Hi,
My name is Cheryl B.
Engelhardt and I'm so happy that you're joining me today on our forest bath.
The forest bath was first started in 1982 in Japan and there have since been so many studies done on the benefits of intentionally spending time in a forest and or looking at pictures or videos of forests.
You can reap the same benefits of increased serotonin,
Decreased cortisol,
Which is the stress hormone,
And so many other positive things for our nervous system which we're going to experience today together.
My dog Enzo and I are walking through the forests of the Schwanger mountains in the Hudson Valley and whether you're in the season of early spring or you're looking for that rebirth,
Renewal,
Hope,
Energy coming out of a time of rest and hibernation,
Then this is the video for you.
Whether you're walking along with me or you're sitting in a meditative state or just being comfortable while you listen,
Go ahead and get in a comfortable position wearing comfortable shoes or sitting comfortably.
You can close your eyes,
You can open your eyes,
If you're walking obviously keep them open,
And join me on this meditation through the forest.
Let's first together take a deep breath through our nose.
This tells our nervous system that we are safe.
On this walk you will hear water running,
You'll hear birds chirping,
You will also hear my own footsteps and my breathing.
My footsteps become yours,
My serotonin becomes yours,
And we'll go on this journey together.
Let's begin.
As we breathe in through our nose and out through our mouths we start to refresh our lungs,
Our blood flow,
Acknowledge the flow of the seasons,
The cycles of life.
Early spring is that chilly but hopeful feeling.
We're reminded that it's not all darkness,
That there is bloom,
That there is hope,
That there is renewal just around the corner.
But early spring,
It's not the bloom yet.
For those of us who might be impatient with our transformation or our growth,
This is a beautiful time to sit with the intention of what we want to call in to our lives without the burden of having to do anything yet.
Not unlike waking up from a deep sleep,
We need a little bit of movement,
We need a little bit of stretching,
Of breath,
To transition ourselves into what's next.
This is that season,
This is that transition.
The most beautiful gift you can give yourself is permission to be exactly where you are.
So where is that?
Where are you right now?
Can you allow yourself to just be?
To feel awake,
To maybe move things that haven't historically moved,
That might have been hibernating for a little while in the dark of winter.
What can we extract from the message of the forest,
From the deep roots,
From the grounded energy,
From the community that binds the whole forest together?
We walk through the forest of possibility,
With awe for life,
With love for how far we've come and how much we've grown.
And we breathe it in,
Through the nose.
Every treetop is a reminder of perseverance,
Of seasons,
Of renewal,
Of rest and growth,
And rest and growth.
The work we did to get right here,
To this moment,
Where we've given ourselves the gift of taking time to ground our nervous system,
To breathe intentionally,
To grieve any endings,
Especially those that made room for new beginnings.
In the blankness of late winter and early spring,
We can visualize what a lush future will look like,
While being present and grateful for the blank slate in front of us,
For the emptiness that we can be intentional about filling.
Let's breathe in deeply the energy of the forest,
The stillness,
The history,
The rootedness that's required to fully bloom.
As we start to conclude today's forest bath,
Place a hand over your heart.
Feel your feet,
Or if you're seated,
Your tailbone,
Pushing into the earth,
Grounding like the roots of the trees before you,
Connected to something much,
Much more ancient than ourselves.
Give yourself permission to be exactly here.
In this time of renewal,
Of rejuvenation,
With no urgency,
With no rush,
Just presence,
Gratitude,
Deep forest breaths.
Let's take one more breath together through the nose and out through the mouth.
Thank you for joining me today.
I encourage you to find my other forest baths and join me there,
As well as with my music and other meditations.
Thank you so much and have a beautiful rest of this day and this season.
