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Forest Baths for Companies Update February 20, 2021: This page (and its subpages) are not yet complete and published, but in the following weeks I will write out why forest baths can (and should) be part of the business (in times of corona) . The era of corporate offices is over. Facebook, twitter and other large companies have already announced that employees now have the choice to work part-time or fully from home. Only a small percentage must be in an office full-time after the corona crisis. However, there are other diseases and crises that disrupted the business world, such as burnout and the local effects of climate change, soil depletion and pollution. Perhaps now the era of corporate forests and associated activities has arrived. Outdoor meetings that increase the productivity, creativity, health (physical and mental) health and resilience of your employees. Forest bathing is part of nature-based practices for which more and more scientific evidence of its usefulness is emerging. Which Flemish companies will be the first to offer forest baths as an activity, or even convert a meeting into an adapted 'company forest pool'? ------------- Not something new Our ancestors also held meetings in the shade of lime trees. More information follows. More creativity During an innovation management class I learned in which environments employees get their most and best ideas. According to scientific research. No, not in a conference room in an office. Unless the meeting is so boring that people daydream. The best environment for creativity is the natural environment. Burnout prevention Did you know that companies in Flanders are obliged to invest in programs to prevent burnout, one of the biggest pandemics in our welfare economy? But there is a limited range of programs.

In dit artikel vertelt een gezondheidspsycholoog in spe hoe bosbaden kan bijdragen tot je geestelijke gezondheid, het verschil tussen geestelijke gezondheid en ongezondheid en andere interessante dingen. How the Celtic annual festivals can give an in-depth accent to a forest pool By Emmy Schockaert - www.barrevoets.be March 16, 2021 Like an onion The intense nature connection that you can experience during a forest bath is very special. As a forest bathing guide, I love the moment when I see the participants merge with the forest and with themselves. You can see it in their eyes that get a little glassy and the blissful smile playing on their faces. It strikes me time and again that this moment of connection usually already takes place during the beginning of the forest pool. From that moment on, a hidden gate opens up somewhere in us through which the forest can easily penetrate into us, deeper and deeper. I like to compare the experience with an onion of which we remove a peel more and more during the forest bath to eventually reach the core. Each forest pool is different and each participant experiences a forest pool in his own unique way. And every forest bathing guide is also different and has its own specific accent in his / her offer. What I think we all have in common are the basic ingredients of a forest bath, namely the stillness, slowing down and the conscious opening of the senses so that the atmosphere can flow into the forest. In addition, there is a whole range of different ingredients that forest bathing guides use to create their own style. Special ingredient What I love as a 'special ingredient' are the Celtic seasonal festivals. Since my early years, these parties have been an important guideline and that is why it is a matter of course to weave them into the Barrevoets offer. They act as coat hangers around which I build my walks (but also by extension my life). Our Celtic and Germanic ancestors (by extension all natural peoples) probably did not know a word like 'nature connection' at all, they were so intensely one with nature in a way that we do not know today that such words were completely unnecessary. I don't see them agreeing to go forest bathing 😊 That is precisely why their past offers such a rich source of inspiration to integrate into nature-connecting activities such as forest bathing. The cycles of their annual celebrations are like gateways that open a profound connection with the natural world and with our own true natural inner world - our inner landscape. As a forest bathing guide and nature coach, I like to lift the veils that hang around these gates a bit and make them visible to the participants. For example, some of the invitations or exercises that shape the forest pool each time become a small ceremony or ritual that serves as anchor points to internalize that from the outside world. The seasonal parties are, as it were, a kind of natural mirror where we can become aware of what is really going on, separate from the everyday, but linked to the transition from one to the other. They are linked to change, to transitions and can help us to make contact within ourselves with what we want to change, renew, process. Ancient roots My experience with integrating the seasonal parties in a forest pool or nature coaching is that it brings an in-depth accent. By integrating a touch of our common ancestry, we also connect with our ancient common roots. It is plugging into our collective rhythm that lies deep within us, stored in our genes. Celebrating the feasts together connects the generations: we inherit the customs of our ancestors and at the same time we give them to our children. In this way we are connected with the past and with the future through honoring the old traditions, while we are just very mindful in the now. This writing makes me curious about where fellow forest bathing guides place their emphasis. What different ways does the forest bath world have? What effect does this have on the participants? How does this translate into their natural connection? Fascinating! --- Emmy Schockaert is a creative forest bathing guide / nature coach. She mainly guides in forests in the Flemish Ardennes. She is also the driving force behind Barrevoets . Nature is her passion and green thread in life. With Barrevoets she wants to be a link in the connection between man and nature. She combines her training as a nature guide, herbalist, nature coach and forest bathing guide (Shinrin Yoku / Metzamieli) in guided hikes. It is not walking but the slowing down, stillness and stimulation of the senses central. Emmy likes to use our Celtic background as a guide. The seasons and the rhythm in nature are her source of inspiration. She also often works with CM . You can follow her on facebook and instagram . Her website: www.barrevoets.be Figuur 1: Tweevoudig continuüm model, bron: Gezond Leven Geestelijke gezondheidsbevordering Bij geestelijke gezondheidsbevordering wordt ingezet op protectieve factoren en letterlijk het versterken van de geestelijke gezondheid door handvatten aan te reiken rond aspecten die mensen zelf kunnen beïnvloeden. Bijvoorbeeld het aanbieden van stress reducerende activiteiten of oefeningen om jezelf beter te leren kennen. Het neemt een unieke positie in binnen het domein van de geestelijke gezondheid naast preventie van ziekte, zorg en nazorg (8) (zie figuur 2). En het bestaat uit tal van acties en interventies die de wortels van geestelijke ongezondheid aanpakt, door in te zetten op het versterken van mentaal