PICTURE this: You are sitting with your back against a towering tree surrounded by meters of forest. The air is crisp after an afternoon of rainfall and is saturated by the earth’s aroma springing from the ground. The sounds of chirping birds and a soft trickle from a stream nearby are all you can hear. You take a deep breath, enveloping all Mother Nature has to offer. This is forest bathing.
Washington County Parks will feature forest bathing sessions throughout 2023 in different county parks; the next one is Oct. 14 at Lake Elmo Park Reserve.
Green Island Preserve in Wadena will offer on Sept. 15 a free forest therapy workshop intended for educators, mental health and hospital staff, caregivers and community wellness support of any kind.