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Nature Connections YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE St fany Pag Douville Certified Forest Bathing Guide Welcome friend I m happy you are here and that you were drawn to grab this personal guide Whether you are new to Forest Bathing or have a personal practice already I hope that these simple intuitive practices help you deepen your connection with Nature self N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 2 Copyright 2023 by Your Healing Circle

PART PART 2 SENSING PART 3 SEEING 4 NATURE WANDER 5 ADDING AN EXTRA ELEMENT 6 A MOMENT OF GRATITUDE 7 RESOURCES Invitation 0 Getting to know the land you live on Invitation 1 Engaging your sense of hearing Invitation 2 Engaging your sense of touch Invitation 3 Engaging your sense of sight Invitation 4 Engaging all of your senses Invitation 5 How does it feel Invitation 6 What are you grateful for PART PART PART PART PART PART 1 ROOTS LISTENING PART Contents Credits additional resources Nature Connections Page 4 Copyright 2023 by Your Healing Circle

Invitation 0 Roots Getting to know the land you live on Now I can t start a series on connections For land unceeded unsurrendered territory of without inviting you all to get to know its the Anishnaabe Algonquin people The history Consider this as a preface One house I live in is one of many townhomes that I think is primal The homes are approximately 50 years creating a relationship with example I myself live on the old I learned recently that the lilac tree in Do you know the history of the land you live on Do you know which native land you are on https native land ca How my tiny back yard has been there for at old is the home you live in Who use to with trunks too big for my hands to touch live there prior if any If your home is a new structure what use to be on the land before trees wild life a water source Do you have trees on the property and if so how old do you think they are I invite you to ponder on these questions and perhaps let your curiosity take the lead to even more questions answers Dig deeper and perhaps see what you can find out least 30 years We have a forest in the back of our neighborhood It has trees when I hug them It s full of wisdom and the energy is nurturing When I get to know more about the land I occupy there s a growing sense of wonder of enlightenment and of deep gratitude respect The connection deepens What do you know about the land you occupy picture by Stefany Pag Douville N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 5 C o p yright 20 2 3 b y Y o u r H e a l i n g C i r c l e

Invitation 1 Listening Engaging your sense of hearing Every time we step outside our feet touching the ground there s a connection being made So often we keep moving We are going somewhere But what if we were to take those steps then stop and listen with our entire body utilizing all of our senses I invite you to find a spot outside One that you are comfortable sitting lying or standing still in for at least 10 minutes you can even put a timer on as to not be distracted Again this can be in your own backyard Bring blankets a cup of tea if you d like Make yourself as comfortable as you can and close your eyes Then listen What are the sounds that come to your ears instantly What sounds do you hear farther away What sounds do you hear closest to you Are there any sounds at the top of your head Are there any sounds coming from below you Listen pay attention with your sense of hearing for a minimum of 10 minutes Reflections What did you notice How did you feel I invite you to take a few moments to reflect and or journal on your experience N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 6 C o p yright 20 2 3 b y Y o u r H e a l i n g C i r c l e

Invitation 2 Sensing Engaging your sense of touch Before we start perhaps we take a few seconds to just breathe together Let s take a few deep breaths in 1 2 3 hold and exhale 1 2 3 hold Repeat a few times until you feel ready How did that feel Now when you feel ready find a spot outside One that you are comfortable sitting lying or standing still in for at least 10 minutes Let s set that timer I now invite you to bring any parts of your body to the nature scene around below or above you This can be your hands feet nose etc Let yourself experience the feeling of your exposed skin on snow or ice in water on soil rocks grass on tree needles leaves bark etc If you are using your hands perhaps you grab a bit of that nature item and feel it through your fingertips Explore Or perhaps you bring your fingers toes lips or cheek to the bark of a tree If it s snowing or raining perhaps you look up to the sky let it fall on your face Maybe you open your mouth to catch them How does it taste Perhaps you bring your feet to the ground Maybe you just bring one toe at a time to start and see how that feels What feelings are coming up Is it warm to the touch Is it cold to the touch Is it wet Is it dry Is it rough Is it smooth How does it feel Keep exploring and let your body lead without judging Engage your body as much or as little as you want There is no right or wrong What feelings are sparking in your body Don t judge it Just let the feelings rise and listen Reflections After you come back from the experience I invite you to immediately pay attention to how you are feeling How is your body now compared to before the invitation What did you notice N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 7 C o p yright 20 2 3 b y Y o u r H e a l i n g C i r c l e

Invitation 3 Seeing Engaging your sense of sight Let s take those deep breaths Take your time When you feel ready go find that spot outside where you can be comfortable for at least 10 minutes This can be at the same spot you have used in the previous invitations In fact coming back to the same spot is part of the Forest Bathing practice Once you have chosen your spot I now invite you to engage that vision Listen notice look with your eyes open alert Look at the scenery around you Above you Below you From one side to the other Do this extra slow Let you body lead you Just how far can you see What do you see Just how close can you see What do you see What Who are you noticing What Who is moving Pay close attention and don t forget to breathe friend Take your time and enjoy the scenery unfolding around you Reflections What did you notice How did you feel N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 8 C o p yright 20 2 3 b y Y o u r H e a l i n g C i r c l e

