Forest Therapy Groups for nonprofit organizations, and friends and family groups
Greetings!
I’m happy to guide just you, or you and your friends, family, or employees in a session designed just for you! One special aspect of choosing a private session is my tailoring of a theme to fit your needs. There are hundreds of possible supportive activities, and I select them based on the land, the weather, your theme, and your needs.
I guide Forest Therapy Sessions (Forest Bathing Experiences) with invitations that help you explore your relationship with yourself and nature through mindfulness and bodyfulness modalities. They can be fun and uplifting, and/or deeply touching and rejuvenating.
We begin with a 15-20 minute guided meditation and end with tea that I've locally harvested. The activities in-between are slow and sensory. There are several opportunities to share and be heard through Listening circles. They total 2- 2.5 hours. This is an amazing way to feel alive and get to know the land life!
This sequence has been proven to reduce stress! You can read about Stress Reduction Theory and Attention Restoration Theory here.
Read the info below, then Contact Me
with your theme idea, location request, some possible dates, and number of people. Then we’ll schedule a 15 minute phone call to iron out details, and I’ll email you the final plan.
~Shannon Gorres, MDiv, MA, ANFT Certified Guide
01
Pick a Theme
Celebrating? Grieving? Family reunion? Just need to de-stress, restore, or relax?
Let me know what your intentions or curiosities are, and I’ll attune to them.
Some themes people have requested were:
“Team Building”
“Bonding and releasing as Daughter moves to college”
“First time actually in the woods”
“Mothering Yourself”
“70th Birthday of a life-long gardener”
“Blessingway (ritual before giving birth)”
“Engagement Commitment Celebration”
“Stress Reduction and Attention Restoration”
I've led group sessions for the Kansas City Kansas Schlagle Nature Library, City of Lawrence Park and Rec, Lawrence Rotary Club, The Resilient Activist of Kansas City, Journey to New Life Kansas City, Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe, and more.
02
Choose Location
You can choose from the following locations:
~Divine Nature Sanctuary, (10 north of downtown Lawrence, with prairie, ponds, and woods). It’s rustic, and more quiet.
~Hidden Valley Camp (40 acres of private wooded and prairie land inside West Lawrence. Booking this site adds $35 to the price). It has groomed trails, picnic tables, and latrines.
~Your own private land. I travel up to 15 min from downtown Lawrence for no extra cost. If further, a small travel time fee is added ($1/minute).
~You are in your location (your backyard, nearby park, your yard), while I’m at mine, and I guide you remotely (via Zoom). It actually works really well!
Each person's experience is unique, no matter the location. Various thoughts and feelings are welcome, and I’ll hold space for individual experiences within the whole group. There is no expectation of being a certain way, other than following safety rules. :)
03
Payment
1-5 people $150
6-7 people $200
8-9 people $250
10-15 people $300
I’m happy to support larger nonprofit or private groups, please contact me.
Non-profits: if you can provide preparation and an assistant to me, I can guide up to 25 people at the $300 level pricing.
Payment is due at time of booking.
04
Prepare
How can I describe Forest Therapy to my employees/family/friends?
“Heart-based Relational Forest Therapy™ focuses on rebuilding relationships with the More-Than-Human World as a foundation for healing people and the planet.
Forest Therapy is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments. Forest Therapy is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, ‘forest bathing.’ Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits, especially in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and improving mood and cognition.
We build on those benefits and look beyond, to what happens when people remember that we are a part of nature, not separate from it, and are related to all other beings in fundamental ways."
~Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (you can see the science at Research | Association of Nature and Forest Therapy)
Weather
There’s all sorts of wonderful kinds of weather to Forest Bathe in! If approached with an open mind, exploring in unusual weather can be fun or heart opening! Unless it is unsafe to be outside (lightning, dangerous heat index, or wind chill below freezing), I will keep our agreed upon date. If the weather is totally unmanageable for you, you have the option to defer once by contacting me at least 2 days ahead of time to pick a new date within a 2 week period (from the option/s I have available). Or I can guide you in an indoor or virtual session that day (helping you experience therapeutic interbeing with plants in your home, building, or yard), and/or you can elect to purchase a new in-person session.
Dress in layers and pack extra warm gear if it’s winter. Since we are moving slow and not hiking, it will likely feel cooler than you’re used to.
If it’s rainy or muddy, consider clothes and shoes/boots that can get wet and dirty, and wear layers. Bring a separate pair of shoes/socks for the drive home, and a plastic bag to put dirty items into for the car ride. Bring an umbrella and/or raincoat.
If it’s hot, bring an umbrella or choose shady spots to sit. Wear a hat and sunglasses. Wear breathable, thin long sleeves to keep direct sun rays off your skin. Bring extra water with ice in it. Bring a washcloth and a bag of ice water to dip the cloth in, then put around your neck. Feel free to wet your hat or neck bandana as well, as the evaporation will cool you.
Children
It’s 99% best if a session is either just for adults, or planned to be child-based (which is playful and fun, and less meditative/deep/restorative). If young children are present in an adult-oriented session, someone will need to always watch their child for safety, and engage them separately for the beginning meditation. We start with a 20 minute guided meditation that sets the mind-of-presence for the entire session, and it's predicated on the ability to offer our full attention to nature around us. (I've found that the noises of young children do not allow most adults to center, and most young kids can't easily be silent and still for 20 minutes.) Of course, many children naturally know how to play in nature, so sessions specifically booked for young children are amazing sessions, with a different kind of interactive beginning meditation, shorter fun activities, and centered on kids' needs.
