Last week, I was invited to attend a class at the Bridge Counseling and Wellness Center. To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect! I'm always up to try something new, and the title "intuitive sexuality" caught my attention.
I've always been deeply in tune with both my intuition and sexuality, but it never occurred to me that either topics had anything to do with one another. So off to my class I went!
Entering the space, it felt very welcoming. A kind woman greeted me, offered me a snack and drink (Tea or Water), and showed me to our room.
Tip: If you plan on attending one of these classes, I highly suggest you come in lounge wear, or something very comfortable. We did a little bit of meditation, and I'm glad I wasn't uncomfortable laying down or sitting in jeans! Bringing a water bottle is useful too :-)
The room itself felt very serene. There were yoga mats and blankets/cushions to make yourself comfortable on the floor.
The class itself was very insightful. During the whole duration, I felt that I was in a safe space to be open. The instructor did a beautiful job at leading our session. She was very sweet, kind, and caring, I left the class feeling more lifted than when I came in.
I learned a bit about myself & happily took mental notes of the things in my life that bring me pleasure. Sometimes, we are all so busy, we forget to stop and take a moment to soak the good vibes in. I'm appreciative of the opportunity to be able to open up and be in the safe space that I was provided. Everyone needs the opportunity to speak our minds and take a break from the day to day stresses in life.
I was excited to find out that following their "Be Body Positive Series", they are also offering Shinrin Yoku-Japanese Forest Bathing.
Per their website:
Shinrin-yoku is a term that means “taking in the forest atmosphere” or “forest bathing.” It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. Researchers primarily in Japan and South Korea have established a robust body of scientific literature on the health benefits of spending time under the canopy of a living forest. Now their research is helping to establish shinrin-yoku and forest therapy throughout the world.
Some evidence based health benefits include:
The idea is simple: if a person simply visits a natural area and walks in a relaxed way there are calming, rejuvenating and restorative benefits to be achieved. Forest therapy approaches such as Shinrin-yoku have roots in many cultures throughout history. John Muir wrote, “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home. Wilderness is a necessity.” He is one of many people who we include when we think about the origins of the practice.
- Lower blood pressure and heart rate
- Increased immune functioning
- Decreased depression and anxiety symptoms
- Increased sleep, energy levels and vitality
- Increased sense of connection, gratitude and wonder
- Decreased cortisol levels aiding in stress management
- Increased blood circulation, especially in areas of the brain that include focus
Upcoming Forest Bathing Dates:
September 15th (Sunday) and September 17th (Tuesday) – Location – Caperton SwampOctober 17th (Thursday) and October 20th (Sunday) – Jefferson Memorial Forest – Horine Section.Time: 10-12pm
During a forest bathing session you will be guided on a leisurely walk on gentle paths under the forest canopy with guided activities to help you open your senses, hone your intuition and experience the forest as you never have before. We draw upon mindfulness meditation practices and techniques of deep nature connection.
This personally sounds amazing, and I can't wait to try this out for myself! I love fall, and look forward to taking as much in before the cold weather sets in. I'm excited to share more about my experience. Thank you very much Jennifer Owens and Sammy-Jo for the opportunity to try your classes out to share!
For more information, check out their website here.
Have you ever taken any wellness classes?
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