Nature and Forest Therapy Australia

21/09/2025

Happy International Day of Peace! ☮️✌🏻💜

21st September is the official global UN day of peace.

The world currently has more active conflicts than at any other time since 1946.

There are complex systemic reasons for war and at times we can feel powerless to change things.

And yet we still have the power to choose to work towards peace and compassion in our own lives and our own minds.

This may look like coming to peace with who we are and our history, helping friends and neighbours in need, choosing kindness over conflict with our loved ones, or organising for collective liberation in our communities.

As our patron His Holiness the Dalai Lama says “World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion.“

Whatever you are doing today take a moment to slow down, breathe, and think about how you can create more compassion in the world as a contribution to global peace.

May all beings be peaceful, happy, safe, and free.

☮️✌🏻💜

16/09/2025

23/08/2025

The Japanese city of Kanazawa is turning to youth-led firefly surveys to monitor the increase in biodiversity of the city.

Discover how projects around the world are helping cities and towns to value, restore, and protect urban ecosystems: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-fireflies-are-turning-japanese-youth-stewards-nature

24/06/2025

Considering Forest Therapy Guide Training? Choose with care.

In a field grounded in connection, presence, and professionalism, the quality of your training matters.

Today, someone shared:
"I’ve been waiting a year for the training organization to have enough participants to begin."

This isn’t a reflection of low interest—it’s a reminder of how important it is to choose a provider that actively engages with a global community and offers clear, consistent pathways to qualification.

As Forest Therapy grows in recognition and relevance, so do the training options. Some are short, inexpensive, and easy to access—but will not lead to the depth, support, professionalism, credibility or career opportunities you’re seeking.

So as you explore your path, ask:
Is this training aligned with professional standards? Will it equip me to confidently guide others and build a meaningful practice?

Because when it comes to guiding others toward health and wellbeing, your preparation should be just as thoughtful as the work itself.

16/05/2025

30/04/2025

‘Reading poetry and novels can lift us out of our everyday experience and give us pleasure, mental stimulation, a sense of wellbeing and company.’ Read more about bibliotherapy’s immense benefits for mental and emotional health:

Through my own struggles and in teaching bibliotherapy to students, I know that books can help to heal minds and hearts

28/04/2025

22/04/2025

27/03/2025

08/12/2024

Stopping

“Being mindful does not mean that we just sit for hours on our meditation cushion in a retreat or monastery. There are many ways to practice mindfulness that can be fully integrated into our daily living.

Besides conscious breathing, we can do walking meditation, sitting meditation, smiling, mindful listening, mindful speaking, and mindful working.
We can practice concentration and looking deeply in all the activities of our daily life.

Even while walking, we can practice stopping. We can walk in such a way that we arrive with each step – not walking just to get somewhere else. We can walk to enjoy each step. If we practice stopping while attending to e-mails, surfing the web, attending meetings or appointments, folding the laundry, washing the dishes, or taking a shower, we are living deeply.

If we do not practice this way, the days and months will fly by without our awareness, and we will lose many precious moments of our life. Stopping helps us live fully in the present.” 💗

~ Thich Nhat Hanh