Mindfulness in Nature Sessions with Ali Engering
Disconnect from your busy life and reconnect with yourself and nature through these guided mindfulness sessions in nature. Forest Bathing or Outdoor Mindfulness is a practice that helps ground you in your body and nature through simple activities and offers many physical and mental wellness benefits.
What you will need for the session: layers of clothing appropriate for the weather, bug spray, sunscreen, etc. Sessions will proceed if rain is forecasted or occurs. It’s helpful to have a bag or backpack to swap layers as needed, and a water bottle.
What movement in this session looks like: walking up to 2km at a slow pace on easy, unpaved terrain with some slopes, sitting down on provided pads, some standing. Please indicate upon sign up if you have any accessibility needs or questions.
All sessions include: Mindfulness and Land based activities/discussion in the outdoors, an open environment for connection and learning with and from each other.
Register for all 4 Sessions OR Register for Individual Sessions:
4 Week Program, Every Sunday 1pm-3pm
Dates: May 25, June 1, June 8, June 15
Location: Bechtel Park, Waterloo, Trail entrance beside playground https://maps.app.goo.gl/RCu39BR6y6bBSTUz7
Cost: $80 for all 4 sessions or $25 per individual session
Session Descriptions
Sunday, May 25th, 1-3pm - Session Theme: Awareness
Our first session will focus on introducing everyone to the practice, to each other and the forest at this current place and time as well as to its past. A short guided meditation will settle us into space before we mindfully connect with each other through a nature activity. We will have a few moments of slow, mindful walking and a mindful drawing activity.
Sunday, June 1, 1-3pm - Session Theme: Connection with Four Elements
Our second session will draw on the four elements to ground us in nature. We will explore the connections we have between the elements and our bodies, leaning on the support of trees as an example to guide us.
Sunday, June 8, 1-3pm - Session Theme: Connection with Nature’s Networks
Our third session will interweave network connections throughout our mindful journey. A fungal guided meditation will ground you. We will further recognize the network connection to everything around us including ourselves through a connection web activity.
Sunday, June 15th, 1-3pm - Session Theme: Release
Our final session will focus on the intentional release from the mind and rearranging of connections in nature and ourselves that occur when things are let go. We will do some nature journaling to explore this theme and have an extra-sensory experience.