WELLNESS WALKS
Dates:
Location:
Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Great River, Long Island, NY
Ages:
Adults (18 and Up)
Registration for a Wellness Walk
What’s in motion these days? We’ll wander and notice the details. We’ll do some Reciprocity Breathing, accepting the gift of oxygen from the trees and offering a gift of carbon dioxide, which the trees require to thrive. We’ll get to notice all the scents in the air. We’ll look for gifts from the land, a piece of bark with some lichen, fallen flower petals, a stone, or a feather. We may create some forest art together. We’ll stop along the River Walk and share a meditation about water and bless the river, using scrolls prepared by your guide, Linda. Bring poetry or some other kind of reflection with you on the walk. Doing this creates something personal that might inform you differently than if you were reading it in your living room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Wellness Walk?
A Wellness Walk is a unique immersion in nature; a connection with the natural world and ourselves. Unlike a hike or a naturalist walk, it’s a time to slow down and get grounded in nature; bringing some peace and quiet to our otherwise busy lives. The wellness benefits of Forest Therapy or Forest Bathing include:
- A boosted immune system
- Lower blood pressure
- Better sleep/Better mood
- Improved cognitive function
- And more!
The Japanese term for ‘taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing,’ is currently back in fashion as a popular type of preventative health care and healing in Japanese medicine.
How many times a month do you meet for Wellness Walks?
At Bayard Cutting Arboretum, walks are designed to be a single or monthly practice with a different walk each month using the arboretum’s diverse collections, such as the Old Pinetum, the River, and Holly Walks and the Dawn Redwood and Oak Grove. Walks are designed for each season and the weather; so you enjoy the arboretum in the best possible way!
How long are the walks?
Wellness Walks at Bayard Cutting Arboretum are approximately 2 hours long and end with the traditional Shinrin-Yoku tea ceremony.
What is the cost of each session?
The cost per walk is $40 per person. A parking fee may apply, depending on the time of year or the day of the walk. Click here for more information about parking.
Where can I register for a Wellness Walk?
You must register in advance. You’ll be sent a waiver by Wild Heart Nature Connection that must be signed and returned electronically (scanning or photo) via email prior to the walk. Things to consider bringing are water, bug spray, sunscreen, tissues, and hand sanitizer or wipes for your personal use. Bring a journal and pen, if desired.
Click the button below to register for a Wellness Walk at Bayard Cutting Arboretum today!
ABOUT YOUR FOREST GUIDE
Wild Heart Nature Connection founder and guide, Linda Lombardo, is certified through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs, an international community of forest therapy guides founded in 2012 in Sonoma County, CA. The ANFT combines elements of the Japanese Shinrin-Yoku, Zen meditation, psychotherapy, educational consulting, and nature connection in their certification program and protocol.
Linda Lombardo is also a certified life coach through the Coaches Training Institute since 2001. Additional background includes a current NOLS Wilderness First Aid certification and American Red Cross CPR training; all active certifications. Liability Insurance information is available upon request.
These walks are offered in partnership with Long Island Forest Walks, led by ANFT certified guide, Linda Lombardo, who has been leading walks on Long Island for five years.