welbevinden en veerkracht. Figuur 2 Mental health intervention spectrum. SOURCE: Adapted from Institute of Medicine (1994, p. 23). Bosbaden en geestelijke gezondheidsbevordering Bosbaden wordt tot nu toe vooral ingezet ter preventie van ziekte en curatieve praktijken, waarin de nadruk ligt op het verminderen van geestelijke ongezondheid (9). De effecten van bosbaden op het mentaal welbevinden van mensen wordt minder benadrukt. Het zou interessant zijn om te bekijken hoe bosbaden kan bijdragen aan een optimale positieve gezondheid. Uit talrijke studies komt naar voren dat bosbaden ook voor mensen zonder ernstige psychische klachten of stoornissen van belang kan zijn. Zo blijkt dat tijd in de natuur het concentratievermogen herstelt (10). Verder vermindert een veilige natuurlijke omgeving stress (11) en versterkt het het immuunsysteem (12). Daarnaast kan het helpen om onze emoties te reguleren door het verzachtende en kalmerende karakter van de natuur op de mens (13). Hoewel verder onderzoek noodzakelijk is wijzen deze voorbeelden er alvast op dat bosbaden ook binnen een gezondheidsbevorderende context ingezet kan worden. Niet alleen ter preventie en curatie van ziekten, maar ook om mensen de nodige instrumenten aan te reiken die helpen om stressvolle situaties in het dagdagelijks leven aan te kunnen of om tot rust te komen. Met de subsidieaanvraag die we met enkele gidsen en andere experten in lente 2021 naar Innoviris hebben gestuurd, hopen we hiermee aan de slag te kunnen gaan in Brussel. Dit wordt hopelijk vervolgd. Bronnen en voetnoten: (1) Mental Health Foundation. (2016). Fundamental facts about mental health 2016. London: Author. (2) Antonovsky, A. (1996). The salutogenic model as a theory to guide health promotion1. Health Promotion International, 11(1), 11-18. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/11.1.11 (3) https://www.gezondleven.be/themas/mentaal-welbevinden (4) Dit sluit aan bij de definitie van positieve gezondheid (ZonMw, 2009) (5) Matarazzo, J. D. (1982). Behavioral health’s challenge to academic, scientific, and professional psychology. American Psychologist, 37, 1–14. (6) Cattan & Tilford, 2006 (7) Keyes, 2005; Soyez et al. 2020 (8) O’Connell, M. E., Boat, T., & Warner, K. E. (2009). Preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders among young people: Progress and possibilities. (9) https://www.bosbadenvlaanderen.com/bosbaden (10) Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169–182. (11) Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11(3), 201–230. (12) Song, C., Ikei, H., Tsunetsugu, Y., Lee, J., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2013a). Physiological and psychological impacts of walking stress in an urban environment on young males. Journal of Geography and Natural Disasters, 3, 113. (13) Richardson, M., McEwan, K., Maratos, F., & Sheffield, D. (2016). Joy and calm: how an evolutionary functional model of affect regulation informs positive emotions in nature. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 2(4), 308–320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40806-016-0065-5.

Forest baths Calendar I had been under the spell of myths and old stories since I was 8 years old. I devoured all the comics of Suske en Wiske and learned more about Norse and then Greek mythology through them. During my Ancient Greek lessons, the teacher asked if I would sometimes like to tell the Greek myth. Since 2013 (or maybe even earlier) I have been working on themes such as natural philosophy, ecopsychology, permaculture and ecofeminism. I also did all kinds of training, such as in leadership, change management, creativity (film and writing) and sustainability. In 2017 I also moved to Japan for my PhD, as well as to learn more about Japanese philosophy of nature and Shinto. I have visited many spiritual places and often reflected and philosophized in my diaries. In 2019 I also followed an introduction to ecolinguistics. The training at ANFT in 2019 has ensured that I can convert the wisdom and methods that I have collected into a medicine for myself and others. ANFT style is often referred to as relational ecotherapy, because ANFT guides work with the wisdom of the group as well as with the forest as a partner. We were also (still are) encouraged to reflect on our language use and the stories we use as guides. Since February 2020 I have been back in Flanders and I try to find more 'old stories' of Flanders in my forest baths. I like to read about cultural heritage and especially (women's) folklore. Each forest bathing guide has her / his own approach. I follow the order of methods according to the ANFT style. Maybe I put more emphasis on local history and folklore. During the on-site training in Colorado, my trainers in ANFT started their forest baths with an introduction to the local history and also the 'other names' of the landscape, the 'older names' given by the indigenous people. I thought that was beautiful, mystical. It gave even more meaning to what I noticed afterwards in the forest pool. I mainly attract people who also look for 'meanings', for meaning. I think it is important that we occasionally think about which stories were here in the past and I dedicate this importance to this in my longer introduction, but also in introductions to invitations during my forest bath. Sometimes in my introduction I also tell about my own observations and travel in Japan. During the tea ceremony - at the end of the forest pool - you can certainly ask me more about what I learned during those 2.5 years in Japan. Sacred tree forest pool (with an introduction to the practice of sacred trees in India (including palm trees), Japan, Thailand and Scandinavia Palm Sunday, March 28, 2 pm-5pm Vordenstein, Schoten Register via this form Silent Bosbad (with extra long silent walk) Silent Saturday, April 3, 2 pm-5pm Vordenstein, Schoten) Register via this form Kempens (forest) bath with children (Already experience with a class of 34 10 year olds, but maximum: 8 children) Parents can have me-time; plenty of walks in the Brechtse heide) Thursday April 8, 2 pm-5pm Brechtse Heide, St-Job-in't-Goor Register via this form Kempens Fairytales (forest) bath (with an introduction to gnomes) Sunday April 11, 09.00-12.00 Castle forest, Vorselaar Register via this form -------------------------------------------------- ---- Maximum 8 people Included: forest bath and herbal tea Price adults: € 30 Price children: € 12 (only during children's forest pool) But money shouldn't be a barrier so contact me if you want a discount. For the benefit of Robur op den Eik vzw, a good cause, 1/3 goes to guide volunteer allowance and tea. Register via this form Confirmation email with more information will follow after payment. Unfortunately we cannot refund money. -------------------------------------------------- ---- If you are organizing a group (of maximum 8 people) yourself, you can always contact Wendy for a forest pool in the province of Antwerp, via the contact form . Also suddenly propose 3-4 calendar moments. She has already collaborated with forests in Vorselaar, Lille, Schilde, Schoten and St-Job-in't-Goor. It is also open to forest baths in Leuven. If the forest bath takes place before April 30, 2021, 2/3 will go to the charity of Robur op den eik vzw, an association that wants to promote health through nature connection.

