Upcoming Opportunities:
Guided Shinrin-yoku: Full Moon Forest Walk
Saturday, October 8 at Blandford Nature Center
Join us for a special event under the night sky and experience the benefits of Shinrin-yoku, a relaxing Japanese wellness practice also known as “forest bathing.” Led by ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide Katie Venechuk, this experience will start with a brief introduction to the research and science behind shinrin-yoku and how it differs from a hike in the forest. We’ll then transition into a guided shinrin-yoku experience on the moonlit landscape, following the structure of a traditional forest therapy walk (3-hrs in length), where you’ll be offered a series of forest bathing invitations to calm your mind, awaken your senses, and notice new details of the world around you. This event is not a hike and the total distance covered will be less than 1-mile. We’ll end with a tea ceremony and community bonfire, offering you the chance to ask our guide questions, visit, and sip herbal tea beneath the moon and stars. Come see what nature has to share with you as you slow down, find presence, and enjoy the nighttime wilderness of BNC!
Blandford Member Registration: $35
Non-Member Registration: $40
Registration for this event is FULL!
Stay tuned for our November event at Blandford, T.B.A. soon!
Fall Wellness Retreat, with Wellness Retreat MI!
October 21-22 at the Izaak Walton League, Belmont, MI
Join us for the FIFTH retreat with Wellness Retreat MI at the beautiful land & lodge of the Izaak Walton League, just 20-minutes from Grand Rapids! This Friday evening and full Saturday event is all about self-care, community, slowing down, and exploring diverse wellness modalities, led by a diverse group of talented wellness facilitators from the Grand Rapids area. Our guide Katie will be leading a nature immersion experience on Saturday afternoon, with a focus on coming into alignment with the changing seasons both around us and within us. This immersion will take you out on the beautiful land of IKES for guided nature meditation, forest bathing invitations, journaling in nature prompts, and a community gathered wild foraged tea ceremony. Other workshops include breathwork, a restorative yoga and sound bath, yin yoga, an active dreaming circle and more. We hope to see you there!
FULL Weekend Ticket: $115
Ticket includes ALL workshops, a delicious plant-based lunch on Saturday, curated and prepared by professional chef, Dr. Edward Evans, the option to camp onsite on Friday night, access to 40+acres of amazing nature & more!
Frequent Offerings
Learn more about our frequently offered events and workshops below and check out our Calendar & Events page to register for upcoming events!
Forest Therapy Walks
If you are interested in a deeper immersion into the world of forest therapy, a forest therapy walk is for you. During these events, you will be offered a sequence of forest bathing invitations to help you relax and connect to the natural world. Events also include hot tea and time among community.
Journaling in Nature: Writing Workshops
Grab your journal and join us in the forest during these special 1.5-hr workshops, which blend journaling prompts and forest bathing techniques for relaxation, reflection, and connection to yourself and the world around you.
Stay tuned for more opportunities, to be announced soon!
Forest Therapy & Henna Workshops
Join us as we team up with professional henna artist, Danielle Nienhouse from Henna By Design MI, for these 2.5-hr workshops, which include a guided forest therapy experience and henna workshop among the trees.
Stay tuned for more opportunities be announced soon!
Forest Yoga: 4-Week Series
This series is structured to introduce you to the practice of forest bathing and feature one of the beautiful parks in Grand Rapids, hosted once yearly with the City of Grand Rapids Parks & Recreation.
Join us for this series in the spring of 2022!
