The Adore Your Outdoors Blog by Sonya Dibbin
Some years ago, I was told I would write professionally, and that the name Wood would be significant… Well, here I am starting my blogging journey and since leaving the world of Corporate IT and setting up Adore Your Outdoors, I now work in the woods. Coincidence?
Anyway, I’m Sonya, I’m a qualified and experienced Forest Therapy guide, and EcoNIDRA™, mindfulness and meditation teacher, and I’ve run Adore Your Outdoors since 2019. You can get to know me better here but in this short introduction blog, I wanted to take the opportunity to explain what to expect in future blogs.
What will the Adore Your Outdoors blog include?
What is Nature Connection
I’ll be sharing the latest science on the measurable, psychological construct known as nature connectedness, an increase in which, is proven to result in sustained increases in
- health and happiness
- your sense of purpose
- a feeling of belonging to something bigger
- your ability to trust and be kinder to others.
Much of what I teach can be recreated alone in your own garden or on a walk. So I’ll also give you lots of ideas, hints and tips to guide you along your nature connection journey.
What is Forest Bathing
I’ll also be shedding light on the nature connection practice known as Shinrin-Yoku in Japan.
If you’ve heard about Forest Bathing recently in the media, perhaps you’re thinking it sounds very much like a fancy term for a walk in the woods? I’ll be explaining how it’s so much more than that, involving spending quiet and mindful time under the canopy of trees, surrounded by nature to improve health and wellbeing. I include sensory activation, guided meditations, and mindfulness exercises like noticing colours, patterns and perception, listening to sounds, appreciating textures through touching bark and leaves, to smelling leaf litters and mosses.
These practices can be carried out whilst walking, seated and sometimes to great effect, lying down. You don’t walk far when forest bathing, and certainly don’t walk fast. Nor will you need your shower cap! You’re bathing your senses in the atmosphere of the forest. I write about its many benefits and what happens in a typical session.
Note: there is no swimming involved in Forest Bathing! I often use the term Nature Immersion or mindfulness-in-nature to avoid this confusion.
I’ve now written a mini-series of blogs to read to explain Forest Bathing in full. Grab a cuppa, sit back and have a read of these in this order:
What are the Benefits of Forest Bathing
Common Myths about Forest Bathing
What happens in a Forest Bathing session
The Latest Science on Forest Bathing and Nature Connection in the UK
You’ll also be the first to hear about the latest UK research with updates on a 5-year study in Surrey that’s coming to a close. This study prescribed forest bathing as a green prescription throughout 2021, and I for one am excited about the results.
How Nature Connection helps the Planet
You’ll learn how nature connection can result in long-lasting, robust, positive change, resulting in a closer, more reciprocal relationship with the natural world. Moving away from seeing nature as something to use, fear or know facts about, towards developing a kinship with the natural world. And as we face the climate emergency, never has there been a more critical time to value and take care of our environment.
Subscribe to stay in touch
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I also email a monthly newsletter which includes the nature spot and invitation of the month, books and programmes I think you’ll like, shoutouts to other local organisations, pre-sale access to online and in-person events and of course those subscriber-only special offers. Sign up here and tick the ‘future communications’ box so I can email you without breaking GDPR rules.
I also post occasional videos to my YouTube channel, including guided sensory meditations, activity ideas and foraging recipes.
Browse the website, check out what’s on offer for individuals or organisations or contact me directly. If you are interested in learning more in the meantime, I’d love to hear from you.