Own research on forest baths in Flanders Since June 2020, Wendy has written a google form (in English and Dutch) to collect more information about the social practice of forest bathing in Flanders. For some time now she has also been interested in forest therapy as a social practice. She would like to understand why people in Belgium engage in forest baths, as guides, participants or partners, in order to learn how even more people can be recruited into this practice. At the end of 2021, she wants to process this in an academic article and some texts for the newsletter and / or website. She invites guides (or guides in training) to make an hour to fill in this google form. Dutch: this link English: this link More information can be requested via the contact form.

Bossen beschermen door bewust houtgebruik: economie en ecologie verbinden Het kappen van bomen is een heikel thema.... Els Franssens, docente houttechnologie en onderzoeksmedewerker aan de HoGent heeft een groot hart voor de natuur en ze begrijpt dat de gemoederen nog al eens verhit kunnen geraken als het onderwerp aangesneden wordt. Wij vroegen haar of ze haar nuchtere kijk met onze bosbad-community wou delen en deze uitnodiging nam ze graag aan. Jullie reacties zijn zeker welkom op els.franssens@hogent.be . Heb je zelf ook een interessant artikel gelezen of geschreven? Bezorg het ons gerust via de contactpagina en misschien nemen we het ook op in onze site.

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Mijn tekenverhaal: over onzichtbare tekenbeten, de ziekte van Lyme, hoe ik ermee ben omgegaan en waarom angst absoluut te vermijden is. Door Brigitte Martens apotheker, transformatiecoach, natuur-en bosbadgids 20 januari 2022; dit is mijn persoonlijk verhaal en persoonlijke visie, dus gelieve niet te beschouwen als standaard De symptomen: Ik voel me al meer dan een jaar niet zo lekker, heb episodes van allerlei klachten zoals: slecht slapen, overal pijn op wisselende plekken, extreem vermoeid, wazig zicht, aanvallen van irritatie en agressie, concentratie- en geheugenproblemen, jeukende/brandende voetzolen, koortserig gevoel, hartkloppingen… Ik weet het aan stress (2x een nieuwe job in 1 jaar tijd) en de peri-menopauze, want mijn bloedonderzoek vertoonde geen abnormaliteiten. Tot ik in september plots een raar gevoel kreeg in mijn rechtervoet: alsof hij gezwollen was (maar dat was niet zo), ik verdroeg mijn schoen bijna niet meer. De huisarts vond niks alarmerend en zei me iets te nemen dat de bloedcirculatie bevordert. Eind oktober kreeg ik hetzelfde gevoel in mijn rechterarm: niet pluis! Omdat ik veel tijd in de natuur doorbreng en 3 mensen ken met de ziekte van Lyme heb ik toen zelf gevraagd aan de huisarts om mijn bloed te laten testen op de Borrelia bacterie. Diagnose: De screening was positief en bijkomende testen toonden antilichamen aan tegen 5 verschillende stammen. Belangrijk om te vermelden: aanwezigheid van antistoffen tegen Borrelia zonder symptomen behoeft geen behandeling (3). De huisarts schreef 10 dagen doxycycline voor, wat ik genomen heb. Ik had al in het snotje, met wat ik over deze bacterie wist (1), dat dit onvoldoende zou zijn. Dus ben ik begin december bij een huisarts (Dr Ivan Boucher, Etterbeek) gegaan die zich gespecialiseerd heeft in Lyme en mijn buurvrouw/collega natuurgids goed heeft geholpen. Hij gaf me een heleboel uitleg, bekeek mijn bloedresultaten en vroeg me naar mijn klachten, waarna hij zei dat ik waarschijnlijk al een hele tijd met deze besmetting rondliep. Ik heb nooit een tekenbeet opgemerkt. Enkele keren zag ik een teek op mijn hand of arm en heb die direct weggeveegd voor die zich kon vastbijten. Heel goed mogelijk volgens de dokter: de nimfen zijn zo klein dat je ze nauwelijks ziet (3). Als ze op jouw hoofd vallen vanuit een boom of van op een lantaarnpaal (Serieus. Lees verder.) en zich daar vastbijten, dan zie je ze niet. Wie kan er nu zijn eigen hoofdhuid checken, mij lukt het alvast niet… en je voelt de beet ook niet. Vaak brengt de teek ook nog andere ziekteverwekkers over, de meest voorkomende co-infectie is babesiose of tekenkoorts. Behandeling Deze dokter schreef 2 maand Plaquenil en Tetralysal voor. Dit is niet wat de BAPCOC richtlijnen voorschrijven (2). Ik heb beide middelen 1 maand genomen. Mijn gevoel zei dat langer nemen meer kwaad dan goed zou doen. Want ik heb, wat mijn gezondheid betreft, geleerd te vertrouwen op mijn buikgevoel. Ik nam echter bijkomende maatregelen (nooit op 1 paard wedden), want een ziekte is niet enkel fysiek. Ik geloof in een holistische aanpak, wij zijn meer dan alleen maar een lichaam. We worden dagelijks bedolven onder allerlei microben, maar waarom wordt de een ziek en de ander niet? Het immuunsysteem speelt uiteraard een belangrijke rol, maar er is meer: je wordt volgens mij pas ziek als een ziekteverwekker in jouw lichaam (en geest want beide staan niet los van elkaar, ook al zijn we met dat idee opgevoed) een voedingsbodem vindt. Dus ben ik aan het detoxen met Mariadistel en Chlorella, volg hitte therapie, eet gezonde voeding, heb tinctuur gemaakt van de Kaardebol die in mijn tuin groeit, smeer een samenstelling van etherische olie op mijn voetzolen en zorg voor voldoende fysieke en mentale rust. Ook ben ik aan het uitpluizen wat de persoonlijke boodschap