Invitation 4 Nature Wander Engaging all of your senses Let s do a quick check in shall we How are these invitations going for you Perhaps you take out your journal and spend a few minutes writing about your experience thus far See what comes up without judgement or expectations Notice how your body feels as you reflect I invite you to walk extra slow and let your and or write What is coming up for you catches your eye Perhaps you smell The last 3 invitations were about engaging a specific sense Either vision touch or hearing Now I invite you to engage all of those senses your others e g smell taste Dedicate 15 20 minutes minimum of your day and take an intentional very slow walk outdoors You can do this slow body lead Engage all of your senses and pay attention to what is around you Above you Below you From one side to the other Perhaps you something touch intriguing something Perhaps that you pause close your eyes and take a deep breath while tasting the air on your tongue Perhaps you listen closely to the noises around you Or perhaps you stop to hug a tree or two Pay attention slowly and closely And don t forget to breathe friend walk in your backyard in your local trail or while walking on your neighborhood sidewalk Anywhere works as long as it s Take your time and enjoy the little outside What did you notice wonders that will arise on your walk N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 9 C o p yright 20 2 3 b y Y o u r H e a l i n g C i r c l e

Invitation 5 How Adding An Extra Element does it feel Let s take those deep breaths in and out Release that jaw Roll back those shoulders Release I m so glad you re still here By now you have been slowing down engaging the individual senses one by one Then invitation 4 was about combining all senses for a slow nature wander For this invitation I invite you to add an extra element that will help you connect even further to your senses while in Nature You can bring whatever you feel called to but here are some examples if needed A hot or cold herbal tea to slowly sip while enjoying nature s scene A journal pen to write your thoughts while there Watercolors and sketch book to paint draw the scene around you A poem book to read while in your spot You can be creative with what you bring with you but limit yourself to one thing Don t overthink it If you end up just sitting and enjoying Nature s sounds the view around you and the beauty that it brings in that sit spot that s okay too Remember There is no right or wrong in this practice As always let your body lead and feel into the connection Don t forget to breathe Reflections At the end of your time I invite you to pay attention to how your body now feels compared to when you arrived What are you noticing N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 1 0 C o p yright 20 2 3 b y Y o u r H e a l i n g C i r c l e

How are you friend I can hear some of you say fine but how are you REALLY doing Perhaps before you move on to the last invitation you take a pause Maybe you put your phone down and do a body scan Check in with yourself and honor whatever emotions are coming to the forefront Connect with that feeling and honor it without judgement Pause Breathe Release And whenever you are ready you can move on to the last invitation picture by Stefany Pag Douville N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 1 1 C o p yright 20 2 3 b y Y o u r H e a l i n g C i r c l e

Invitation What 6 areAyou Moment of Gratitude grateful for A common denominator that connects us to each other as humans to Mother Nature to our actions our beliefs and our ways of living is gratitude When I host gatherings outdoor the mention of gratitude always shows up in some form For me gratitude is an emotion that nourishes my whole body spirit mind with the ever expansive energy of replenishment contentment when practiced For this last invitation I invite you to find your spot in nature and reflect on what you are grateful for and how you might expand that gratitude over beyond to our Earth I invite you to find a moment during that time to put a hand on your heart and a hand on your belly if able Can you feel the heat rising from the earth into your body moving its way upwards from the ground Are your ears or your head buzzing from that energy Pay attention to those sensations I then invite you to engage all of your senses and perhaps you spend time expressing your gratitude by either Writing or tracing a word in the sand Playing in the water stream Making a nature mandala Hugging a tree or even Smelling plants or bark that caught your eye and take deep breaths here Let your body that feeling of gratitude Can you feel your breath as you breathe in and as you exhale Can you feel your heart beating and don t forget to breathe lead the way Feel into the connection How do you feel N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 1 2 C o p yright 20 2 3 b y Y o u r H e a l i n g C i r c l e

How did that feel You made it 7 invitations 12 weeks of connections Building a practice for yourself and yourself only Do you have any takeaways Want to share your experience with me I would love to hear from you If you didn t quite get through all the invitations don t worry This guide isn t going anywhere Keep it in your back pocket in your vehicle or on your device When you feel like you need a little guidance motivation to get some fresh air you can pick up the guide and choose an invitation at random There is no right or wrong remember Let go Have fun Be silly Let your inner child guide you N a t u re Connect i o n s P a g e 1 3 C o p y r i g h t 2 0 2 3 b y Y o u r H e a l i n g C i r cl e

See you soon picture by Stefany Pag Douville YOURHEALINGCIRCLE COM