What is Forest Therapy?

Forest therapy is a research-backed mindfulness practice that guides you to slow down, quiet the mind, and engage your senses. Far from a strenuous hike, it is a deliberate immersion designed to bridge the gap between modern stress and natural restoration.

Quiet Mind

Reset Body

Restore Focus

Shift your focus from overthinking to direct sensory awareness—sound, scent, and touch—to stop racing thoughts and drop out of mental fatigue.

Step into natural environments that trigger your body's relaxation response, lowering stress hormones, calming heart rate, and restoring nervous system balance.

Give your brain a total break from screens, notifications, and constant decision-making through gentle, unhurried attention in nature.

Guided Forest Therapy Offerings

Re-engage your senses and restore your well-being through our diverse range of ecotherapy programs, designed to fit your lifestyle and location.

Remotely Guided

In-Person Walks

Corporate & Orgs

Global Resets

Experience the restorative benefits of forest therapy from any local green space. Receive live, expert guidance through your phone to quiet your mind.

Slow down and awaken your senses on the peaceful forest trails of Colorado. Join a certified guide for an immersive, grounding in-person walk.

Improve team cohesion, reduce workplace stress, and foster authentic connection with tailored nature-based mindfulness experiences for your organization.

Unplug completely and deeply restore your nervous system. Join an intimate group for a multi-day ecotherapy immersion in a sacred natural landscape.

Grounded in Science

Physiological Stress Reduction

Cognitive & Attention Restoration

Psychological Safety & Co-Regulation

Controlled field experiments show that just 15–20 minutes of nature immersion (Shinrin-yoku) significantly suppresses sympathetic nervous system activity, lowers salivary cortisol concentrations, and reduces blood pressure and pulse rate compared to urban environments. Inhaling natural organic compounds like phytoncides further triggers a deep parasympathetic response that strengthens immune function. Journal of Physiological Anthropology (PubMed)

Grounded in Attention Restoration Theory (ART), exposure to natural environments shifts the brain from effortful, top-down "directed attention" to effortless "soft fascination". This state disengages the overworked prefrontal cortex, clearing mental fatigue, restoring working memory capacity, and enhancing creative problem-solving by up to 50%. Frontiers in Psychology / Scientific Reports

Shared outdoor experiences reduce negative affect, lower baseline anxiety, and promote emotional self-regulation. Stepping away from evaluative indoor work environments into neutral natural settings encourages co-regulation, dissolving workplace hierarchies and cultivating genuine psychological safety within teams. Social and Personality Psychology Compass (Wiley)

Hi, I’m Bre! After years in fast-paced creative and tech roles, spending intentional time outdoors completely transformed my relationship with stress. That experience inspired me to found Human Nature Ecotherapy to help others find peace and presence through nature connection.

As a certified guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, I’ve spent hundreds of hours guiding people into deeper presence, connection, and stress relief. Living on 5 forested acres keeps me grounded in this practice every day. Whether you’re looking to ease daily overwhelm, recharge your energy, or bring simple mindfulness into your routine, I offer evidence-based nature immersions designed to meet you right where you are.

FAQs

Ecotherapy (also known as nature therapy or forest bathing/ shinrin-yoku ) is the intentional, research-backed practice of connecting with nature to support mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Unlike a fast-paced hike or exercise routine, it is a slow, sensory immersion guided by mindful prompts that help you step out of overthinking and into presence.

What exactly is forest therapy or ecotherapy?

Is this just walking in the woods, or is there a specific process?

Not at all. Ecotherapy is designed for physical ease and accessibility, not athletic endurance. We move at a deliberate, unhurried pace over gentle terrain, with frequent pauses to sit or reflect. All you need is comfortable clothing for the weather, a pair of supportive shoes, and a willingness to step outside.

How does remote or audio-guided ecotherapy work?

Remote sessions bring expert-guided forest therapy directly to your local surroundings—whether that’s a neighborhood park, a backyard, or a nearby trail. For pre-recorded guides, you simply download the audio, pop in your earbuds, and put your phone in your pocket. For live 1:1 remote sessions, we connect briefly over audio or video before you step into your local outdoors for real-time somatic guidance.

What if I live in a city or don't have a large forest near me?

Traditional talk therapy takes place indoors and focuses heavily on processing thoughts, stories, and cognitive insights. Ecotherapy uses nature as a living co-partner, focusing on somatic (body-based) grounding, sensory awareness, and physiological stress reduction. It works from the body up to quiet a racing mind, making it a powerful complement to talk therapy or a standalone practice for burnout recovery.

Do I need to be fit or have special outdoor gear?

It’s much more than an everyday walk. Guided ecotherapy uses structured, gentle invitations that encourage you to slow down, activate all five senses, and notice details you’d usually pass by. Having a certified guide or audio prompt provides a restful structure, keeping your attention grounded so your brain gets a genuine break from constant focus and screen fatigue.

How is this different from traditional talk therapy?

You don't need a massive wilderness or national park. The psychological and physiological benefits of nature connection can be activated in a small neighborhood park, a quiet garden, a tree-lined street, or even sitting beside a single tree in your backyard. Ecotherapy focuses on how you engage your senses with the natural world around you, wherever you are.

Join the movement

Receive nature-inspired insights, healing practices, invites to Community Circles,
& global retreat announcements

© Human Nature Ecotherapy 2026. All rights reserved.

A portion of the proceeds from every sale goes to non-profit organizations focused on protecting and preserving nature.