is van deze ziekte. Ik wens deze bacterie niet te zien als een vijand waar ik tegen moet vechten, maar eerder als een leermeester. Dus wat heb ik te leren? Ik kwam al gauw uit bij de gevolgen van een onverwerkt trauma. (Wie daar meer over wil weten: ik heb een artikeltje geschreven met tekeningen over de aanpak van mijn trauma. Mail me en dan stuur ik je de pdf door.) Ondertussen gaat het al beter, hoewel nog niet alle klachten weg zijn. De bacterie Ik heb richtlijnen (3) en 3 meer alternatieve boeken (5) over de ziekte gelezen en bewondering gekregen voor deze intelligente bacterie: de spirocheten (schroefvormige bacterie, net zoals deze die syfilis veroorzaakt) kunnen zich door alle lichaamsweefsels heen schroeven, zijn zeer snel en komen overal: ook in de hersenen want ze geraken door de bloedhersenbarriere en de placenta hebben 3 omhullingen waarvan de buitenste laag bestaat uit lipoproteinen die ze voortdurend aan de omgeving kunnen aanpassen of kunnen overgaan in kogelvorm/L-vorm waardoor macrofagen (immuunsysteem) hen niet herkennen kunnen zich binnen de minuut inkapselen tot een cyste/sporevorm en zo minstens 10 maanden overleven kunnen cellen binnendringen, doden en zich omhullen met de resten om zo vermomd te blijven creëren ‘blebs’ die antilichamen in de war brengen = enkele Borrelia genen vastgezet in een stukje celwand die ze op reis door het lichaam sturen (afleidingsmanoeuvres) doen aan moleculaire mimicry: ze laten hun oppervlak gelijken op gastheercellen; als ons immuunsysteem dan toch in actie schiet worden ook lichaamseigen cellen aangevallen (auto-immuunreacties) ze verblijven het liefst in colloïdale, gelachtige substanties: kraakbeen, gewrichtsvloeistof, oogvocht, endotheelcellen, myeline rond zenuwen en littekenweefsel hebben weinig zuurstof nodig waardoor ze op slecht doorbloede plaatsen kunnen verblijven; op die plaatsen is het immuunsysteem minder actief en dringt de meeste antibiotica niet door ze vermeerderen zich om de 28 dagen (heel traag in vergelijking met de andere bacteriën: 20 minuten) en daarom is het moeilijk om ze te doden met antibiotica; je zou dan 1,5 jaar lang AB moeten nemen de stoffen die ze uitscheiden (toxines) zijn erg schadelijk en zetten zich vast in vetweefsels kunnen temperaturen tot -50°C verdragen, maar niet boven 42°C (vandaar mijn hitte therapie) Durf ik nu nog buitenkomen? Het spreekt vanzelf dat ik het niet ga laten om in de natuur - mijn eerste en grootste liefde - te vertoeven. Maar we zijn nergens veilig. Besmetting met Borrelia blijkt tegenwoordig zeer moeilijk te vermijden: zelfs in steden kan je door een besmette teek gebeten worden want ze zitten ook op duiven. Duiven zitten overal op, ook op de paal waar jij toevallig onder gaat staan terwijl je op de tram wacht bijvoorbeeld. “De antistoffen die je aan hebt gemaakt na de eerste keer, beschermen niet voor een tweede beet.” (4) Dat is dus even slikken. Zelfs al overwin ik nu deze bacterie, dan kan het komende zomer alweer prijs zijn. Maar ik weiger angstig te zijn; angst is een killer voor het immuunsysteem. Sommigen leven nu al 2 jaar in angst wegens de coronacrisis, de gevolgen zullen op termijn duidelijk worden. Dus vanaf nu ga ik angstvrij de natuur in met een hoed, mijn broek in m’n sokken en een mengsel van tekenwerende etherische olie als parfum. Ik neem erna een douche en zorg goed voor mezelf. In de natuur zijn is goed voor de fysieke en mentaal/emotionele gezondheid, maw de benefit/risk is positief. Wil je graag de recepten of heb je vragen? Stuur me dan een mailtje: bylmartens@gmail.com Bronnen (1) Kullberg et al. Lyme borreliosis: diagnosis and management. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1041 (Published 26 May 2020) (2) https://overlegorganen.gezondheid.belgie.be/sites/default/files/documents/lyme_borreliose.pdf#:~:text=%01%20Vroegtijdige%2C%20gelokaliseerde%20Lyme%20borreliose%20%28stadium%201%20van,tot%2085%25%20van%20de%20gevallen%20met%20klinische%20symptomen%29 . (3) https://www.zorg-en-gezondheid.be/sites/default/files/atoms/files/Lymeziekte2015.pdf (4) https://www.tekenbeten.be/ziek-door-tekenbeet (5) boeken: De ziekte van Lyme – Wolf-Dieter Storl Holistisch Handboek voor de ziekte van Lyme; van ziekte naar genezing – Ludzer de Boer De spirituele dimensie van de ziekte van Lyme – Willem Jacobs

In deze blog lees je meer over bosbaden en Authentic Movement. Wat hebben bosbaden en authentic movement met elkaar gemeen? Hoe versterken deze praktijken elkaar? How the Celtic annual festivals can give an in-depth accent to a forest pool By Emmy Schockaert - www.barrevoets.be March 16, 2021 Like an onion The intense nature connection that you can experience during a forest bath is very special. As a forest bathing guide, I love the moment when I see the participants merge with the forest and with themselves. You can see it in their eyes that get a little glassy and the blissful smile playing on their faces. It strikes me time and again that this moment of connection usually already takes place during the beginning of the forest pool. From that moment on, a hidden gate opens up somewhere in us through which the forest can easily penetrate into us, deeper and deeper. I like to compare the experience with an onion of which we remove a peel more and more during the