Shinrin-Yoku 森林浴 Forest Therapy Australia

31/01/2026

At the International ABCD Festival in Goa, I shared how Forest Therapy and the work of the International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance (INFTA) offer a practical, living example of Asset Based Community Development in action.

In conversation with ideas articulated by Peter Kenyon and others in the ABCD movement, my presentation — “From Japan to Goa: Our Forests Are Incredible Assets for Building Community Health and Connection” — explored forests as existing community assets, not services to be delivered or problems to be fixed.
Forest Therapy starts exactly where ABCD begins: with what is already present.

The land. The trees. Local stories and cultural relationships with nature. People’s innate capacity to care, connect, and contribute. Rather than importing programs, Forest Therapy supports communities to activate their own assets for wellbeing, connection, and shared stewardship.

Through INFTA’s global-to-local model, this practice is adapted and led by local guides, rooted in local ecologies and cultures, while being supported by an international learning network. This approach builds local capacity, strengthens citizenship, and reinforces the ABCD principle of communities acting from the inside out.

Bringing this perspective to the festival felt like a strong alignment: a reminder that community health can grow from living systems already around us — and that forests, when tended collectively, can become powerful spaces for connection, healing, and belonging.

Watch this space for more. 🌿

17/01/2026

Tune in to the sound bath amongst the trees 🌳

17/01/2026

“I love places where there are crowds of trees.” Nitin Namdeo

15/01/2026

Our first visit to Vietnam and I've landed at perfect time ....Tet!

As I experience my first Lunar New Year or Tet in Vietnam, I’m fascinated by how the entire country is preparing for celebration. Streets, homes, and markets are alive with anticipation—cleaning, decorating, and choosing the perfect symbols to welcome the new year.

Seasonal flowers highlight regional differences: peach blossoms in the North, yellow apricot flowers in the South. Yet one tradition unites the country from the Chinese border in Sapa to the floating markets of Ca Mau—the Kumquat Tree. 🍊

For Tet, kumquat trees about two to three feet tall are carefully selected and prominently displayed. Each tree is precisely pruned, showcasing ripe, deep-orange fruits with smooth, clear skin—shining like little suns or gold coins on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Other fruits are intentionally left green, destined to ripen later, symbolizing the wish that wealth and prosperity will come both now and in the future.

The leaves must be thick and dark green, with hints of fresh light-green sprouts—signs of health, renewal, and a growing family. It’s a safe, universal choice for Vietnamese households, and a beautiful reminder that Tet is about hope, abundance, and continuity.

08/01/2026

“Some of the benefits that trees provide are more obvious than others, such as shade and aesthetics, while other benefits related to human health are likely less on the radar of the general public. That said, urban trees will be more important to future generations, especially due to increased development, urban sprawl and an emphasis to maximize building footprints, all of which limit the space available for trees and the benefits they provide.”

Read the research in the first comment: The influence of urban forest on stress levels among adults aged 45 and older: An environmental and socioeconomic analysis in Florida, US

Have you ever considered a walk in a tree-shaded park to relieve stress? If you have, you’re hardly alone, according to new University of Florida research. The study shows that spending time in tree-filled spaces — like parks or wooded areas — can be a powerful way to calm the mind.   “For ...

03/01/2026

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀
𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟬 | 𝟭𝟬:𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗺 – 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗺

Step away from screens, noise, and urgency, and into a guided experience designed to restore calm, clarity, and connection.

Forest Therapy invites you to slow down and immerse yourself in nature through gentle, guided practices that support both mental and physical wellbeing. This is not a hike. I guide you through a series of sensory, breathing, and creative practices—that’s where the magic happens.

Held among old trees, fern gullies, and quiet garden paths, I’ve specially selected trails so you can enjoy the quiet and step out of everyday busyness, reconnecting through your senses.

Forest Therapy is a recognised health practice, with growing evidence showing it boosts health and wellbeing, supporting both physical and mental health. These sessions are accessible, inclusive, and designed for anyone willing to come with an open mind.

As an INFTA-trained Forest Therapy guide, I invite you to experience the Geelong Botanic Gardens not as a place to rush through, but as a living space for restoration, reflection, and connection.

If you’re seeking a slower pace, a calmer mind, and a deeper relationship with nature—right here in Geelong—this is a beautiful place to begin.

Bookings are now open.
Click the link in my bio to reserve your spot.

31/12/2025

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This morning, I noticed a bird call I hadn’t heard before.
Not loud. Not urgent. Just unfamiliar.
I paused and listened—trying to notice its rhythm, where it came from, whether it returned.
A few minutes of curiosity was enough to shift my attention.
That moment has me starting a new chapter in my journal.
I’m calling it Nature Curious.

For the past year, I’ve been inspired by phenology—the practice of noticing and recording seasonal changes in the natural world. Traditionally, phenology involves tracking things like weather patterns, animal visits, flowering, fruiting, and subtle shifts over time, often through observation, drawing, or writing.
This year, I’m simplifying it.

𝟯𝟲𝟱 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘆.
𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

It might be a sound, a cloud, a leaf, an insect, or the way light moves through a familiar place. Sometimes I’ll sketch. Sometimes I’ll write a few lines of poetry. Sometimes I’ll simply notice and move on.
No pressure to document everything.
No need to go anywhere special.
Just a small, daily practice of paying attention—right where I am.

This is one we need to do.
If you feel over-stimulated, disconnected, or simply curious, you’re welcome to join me.
Ten minutes is enough.

29/12/2025

As this year draws to a close, let’s give ourselves permission to pause. In a world that constantly asks more of our attention and our senses, it’s no surprise that many of us feel mentally overloaded — our brains trying to process more than they were built for. Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s essential.

This season, you don’t need a big plan to reset. Try something simple:

• Take off your shoes and walk barefoot on the grass
• Take a slow walk around your back garden
• Bring nature into your everyday — even small things, like having plants around your workspace.

Small moments of calm help your nervous system recover from constant noise, screens, decisions and alerts. Slow down. Breathe. Let nature remind you what rest feels like.

Here’s to quieter days, clearer minds and gentle rhythms in the year ahead.

21/12/2025

19/12/2025

This year, I’m not making a long list of resolutions.
I’m choosing one quiet commitment and staying with it.

I’ve been leaving my phone at home when I walk, run, or hike — not always, not perfectly — but long enough to know it makes a difference.

I’ve also been practicing "𝗦𝗸𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻" in the mornings. Some days, it's minutes, some days, it stretches longer.

These practices have taken time. I’ve dropped them, picked them up again, and learned to be patient with myself.

Still, I’m continuing — because something steadies when I begin this way.

𝗔𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼.

17/12/2025

Last week, I joined my first Street Wisdom Walkshop.

We were invited to bring very little:
curiosity, a question we’d like fresh answers to,
water, a hat, and wet-weather gear (just in case).

Guided by our facilitator, Skye, we were sent out on a quiet quest of curiosity — noticing, listening, and letting the city speak back.

And yes, I did find answers to my question.

But I also found something unexpected:
moments of generosity,
small acts of kindness,
beauty in everything,
and a softening toward my fellow citizens as they moved through a busy city day.

A reminder that wisdom doesn’t only live in forests or retreats — sometimes it’s waiting on the street corner, if we slow down enough to notice.

🤔If you’re curious about walking with questions and staying connected in everyday places, follow for inspiration and upcoming Walkshops.

Thank you, Skye 😊