The Student Wellness Centre of the University of Saskatchewan is offering U of S students an opportunity to give themselves permission to slow down and reconnect with nature through an immersive, sensory experience where nature is the therapist.

Join Ken MacLeod on Friday, June 14th, at 1:30 pm for a 2 to 3-hour, 1 km Nature Therapy Walk. Ken is a therapist at the Student Wellness Centre and a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide through The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT), a member in good standing with Nature and Forest Therapy of Canada.

Meet at 109 Research Dr, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3R3, in front of the Boffins Public Garden entrance gate by the roundabout, and Ken will take students on a guided Nature Therapy Walk around the garden park. Using a series of invitations to experience nature in a different way, this will not be a doing experience but more of a being one, being with nature.

Sign Up Required, Use this Link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/nature-therapy-walk-tickets-910688603127?aff=oddtdtcreator 

Dress for the weather of the day, rain, or shine, and wear comfortable shoes. Sunscreen, a hat, and a water bottle is recommended.

What is Nature and Forest Therapy?

The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy describes the practice this way:

Nature and Forest Therapy is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments. Nature and Forest Therapy is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, which translates to “forest bathing”. Studies have demonstrated a wide array of health benefits, especially in the cardiovascular and immune systems, and for stabilizing 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.

In Nature and Forest Therapy, people are guided through a clearly defined sequence of invitations to slow down, allow the senses to open, and experience the environment to deepen the reciprocal relationship between participants and the forest. This supports the wholeness and well-being of both. These Slow Walks in Nature are typically one-to two-kilometers long and fit for all ages and physical conditions.

Invitations are open-ended. There is no expectation for what participants should experience or receive. Rather, participants spend time in silence, listening and feeling with a quiet and accepting presence. They become reconnected with their senses and their innate creative potential is tapped, which allows the imagination to awaken.

Why Nature and Forest Therapy?

Nature and Forest Therapy promotes:

• The improvement of human health. People are more stressed, anxious, and depressed and have more chronic health conditions. Nature and Forest Therapy provides a pathway for people to remember how to immerse themselves in nature to rest from all that consumes them in their daily lives.

• A greater sense of connectedness. Jacques Cousteau once said, “People protect what they love.” A heartfelt, embodied relationship with nature naturally leads to a love of nature and recognition that we are nature.

• A greater sense of compassion. Somatic work with the Earth and our bodies provides participants the opportunity to remember the nature of relationship and the way we are all connected. The sense of connectedness leads toward compassion and away from apathy, greed, and selfishness. This deeper compassion supports the kind of relational values that will support new solutions for the health of people and the planet.

The Forest is the Therapist. The Guide Opens the Doors.—M. Amos Clifford

Event Details

When:
Time:
01:30 PM - 04:30 PM CST
Location:
N/A