forest bath to eventually reach the core. Each forest pool is different and each participant experiences a forest pool in his own unique way. And every forest bathing guide is also different and has its own specific accent in his / her offer. What I think we all have in common are the basic ingredients of a forest bath, namely the stillness, slowing down and the conscious opening of the senses so that the atmosphere can flow into the forest. In addition, there is a whole range of different ingredients that forest bathing guides use to create their own style. Special ingredient What I love as a 'special ingredient' are the Celtic seasonal festivals. Since my early years, these parties have been an important guideline and that is why it is a matter of course to weave them into the Barrevoets offer. They act as coat hangers around which I build my walks (but also by extension my life). Our Celtic and Germanic ancestors (by extension all natural peoples) probably did not know a word like 'nature connection' at all, they were so intensely one with nature in a way that we do not know today that such words were completely unnecessary. I don't see them agreeing to go forest bathing 😊 That is precisely why their past offers such a rich source of inspiration to integrate into nature-connecting activities such as forest bathing. The cycles of their annual celebrations are like gateways that open a profound connection with the natural world and with our own true natural inner world - our inner landscape. As a forest bathing guide and nature coach, I like to lift the veils that hang around these gates a bit and make them visible to the participants. For example, some of the invitations or exercises that shape the forest pool each time become a small ceremony or ritual that serves as anchor points to internalize that from the outside world. The seasonal parties are, as it were, a kind of natural mirror where we can become aware of what is really going on, separate from the everyday, but linked to the transition from one to the other. They are linked to change, to transitions and can help us to make contact within ourselves with what we want to change, renew, process. Ancient roots My experience with integrating the seasonal parties in a forest pool or nature coaching is that it brings an in-depth accent. By integrating a touch of our common ancestry, we also connect with our ancient common roots. It is plugging into our collective rhythm that lies deep within us, stored in our genes. Celebrating the feasts together connects the generations: we inherit the customs of our ancestors and at the same time we give them to our children. In this way we are connected with the past and with the future through honoring the old traditions, while we are just very mindful in the now. This writing makes me curious about where fellow forest bathing guides place their emphasis. What different ways does the forest bath world have? What effect does this have on the participants? How does this translate into their natural connection? Fascinating! --- Emmy Schockaert is a creative forest bathing guide / nature coach. She mainly guides in forests in the Flemish Ardennes. She is also the driving force behind Barrevoets . Nature is her passion and green thread in life. With Barrevoets she wants to be a link in the connection between man and nature. She combines her training as a nature guide, herbalist, nature coach and forest bathing guide (Shinrin Yoku / Metzamieli) in guided hikes. It is not walking but the slowing down, stillness and stimulation of the senses central. Emmy likes to use our Celtic background as a guide. The seasons and the rhythm in nature are her source of inspiration. She also often works with CM . You can follow her on facebook and instagram . Her website: www.barrevoets.be Het volgen van je eigen ritme In deze drukke wereld waar veel van ons verwacht wordt en we ook veel van onszelf vragen, zijn we soms zo ver van onszelf en onze eigen innerlijke natuur en ritme verwijderd. Bosbaden en authentic movement kunnen ons helpen om ons hier terug mee te verbinden. We stimuleren het zelfgenezend vermogen van ons lichaam, dat precies weet wat goed voor ons is. Daarbij worden er, door te bewegen, ook gevoelens, denkpatronen en eventuele blokkades in beweging gezet. Het meditatieve aspect van zowel bosbaden als authentic movement, maakt dat we sensitiever worden voor je eigen sensaties. Door in verbinding te blijven met ons lichaam en aandachtig te luisteren naar innerlijke impulsen en fysieke sensaties, ben je volledig aanwezig in het moment. Bewustwording van gevoelens en gedachten die op dat moment aanwezig zijn, en de acceptatie hiervan, geven een helder inzicht en brengen je dichter bij je authenticiteit en natuurlijke ritme. Zin om zelf te gaan bosbaden en dansen in het bos? Ik nodig je van harte uit om te genieten van de enorme kracht en schoonheid van de natuur, een moment te nemen om te herbronnen, je zintuigen open te stellen en je te verbinden met de verschillende elementen. En om je van hieruit te laten inspireren tot beweging en authentieke dans in interactie met de natuur tijdens een van de Move your Nature workshops. Deze reeks geef ik in samenwerking met mijn collega Lore Jonckheere. Over de auteur en gids: Usha Henning van Inside Nature neemt je graag mee de natuur in tijdens bosbaden, sessies natuurcoaching, loopbaanbegeleiding en/of dansworkshops (authentic movement). Ze is vooral actief in Gent, Merelbeke, Brakel, Geraardsbergen, Wetteren en Zottegem. Tijdens deze activiteiten word je uitgenodigd om je te verbinding met de natuur om je heen en je eigen innerlijke natuur en ritme. We maken immers deel uit van de natuur. De rest van de natuur spiegelt ons veel over onszelf en hoe we in het leven staan. In een bosbad nodigt Usha je uit om bewust en in stilte de natuur in te gaan en zo ervaar je het leven in het bos op een intense manier. Je zet al je zintuigen open en dompelt jezelf dus echt onder in de geuren en kleuren van het bos: een waar bosbad. Dit brengt je in het hier en nu en geeft je energie, ruimte, gezondheid en inspiratie. Tijdens het bosbaden , de coachings en workshops bundelt ze haar kennis en ervaring als bosbadgids en natuurcoach (opleidingen bij Shizendo en Innersteps) natuurgeneeskundig therapeut, lichaamsgericht therapeut, en psychisch/sociaal coach en counselor (Hogeschool Hippocrates NL) sjamanisme, familie- en systeemopstellingen en dansexpressie/Authentic movement. Usha werkt samen met o.a. CM, Markant en Steunpunt geestelijke gezondheidszorg Je kan haar volgen op facebook of via haar blog en nieuwsbrief . Neem gerust contact op: info@insidenature.be https://insidenature.be/contact.html of telefonisch via 0474936867.

Gidsen in Limburg Ils Van Dun is opgegroeid met het gewestbos in Ravels als haar achtertuin. Nu woont ze in het prachtige Haspengouw, omringd door fruitbomen, bossen en veel natuur. Ze heeft al haar hele leven natuur nodig om tot rust te komen. Als ze belangrijke beslissingen moest nemen, trok ze zich steeds terug in het bos, daar vond ze de kracht en de antwoorden die ik zocht. Deze kracht wil ze met iedereen delen. Ze heeft haar opleiding tot shinrin Yoku gids gevolgd bij de academie voor helende natuur . Ze begeleidt shinrin Yoku sessies op verschillende plaatsen in Vlaanderen, maar vooral in Limburg. Het is een luxe om zoveel prachtige bosgebieden in de buurt te hebben. In Haspengouw o.a. Domein Nieuwenhoven - St Truiden, Herkenrodebossen - Hasselt De Antwerpse Kempen, nl. Gewestbos - Ravels (omdat ze hier is opgegroeid, blijft ze er graag komen) en Vlaams Brabant, nl. Averbode bos en heide - Averbode. Je kan haar volgen op instagram of haar een email sturen: ilsvandun(at)gmail.com Laura Bock is een bewustzijnscoach & bosbadgids. Het is haar missie om deelnemers zich relaxed en geaard te laten voelen door hen te helpen zich terug te verbinden met zichzelf en de natuur. Wandelen in de natuur heeft enorm bijgedragen aan haar herstel van burn-out. Daarom verdiepte ze zich in natuur- en wandelcoaching en kwam ze per toeval uit bij shinrin-yoku. Wat zij intuïtief al ervaren had, kreeg eindelijk een naam. Ze besloot om deze bijzondere manier van natuurbeleving te delen met anderen en schreef zich in voor de opleiding tot gecertificeerd Shinrin-yoku gids bij de Academie voor Helende Natuur. In oktober 2021 rondt ze haar opleiding af. Ze gidst vooral in Bosland (Noord Limburg) en midden Limburg. Meer info op haar website . Je kan haar contacteren via laura@woudwijs.be Marijke Bastiaens volgde de cursus tot Shinrin Yoku gids aan de Academie voor Helende Natuur . Ze voelde dat ze, naast dicht bij een bos gaan wonen, ook iets meer wou doen voor haarzelf en voor anderen. Toeval bestaat niet en ze kwam op een onverwachte manier met deze cursus in contact. Na het doorlopen van de training en al best wat sessies achter de rug, wil ze graag mensen op een authentieke, 'no nonsense' manier (terug) in contact brengen met de natuur. Haar slogan is: Shinrin Yoku gaat over verbinden, herverbinden of onze verbinding met de natuur versterken. Het gaat niet over denken, feiten of analyseren. Het gaat over 'er zijn.' Ze spreekt Nederlands en Frans en gidst vooral in Nationaal Park Hoge Kempen. Momenteel werkt ze nog aan haar website. Meer informatie volgt.

Academic research in Flanders (Not exhaustive. We always welcome additions or collaborations in future research). (Relevant) seats in Flemish higher education institutions University of Antwerp, Chair Care and natural living environment, led by Dr Hans Keune site general: click here running projects publications Other professional researchers NatureMinded (common for CM, BOS +) Wuyts. W., Kilpi, K. (2020). A social practice perspective to forest bathing in Flanders -restoring the relationship between people and the more-than-human world. Conference poster for Sustainable Consumption and Action Initiative (SCORAI) conference 2020. DOI: 10.13140 / RG.2.2.13369.80484 Master & Bachelor thesis research Sanny Van den Troost (2020). Forest therapy tourism in Flemish nature areas. Master thesis in Tourism, Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) This Master thesis can be requested via the contact form. On March 31, 2021 we will hold a circle with circle and others interested. Contact us if you want to be there. Currently (2021) Victoria Reynal, Master thesis research on nature connection and forest baths in Belgium Master in Sustainable Development, KUL Currently (until Easter 2021) she is looking for participants and guides for interviews.

