Forest Therapy Guide Services

Carina will explain the background of Forest Therapy and a little of the research on which it is founded at the start of all her courses. She will offer a structured, guided session of Forest Therapy, including the Standard Sequence, sensory invitations and a simple tea ceremony and snacks at the end.

As a cultural response to the practice, she has developed a simple opt in/opt out non -vocal mechanism for those prefering to keep themselves to themselves at times. She also attempts to tailor each course to the needs of the individual by sending out a simple health and wellbeing form after booking and answering any questions that people may have.

Carina currently offers three grades (types) of courses so that you can choose one to suite your type/needs.These are bookable through Eventbrite at https://www.forestbathe.co.uk/

She also offers packages.These combine different products and exclusive access to facilities of some partner organisations (see 'packages' below) which sit side by side with a guided session of Forest Therapy and complement each other.

Each Forest Therapy site is chosen so as to feel like a nest - to nurture,restore and maintain health and wellbeing.

Courses:

Grade Descriptions:

Grade 1: 3-4 hrs

These courses are situated within the peaceful public forest estate, of mixed plantations managed by Forestry England, approx five minutes drive away from an easy to find (by car) meeting place, with accessible toilets and refreshments. The terrain is gently sloping/flat, with natural forest paths and within site (through the trees) of small forest settlements.

Grade 2: 6 hrs

All day courses incorporating private gardens and private woodland nestled within a wider public forest estate. The private woodland terrain has some steps but is mainly gently sloping/flat with natural forest paths, rivers and streams. There is access to a garden room and toilets. The meeting place is in the gardens/forest. It is further from a town than Grade 1 and there are some steeper slopes in the garden and steeper still in the public forest. The gardens remain within the boundary of the 'nest' but the public forest beyond offers further choice and enrichment as an optional part of the course for those wanting to explore further at their own risk.

Grade 3: 2 day immersion

2 day courses offering on site accomodation with Grade 1 as a Forest Bathing excursion off site ('Safari'). It incorporates private woodland with steep, uneven steps, paths and bridges, therefore grade 3 in terms of accessibility. However the pace is gentle as always in Forest Therapy and there are natural hand rails.

Available Courses to book on line:

Courses available May - October

Grade 1

Meeting place: Dean Heritage Centre, Camp Mill, Soudley, Glos,GL14 2UB

Wood location: Soudley woods, Forest of Dean.

Travel:

Car: Bristol 45 minutes drive, Gloucester 35 minutes

Train: Lydney railway station (connects to Gloucester/Cheltenham) 15 -20 minutes by taxi.

Grade 2

Meeting place: Nant y Bedd Gardens, Abergavenny, NP7 7LY.

Wood Location: Nant y Bedd Gardens and woodland, Black Mountains.

Travel:

Car: Abbergavenny 40 mins drive.

Train: Abbergavenny station: Newport (south Wales) to Abbergavenny 20 mins.

N.B. See website also for travel information https://nantybedd.com/

Forest Therapy Guide Packages:

1. Puzzlewood and Forest Bathe

Forest therapy immersion: 2 day 'safari' with accomodation - Grade 1- 3

Exclusive acess to Puzzlewood and accomodation on site. This is a 2 day package, set in ancient woodland within the Forest of Dean, Glouestershire.

Includes: meeting and greeting and guiding for a group when staying in a Puzzlewood cottage https://www.puzzlewood.net/ .

The immersion is based around scientific research findings in to forest therapy benefits over two days, offering a potential, long term boost to the immune system (of up to 28 days in men), amongst other benefits to health and wellbeing. A visit to two contrasting woodlands will underpin this intense, sensory experience. Both are within the Forest of Dean in private and public woods; each with their own very special character. This two day course combines grade 1 and 3.

Location: Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.

Travel: N. B: You will need to have your own transport or car share within the group.

Car: 40 mins from Bristol, 40 mins from Gloucester, 20 mins from Lydney town/station.

Bus: Bristol to Chepstow, 40 mins, 5 min walk - Chepstow to Lydney by train.

Train: Newport to Lydney, 30 mins.

2. Float in the Forest and Forest Therapy - Level 1

This is a package that includes a morning switching everything off by floating in a state of the art immersion tank a few steps away from the forest, https://floatintheforest.co.uk/ followed by an afternoon of forest therapy under the canopy of the trees when you book a 'Float in the Forest' package.