Forest Bathing: A Summer Retreat

Come immerse yourself in this morning nature retreat full of discovery and imagination. Join a certified forest therapy guide for a relaxing 3 hour experience in the forests of the peaceful Arboretum grounds. Through a series of invitations, you’ll have the opportunity to be present in the moment, deepening your connection with nature and community, and enjoying the many gifts nature has to offer.

Your guide will share mindfulness practices designed to connect you more deeply to your inner landscapes, as well as the world around you. Inspired by Shinrin-Yoku, the Japanese art of immersing oneself in a forest environment, a forest bathing walk invites you to spend time in nature in a way that invites healing for ourselves, our fraught ecosystems, and our community. Awakening your child-like sense of wonder and awe may be a sweet side-effect. It is true nature therapy!

Christa Hebal is a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. Born and raised in the mountains of NE Tennessee, she has lived in Asheville for 23 years. Christa has and adventurous heart and loves to help others encounter wholeness through embodiment and nature connection practices. She has had a professional bodywork practice for 17 years as a nationally certified Massage Therapist, and is also a practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy®, Usui Reiki Master, Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist, Clinical Aromatherapist, and Certified Traditional Herbalist. She is also certified in CPR and Wilderness First Aid.

Event Venue

The North Carolina Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, United States