guisborough start as soon as the rain stops!
“I cannot recommend Kim’s outdoor connection enough, it was fantastic!! I received a warm welcome, and was guided through a nature experience that was so relaxing and informative, highly recommended 5*”
About Us
We are three women with plenty of life experience who are passionate about nature, people and wellbeing.
Kim Bennett
Director and Facilitator
Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner, Kiloby Inquiries Facilitator (trauma-informed somatic mindfulness), Shibashi Qigong session leader and Zen meditation teacher. She has over 15 years experience of leading meditation and well-being retreats, here and abroad.
Kim came to this work after her issues with addiction and unprocessed trauma created a chaotic and unstable life, and knowing she was in much need of a calmer and more grounded way of living.
Her own experiences have shown her the importance of getting outside into nature in a mindful and unhurried way, and has come to appreciate the profound effect it has had on the quality and overall satisfaction of her life. She feels strongly about sharing this with others who may be in the same position that she was or with those who just need to feel more connected to themselves and to the world, especially in this digital age.
Kim has been friends with nature for as long as she can remember. She recently took on an allotment (a huge challenge!) so her relationship with the earth and nature is continuing to mature, shift and change.
Jo Drew
Director and Facilitator
Over 25 years as a qualified movement psychotherapist, trauma-informed practitioner, and mindfulness guide. Nature has supported her throughout her life; through watching seasons and landscapes, she has learned profound lessons about herself and about life.
Her workshops at The Nature Remedy will be held mainly outdoors and will invite participants to move with and respond to the rhythms of the natural world. Drawing on authentic movement, Jungian psychology, shamanic-inspired practices, and trauma-informed approaches, she explores how nature awakens inner imagery, symbolic insight, and embodied awareness.
Jo’s work aims to facilitate listening and sensing how the natural world speaks through movement, sensation, and imagination. This creates space for reflection, reconnection, and a deepened sense of belonging to the living world.
Jennie Brown
Non-Executive Director
Jennie is an experienced nurse with 28 years in the profession. Alongside her professional roles, she is a proud mum and a strong advocate for wellbeing. Jennie has a deep appreciation for nature and the positive impact it has on physical and mental health, something she experiences firsthand through regular walks in nature with her dogs. She believes time spent outdoors is essential for balance, resilience, and overall wellbeing, and this perspective shapes both her personal life and professional approach.
Sign up to our irregular newsletter if you’d like to hear about future events.
Contact Us
Any questions? Feel free to contact us using the form below: