We’re always rushing around, packing too much into our already busy lives. When we finally have a moment to pause, we find our necks craned, scrolling mindlessly through our phones. It’s no wonder anxiety levels are through the roof! I have a proposal for you: slow the f&@# down! There’s nothing like being fully present in the moment to bring peace and calm to your life.
 
If you’re looking for a natural, free way to reduce stress and anxiety, I invite you to go for a slow wander, noticing what’s in motion. Explore your yard, your neighborhood, or simply sit on your porch or balcony for 15 to 20 minutes. Scan the scenery around you, looking for motion. Your mind will probably drift, and that’s OK. When it does, turn your attention back to your breath and what’s in motion.
 
If you’re going for a stroll, slow your roll. This quote beautifully illustrates the ideal pace for this mindful invitation:

“When we walk like (we are rushing), we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth.
We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the earth...
Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth.
Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.”
 ― Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, spiritual leader, poet and peace activist

If you see something interesting, take time to be with it. Explore how the wind blows the clouds and makes the trees sway; let your gaze follow the birds and bees; examine a flower closely. Activities like this bring us into the present moment and fill us with wonder and awe for all the things we usually speed right by. I wonder what you’ll discover in your own backyard!

Tree hugs and kisses,
Kelly

About the Author
Kelly Bruce is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide/Trail Consultant and the founder of Natural Wanders. She leads forest bathing and nature therapy walks in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Subscribe to her e-newsletter for more inspiration from nature and to learn about upcoming walks, workshops and retreats. Each Wednesday, she’ll provide inspiration to help you wander into wellness, naturally. In the meantime, follow along on Instagram and Facebook. This article originally appeared in The Swell Life, the official blog of Portfolio Vero Beach Magazine. Photography by @zailaffitte.

Next time you’re at the beach, try a little nature therapy to connect more deeply to Mother Ocean and yourself.
 
Find a safe, comfortable place to sit along the shore for 20 minutes or more. Scan your body from head to toe, releasing any tension, stretching, or moving in a way that brings comfort and ease to your body.
 
Close your eyes and breathe deeply for several rounds, inhaling the sea air and exhaling any worries or stress. Imagine that you are exhaling your troubles in a cloud of smoke. You might even want to emit an audible sigh, giving a sound to this release. Feel the breeze and salty air on your skin, the sunlight or shade of the clouds. Relish this sensation.
 
Next, tune into the sounds of the seashore. The waves, the birds, the laughter of children. This is all part of the symphony of this place. Tune into the sounds that you find pleasurable and spend as long as you like enjoying these melodies.
 
Take a deep breath in through your nose, inhaling the sea air. Does it evoke a memory or emotion? Breathe deeply for a few more rounds, letting your nose decipher any other scents the ocean breeze brings you.
 
Now, breathe through your mouth, as if you’re sipping the air through a straw. Let it pass over your lips and tongue. What does the sea air taste like?
 
Slowly open your eyes and let the beach reveal itself to you as if you’ve never seen it before. Spend some time here, enjoying the scenery and fully taking it all in.
 
Now that you’ve awakened your senses, what does the ocean invite you to do? Let your heart guide you. Give yourself permission to explore.
 
When you’re done, take a few moments to reflect on your experience. What are you noticing? Share your thoughts with a friend or jot them down in a journal.

About the Author
Kelly Bruce is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide/Trail Consultant and the founder of Natural Wanders. She leads forest bathing and nature therapy walks in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Subscribe to her e-newsletter for more inspiration from nature and to learn about upcoming walks, workshops and retreats. Each Wednesday, she’ll provide inspiration to help you wander into wellness, naturally. In the meantime, follow along on Instagram and Facebook. ​

Around the globe, nature and forest therapy guides are taking the Japanese art of Shinrin Yoku (a.k.a. forest bathing) to soaring new heights, offering countless health benefits for both body and spirit.
 
The practice of nature and forest therapy as taught by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy includes a standard sequence of invitations led by a certified guide. It’s important to note: the forest is the therapist; the guide opens the door. Invitations are opportunities to connect more deeply with the natural world in your own unique way. It’s amazing what nature reveals when we quiet our minds and awaken our senses.
 
Next time you’re out in nature, follow your heart to a place that feels right, then try out this “sit spot” invitation:
 
Take a seat in nature's theater. Make yourself comfortable and notice that this theater is equipped with vivid 360-degree views, surround sound, even smell-a-vision. Today’s featured film is viewer's choice and lasts roughly 20 minutes or more. (Silence your phone and set a timer so you won’t be distracted by checking the time.) It will begin whenever you’re ready. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
 
After 20 minutes (or more), take a moment to reflect. What are you noticing? Share your thoughts with a friend or jot them down in a journal.

About the Author
Kelly Bruce is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide/Trail Consultant and the founder of Natural Wanders. She leads forest bathing and nature therapy walks in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Subscribe to her e-newsletter for more inspiration from nature and to learn about upcoming walks, workshops and retreats. Each Wednesday, she’ll provide inspiration to help you wander into wellness, naturally. In the meantime, follow along on Instagram and Facebook. 
Photography by @zailaffitte. 

Use this meditation practice when you're in nature and want to heighten your senses, or anytime you want to reduce stress or anxiety. This is a wonderful way to begin a forest bathing walk, or to simply bring yourself back to the present moment.

Find a quiet place outside to sit and spend 30 minutes silently noticing the natural world around you. If you have some woods nearby, or access to the ocean or river, wonderful! However, you can reap the rewards of nature in your own backyard, on your porch or apartment balcony. Even gazing out the window at natural surroundings or the sky has healing, immune boosting qualities. As a last resort, viewing images of nature on your television, computer, or in the form of art sends pleasing messages to your brain, helping to calm the mind and reduce stress.

Begin by making yourself comfortable. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Slowly scan your entire body from the crown of your head to the tips of your fingers and toes, noticing any discomfort. Make any adjustments or stretch to bring relief. Try to relax any tight muscles, unclench your jaw. Feel your feet rooted firmly on the ground and allow the earth to fully support you.

As we explore our many senses, allow yourself permission to tune into anything you find pleasurable. Just be with it. Acknowledge that any mechanical or man-made elements in juxtaposition to the natural world are also part of the experience. Smile and let them flow into one ear and out the other, focusing on the pleasing sensations.

Pause for 30 seconds or so and notice how the sun and fresh air greet your skin. How does it feel?

Clench your fists tightly for a few seconds, then let go and release your grip. Relax your fingers and open your palms up, noticing the weight and humidity in the atmosphere, or perhaps a slight breeze.

Take several rounds of deep, oxygen-rich breaths through your nose, inhaling for four seconds, and four seconds to exhale. Tilt your head back and lift your nose to the sky, as if you’re a wolf or a bear catching a scent. What do you smell?

Repeat that sequence of breaths, but this time, breathe through your mouth. Can you taste? As you continue to breathe deeply, consider the oxygen the plants are producing for you, and the carbon dioxide you produce for them.

Take several minutes to listen to the natural world that surrounds you. Tuning in to the sounds you find pleasurable, like a radio. What is the loudest sound? Spend a few minutes listening in to the distance. What is the faintest sound?

Now slowly open your eyes and observe the natural elements that surround you. Take your time. What movement or colors stand out to you?
​
After you’ve completed this sensory meditation, continue to sit quietly and observe your surroundings. What are you noticing? Journal your thoughts or share them with a friend or loved one. If you feel so inclined, draw or sketch an image that stands out from your experience.

Use this practice when you're out in nature and want to heighten your senses, or anytime you feel your mind drifting to an anxious state. Aim to spend at least 30 minutes outdoors each day.

About the Author
Kelly Bruce is a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide/Trail Consultant and the founder of Natural Wanders. She leads forest bathing and nature therapy walks in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Subscribe to her e-newsletter for more inspiration from nature and to learn about upcoming walks, workshops and retreats. Each Wednesday, she’ll provide inspiration to help you wander into wellness, naturally. In the meantime, follow along on Instagram and Facebook. 
​Photography by @zailaffitte.

​This article was originally featured in The Drift, the official quarterly publication of the North Carolina Council of Trout Unlimited. Read the online edition here.

These are unprecedented times. 

My first inclination was to get outside and fish. Hit the trails. Escape. Life still seems relatively normal in the woods and on the water. Then one by one, my favorite forests and parks began to close and it hit me: Perhaps this is the land, the rivers and streams pleading for a break. 

In fishing, we call it “resting a pool.” Our most popular fisheries receive heavy pressure particularly during high season. As worldly circumstances evolve, spring erupts and the fish spawn, I encourage you to continue to find solace in nature, but tread softly and do so mindfully. 

Clumsily I navigate this pandemic and feel more encouraged than ever to get outside and connect with nature. However, concern for the health of our community is forcing me to approach it differently. Instead of driving across town or a couple hours away, I’m getting my nature fix in my own backyard.

This morning when I walked outside, I instantly noticed that the air smelled heavenly. It was the sweet, pure mountain air I remembered from childhood when my family would drive from Florida to my grandmother’s house in North Carolina for summer vacation. When we exited the highway into the village of Flat Rock, we would roll down the windows and that familiar, comforting smell would ease my travel-weary mind. It signaled to me, “You’re in the mountains now.”

These days, I relish that scent in the mountain forests, but I haven’t had the pleasure of inhaling that soothing aroma at my home which sits off a busy road in Hendersonville. Without a doubt, decreased traffic is the culprit – and what an exquisite gift it is to breathe that fresh air on the steps of my porch.

Get More Vitamin N(ature)
Feeling overwhelmed and anxious has become the norm as this pandemic unfolds. Many factors are beyond our control, but these gifts from nature are free and they can be found at home. Not only do they provide comfort and peace of mind, they improve overall wellness and help to boost our immunity. While there’s no magic pill or quick fix, Vitamin N(ature) is a very powerful resource with a variety of benefits.

During this time of self-isolation and social distancing, many are turning to technology and increasing screen time to get their news, binge-watching to pass the time, or worse, scrolling mindlessly through social media which often elevates anxiety and spreads misinformation. Put down the phone, turn off the TV and tune into nature. 

A study on “Cultivating Recovery” published by Huibrie Pieters, et al. in the February 2019 issue of the Archives of Psychiatric Nursing revealed that time in nature reduces feelings of isolation, promotes calm, and lifts patients’ mood. As we quarantine ourselves, grant yourself permission to go outside and be still. Take this time to turn inward and reconnect to yourself, to the earth.

There are two critical things we can do to strengthen our immune systems: reduce stress and get ample sleep. An abundance of scientific research indicates that being in nature helps to: 

• lower blood pressure and stress hormones
• reduce nervous system hyperactivity
• enhance immune system function
• increase self-esteem
• reduce anxiety
• improve overall mood. 

​Spending time outdoors deeply enhances wellbeing, creativity and happiness. Nature provides tremendous immune-boosting qualities like reducing anxiety and increasing sleep duration, according to a study published in the September 2015 issue of Preventive Medicine, “Sleep Insufficiency and the Natural Environment” by Diana Grigsby-Toussaint, et al.

Need more incentive to go outside? Trees and plants offer incredible healing properties. In fact, they produce volatile organic compounds called phytoncides, their natural defense against disease, bacteria and parasites. We reap the rewards when we breathe in these organic compounds, which increases our natural killer (NK) cells – a type of white blood cell that helps boost immunity, according to a 2009 study on the “Effect of Phytoncide from Trees on Human Natural Killer Cell Function” by Dr. Qing Li, et al. published in the International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology.

Our bodies also need adequate Vitamin D to produce the antimicrobial proteins that kill viruses and bacteria. We produce it naturally when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate our skin, initiating a chain reaction converting a form of cholesterol into Vitamin D. By spending time outside, we soak up the sunshine and produce more Vitamin D which could help lower our risk for respiratory illness.

​Your Nature Prescription
Find a quiet place outside to sit and spend 30 minutes silently noticing the natural world around you. If you have some woods or a forest near your house, wonderful! However, you can reap the rewards of nature in your own backyard, on your porch or apartment balcony. Even gazing out the window at natural surroundings or the sky has healing, immune boosting qualities. As a last resort, viewing images of nature on your television, computer, or in the form of art sends pleasing messages to your brain, helping to calm the mind and reduce stress.

Begin by making yourself comfortable in a seated position. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Slowly scan your entire body from the crown of your head to the tips of your fingers and toes, noticing discomfort. Make any adjustments or stretch to bring relief. Try to relax tight muscles and unclench your jaw. Feel your feet rooted firmly on the ground and allow the earth to fully support you. Allow your lips to gently curl into a relaxed smile.

As we explore our many senses, allow yourself permission to tune into anything you find pleasurable. Just be with it. Acknowledge that any mechanical or man-made influences in juxtaposition to the natural world are also part of the experience. Smile and let them flow into one ear and out the other, focusing on the pleasing sensations from nature.

Pause for a couple minutes and notice how the sun and fresh air greets your skin. How does it feel? Clench your fists tightly for 10 seconds, then let go and release your grip. Relax your fingers and open your palms up, noticing the weight and humidity of the atmosphere, or perhaps a slight breeze. 

Take several rounds of deep, oxygen-rich breaths through your nose. Inhale for four seconds and exhale for four seconds. Tilt your head back and lift your nose to the sky, as if you’re a wolf or a bear catching a scent. What do you smell? Does it evoke an emotion or a memory?

Repeat that sequence of breaths, but this time, breathe through your mouth. What do you taste? As you continue to breathe deeply, consider the oxygen that the plants produce for you, and the carbon dioxide you return to them. 

Take several minutes to listen to the natural world that surrounds you, tuning in to the sounds you find pleasurable, like a radio. What’s the loudest sound? Spend a few minutes listening into the distance. What is the faintest sound?

Imagine your eyes are blossoms, getting ready to open for the first time. Now slowly open your eyes and observe the natural elements that surround you. See the world as if you’ve never seen it before. Spend a few moments gazing all around. What stands out?

Boost Your Immune System and Calm Your Mind, Naturally
Written by Kelly Bruce, Certified Forest Therapy Guide

As we navigate the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Many factors are beyond our control, but there are simple measures we can take that are free and can be done at home to improve overall wellness and boost immunity. While there’s no magic pill or quick fix, there’s something very powerful called Vitamin N(ature) and it offers a variety of benefits.

Reducing stress and getting ample sleep are imperative to preparing our immune systems to defend our health and fight whatever bugs are going around, from the common cold to the flu and coronavirus. An abundance of scientific research indicates that being in nature helps lower blood pressure and stress hormones, reduces nervous system hyperactivity, enhances immune system function, increases self-esteem, reduces anxiety and improves overall mood. Spending time in nature deeply enhances wellbeing, creativity, happiness; it also provides tremendous immune-boosting qualities like reducing anxiety and increasing sleep duration.

As we self-isolate to reduce our exposure and prevent the spread of viruses, many are turning to technology and increasing screen time, binge-watching to pass the time, or worse, scrolling mindlessly through social media which often elevates anxiety and spreads misinformation. A recent study conducted by psychiatric unit researchers revealed that time in nature reduces feelings of isolation, promotes calm, and lifts patients’ mood. Take this time to put down the phone, turn off the TV and tune into nature. 

Trees and plants offer incredible healing properties. In fact, they produce volatile organic compounds called phytoncides, their natural defense against disease, bacteria and parasites. We reap the rewards when we breathe in these organic compounds, which boost our natural killer (NK) cells – a type of white blood cell that helps boost immunity. 

Our bodies need adequate vitamin D to produce the antimicrobial proteins that kill viruses and bacteria. We produce it naturally when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate our skin, initiating a chain reaction converting a form of cholesterol into Vitamin D. By spending time outside, we soak up the sunshine and produce more Vitamin D which could help lower our risk for respiratory illness.

Your Nature Prescription
Ready for your daily dose of Vitamin N? Find a quiet place outside to sit and spend 30 minutes silently noticing the natural world around you. If you have some woods, a quiet park, or a forest near your house, wonderful! However, you can reap the rewards of nature in your own backyard, on your porch or apartment balcony. Gazing out the window at natural surroundings or the sky has healing, immune boosting qualities. As a last resort, viewing images of nature on your television, computer, or in the form of art sends pleasing messages to your brain, helping to calm the mind and reduce stress.

Begin by making yourself comfortable. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Slowly scan your entire body from the crown of your head to the tips of your fingers and toes, noticing any tension. Try to relax any tight muscles, unclench that jaw. Let go and release it. Feel the earth fully supporting you. As we explore our many senses, allow yourself permission to tune into anything you find pleasurable. Just be with it. Those that are in juxtaposition to the natural world are also part of the experience. Smile and let them flow into one ear and out the other, focusing on the pleasing sensations.

Notice how the sun and fresh air greet your skin. How does it feel? Take several deep, oxygen-rich breaths, inhaling for four seconds, and four seconds to exhale. Tilt your head back and inhale through your nose, as if you’re a wolf or a bear catching a scent. What do you smell and taste? 

Tune into the sounds of nature, like a radio. Take several minutes to listen for both the loudest and faintest sounds. What do you hear? 

Now slowly open your eyes and observe the natural elements that surround you. Take your time. What movement or colors stand out to you? What are you noticing? 

After you’ve completed this sensory meditation, continue to sit quietly and observe your surroundings. Journal your thoughts, or share them with a friend or loved one. Aim to spend 30 minutes outdoors each day. 

Kelly is a Certified Forest Therapy Guide in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Subscribe to our e-newsletter for more inspiration from nature and to learn about upcoming forest bathing walks.