For (future) guides This section contains: List of training (often requested) Net / web work options , such as the facebook group, online and live circles in Flanders and Belgium Short essays by other guides in which they explain their in-depth accents, for example ... Celtic Festivals - by Emmy (Barrevoets) ... something because of you? Call for participation in a study on forest baths as a social practice - click here Short essays by guides on methodology, for example ... ... something because of you? We are happy to welcome voluntary contributions. In the newsletter we often refer to this section so that your writing does not go unnoticed.

A new monthly circle with Wendy Wuyts (world forest ) using structures (storytelling, from deep ecology, relational ecotherapy) to connect with other souls who want to dig into the memories of the Belgian landscapes to learn more about themselves and the place. a new initiative from Robur on Den Eik Dutch version " Carrot-wise " started in February 2021 (but already full-booked) Starting in the end of March 2021 This English program puts more emphasis on themes like globalization, expulsion and migration. Register via this form . Introduction: Where did you take root? In the past, people were born wherever they would grow up. Being born then meant rooting. Between man 'and the earth that saw him come into the world', an almost corporeal bond had grown. There was not only a relationship between the individual and the community, but also a relationship on an even deeper level between the individual and the ancestral soil, the region from which one came. Now most people are not born at home. Now people do not live in the same place. And that is ok. Nevertheless, one often sees that people like to say where they live and where they come from. These are two of the first questions people ask a new acquaintance. Loneliness is not about being alone, but having the feeling of not belonging. One reason may be that you don't know where exactly your roots are. Maybe you belong to different places, like me, because you have lived in different places and have given to and taken from that place and the people there (knowledge, energy, money ...). A healing journey: rediscovering your roots For years, I have been working with two passions, or two 'medicines': storytelling and storydoing. After years of living in Thailand and Japan, I returned to Belgium at the end of February 2020. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, I stayed longer than I had expected in my 'heimat': the Kempen. I myself was on the verge of a nervous breakdown: the workload in Japan had worn me down. I then applied my two medicines to myself while re-rooting in Belgium. Last year, I wrote and shared mostly my own retellings of Flemish folk tales, European fairy tales and Japanese myths on my Instagram account or my blog Wood Wide Web Stories , often inspired by observations during forest baths and other nature experiences. Through these experiences, I deepened my journey and rediscovered Flemish nature: its beauty, but also its problems. I sought refuge in retellings of old stories, old enough to contain a certain wisdom. By working with those stories, even rewriting them and calibrating them to my own experiences and observations, I found grounding, solace and comfort and got to know my authentic self better. My quest is not yet about: such journeys are spiral-shaped. In this second year, I want to take others with me. I am going to organize monthly meetings, where we think about what a postheroic story or retelling can mean for our Belgian landscapes, where we can dream and share together. So, I am looking for like-minded souls in Belgium (or who rooted in Belgium before), who would like to meet online on a monthly basis and explore their creative energy and critical reflections through forest bathing, writing and / or drawing. In this experience, I combine my two medicines to dig out with you what we can learn from the old stories of our region / regions to stand firm in the present and the future, regardless of ecological, social and personal crises. This means that together - for each participant - we are going to find out which ancient region / regions we belong to today. When will it take place? March 2021, to February 2022 10 monthly online sessions of 2.5 hours Dates: Fourth Tuesday of the month, except July and December Time: 19.00-21.30 hrs. 1 online follow-up session in 2022 possibly a physical meeting with forest baths and creative work during a weekend or midweek in a beautiful location in Belgium, The (temporary) goal? A journey never ends and some effects of such connections and processes are sometimes only visible after a long time, but after ten months we want some 'tangible' gifts that we can share with others in the next dreamtime. I hope that every participant will have rewritten or 'redrawn' at least one Belgian folk tale - which touches him / her / x, perhaps because it comes from his or her region where he / she / x is rooting, or sees parallels with places he / she / x has rooted before, or because its essence touches him / her / x - into a postheroic story. I am also curious about other goals to weave into this project: if you are engaged in a quest or project around creativity, place, connection between traditional ecological knowledge and a more sustainable future for your community and / or yourself ... there is certainly room for that. What are we going to do? Each session consists of a welcome, an introduction and a short sentence (20 min.). In the second part, we look back on the past month. What did you experience? What is bothering you? What has made you happy? What have you learned about the nature around you? We pass on (the virtual) talking stick so that everyone can briefly share their story with the circle (30 min.). The third part is more technical. I do a short knowledge transfer, sharing some of the storytelling. Each session also has a theme. Provisional monthly themes are 'structure of a heroines journey', basic ecolinguistics, women in supporting roles (eg the belly goddess, the seer ...) .. Afterwards you also get the chance to ask questions or share comments (30 min.) . After a break (10 min.) We do an individual creative exercise (20 min.) And have a group reflection (20 min.). I call the last part 'wisdom of the circle'. In the first session I ask for example which local old story appeals to you and why (20 min.). At the end I give 'homework' for the next month: an invitation you can try outside and a short creative task. So this experience is more than just the monthly meetings. Dates and details of the content: Every fourth Tuesday evening of the month, 19.00-21.30 CEST (Brussels time) The details might change during the course, as a result of the feedback and inputs of the participants. March 23: The preparation of our 'dig' Introduction of this program and the virtual circle tools Getting to know the participants: Where do you come from? Short theory: The alchemy of old stories and nature experiences Creativity and connection exercise: The Hazel Reflection on a retelling of Sleeping Beauty (will be sent together with the zoom link) Which old story from 'your home / multiple homes' appeals to you and why? April 27: Staying, surviving ... (Japan, USA and Flanders) Welcoming back and reflection about the past month Short analysis: "The dog of Flanders" - a short anthropology about 'a good story end' according to American and Japanese culture Reflection on essay from a nature writer with roots in USA and Japan (will be sent before) Wisdom of the circle: Which words for nature (connection) do you know? Creativity and connection: The gingko tree, or the survivor tree Belgian nature in the spotlight: Lost practices and lost trees Wisdom of the circle: What did survive in Belgium? What got lost? May 25: Reclaiming the feminine energy (Greece, Mexico) Welcome back and reflection about the past month Short theory: the hero's journey and the heroines journey (Campbell and Murdoch) Reflection on Psyche and Eros, and especially on Aphrodite A woodwide story from Mexico Creativity and connection: the mulberry tree A Belgian forest in the spotlight: Silsombos, a 'feminine' landscape? Wisdom of the circle: Which heroine stories appeal to you? June 22: The Healing Question (United Kingdom) Welcome back and reflections about the past month Short theory: Post-heroic stories in times of social / ecological / individual crisis (Sharon Blackie) Reflection on the wounded fisher king and the wasteland Creativity and connection: when the beech tree departs A Belgian forest in the spotlight: Liereman, a wounded nature park with many traumas? Wisdom of the circle: Which old stories give you comfort? 'Dig' assignment for next two months August 24: Intuitive work (Russia) Welcoming back and reflecting upon the digging work of the past 2 months Dealing with drought and climate depression Short theory: the psychology in ancient stories (Clarissa Pinkola Estes) Reflection on Vasilisa the beautiful and Baba Yaga Creativity and connection: the birch tree A Belgian place: The Minnebron, the last drinkable source in Flanders Receiving and gratitude Wisdom of the circle: Which signals do you follow on your path? September 28: The Campine Dream (Belgium) Welcoming back and reflecting upon the digging work of the past month Short theory: othering and belonging Creativity and connection: (return of) the juniper tree Reflection on 'a pine tree in the campine' A Belgian forest: Visbeekvalley, a palimpsest Wisdom of the circle: Which local story would you like to calibrate to the new realities? October 26: Sacred Space (Bhutan and India) Welcoming back and reflecting upon the digging work Short theory: fragmentation history of Belgian's landscape A forest bath with Bhutanese serial rooters Reflection on an unnarrated short documentary: 11 Palms in Bangalore Poisonous plants and other boundaries Creativity and connection: Night shade A Belgian forest: Brabant woods, Belgium's next national park? Wisdom of the circle: What is a sacred space? 23 November: The language and stories we live by (Ghana and the Low Countries) Welcoming back and reflecting upon the digging work of the past month Short theory: An introduction to ecolinguistics A memory: interior versus exterior life Creativity and connection: Big Tree Digging the roots of a Belgian tradition: Where does Sinterklaas come from? Wisdom of the circle: Which stories does Belgium need? Assignment for next two months January 25: The Clearing from the West wind (From Ireland to Belgium) Welcoming back and reflecting upon the past months Reflection on the retelling of 'St Dimpha and the rowan tree Short theory: mental health and nature connection Creativity and connection: the rowan Wisdom of the circle: What do you have to let go? Assignment for next two months February 22: The home of a snail (New Zealand and Canada) How does the sky look like? Short theory: Orientation and the medicine walk Reflection on the Maori symbol 'koru' Reflection on the 'Medicine Walk' (Wagamese) Creativity and connection: Back to the Hazel tree Last sharing and reflections on creations of participants Wisdom of the circle: Where will you go? What's next? Included in the price: content and guidance via monthly zoom and email monthly: pdf with ideas, inspiration and invitations creative vibes, a new 'tribe' and other 'things' that are priceless Not included: physical meeting Cost: Price per session: € 12 If you register for all 10 sessions: € 90 The ticket price should not be a barrier (contact us via the contact form or explain shortly in the registration form why we should waive the costs. The money is for the charity of Robur op Den Eik vzw (eg volunteer reimbursements). Subscription: Please subscribe via this registration form. Participants send the money to the account of Robur op Den Eik vzw at least two days in advance to receive the zoom link. Communication: month + "rerooting" + e-mail address Robur op Den Eik vzw IBAN: BE82 5230 8087 7968 BIC: TRIOBEBB Battlefield 11 2550 Kontich Belgium We could create an invoice on request. What is Robur at Den Eik vzw? Robur op Den Eik ( www.roburopdeneik.org ), a charity recognized by the King Baudouin Foundation (www.goededoelen.be ), is a place of CONNECTION, through rest, nature, healing and creativity, specifically for people suffering from burnout and for the prevention of burnout. Nature plays a decisive role. The Robur hobbit-like silence house wants to be a healing presence in a small-scale, modest way (can be done under supervision!). As a meeting place where people can share together, Den Eik supports the web of connectedness. Robur also wants to be a place for artists: finally writing that book, finishing that CD, etc. Creativity is also a necessity of life that has to do with rest, nature and healing. In addition, there is a strong ecological aspect. Robur calls for awareness in the choices we make, including in the use of (drinking) water and electricity. Because we need less than we often think. Do you know people who don't want to be heroes in 2021 and want to dream and create with me in a virtual cave?