Forest Bathing - Nicole Cornish

Audio Transcript: 

Hello, and welcome.

Take a moment to settle wherever you are in the gardens. You may be standing, sitting on a bench, or resting somewhere comfortable. You may be taking a mindful walk through the gardens. However you have arrived here today is perfectly fine.

There is nothing you need to achieve during this short practice. There is nothing you need to do perfectly. This is simply an invitation to pause and notice.

If you feel comfortable, begin by placing both feet firmly on the ground. Allow your shoulders to soften. Take a slow breath in through your nose, and gently breathe out through your mouth.

Let's do that once more: a slow breath in, and a relaxed breath out.

Now, allow your breathing to return to its natural rhythm. You don't need to change it; just notice it.

As you stand or sit here, take a moment to gently look around you. Notice three things you can see in the garden. Perhaps a color in the leaves, the particular shape in the branches, or the way the light moves across the ground. There's no need to name these things out loud; just allow your eyes to take them in.

Now begin to notice the sounds around you. You might hear birds, wind moving through the trees, insects, or the distant human activity. Rather than trying to focus on any one sound, allow them to come and go, like part of a natural soundtrack. Nothing needs to be blocked out; everything is welcome.

Now, bring your attention gently to your body. Notice the feeling of your feet touching the ground. This ground beneath you is Butchulla Country. It has supported countless living things—plants, animals, and people—long before we arrived here today. Allow yourself to feel that ancient support for a moment.

If you would like, you might take a few slow steps where you are, walking slowly, almost as if you're exploring the gardens for the first time. There's no need to rush. As you move, notice the small details around you: the texture of bark on a nearby tree, the pattern of a leaf, the distant smell of ocean breezes.

For the next few minutes, see if you can gently bring your awareness to one sense in particular. You might choose sight, sound, feeling, even smell. Allow that sense to become just a little clearer, a little deeper, a little more detailed.

If your mind wanders, which minds naturally do, simply notice that and gently return to what you can sense around you. Gently return to the rhythm of your breath. There is nothing wrong with wandering thoughts; noticing them is part of the practice.

Take the next few moments to embrace this sense of peace while taking in your surroundings.

Now, if you're walking, you might like to find a place where you feel comfortable to pause—perhaps near a plant, a tree, or somewhere that simply catches your attention. Choose some aspect of your natural nearby surroundings to look at. With a soft gaze, try to deepen and expand your attentiveness to this natural phenomena, opening yourself to a sense of wonder. Notice its color, its shape, its texture. Every plant here has grown slowly over time, responding to sunlight, water, wind, and the changing seasons. Nature does not rush; it simply grows in the conditions it's given.

In many ways, we are not so different. We also grow and adapt in response to our surroundings, particularly the aspects of our surroundings that we allow ourselves to notice.

And with that, take another slow breath in, and let it go gently.

If you like, imagine that with each breath out, your body softens just a little more. Your shoulders loosen, your jaw relaxes, your breath settles. For a few moments, simply allow yourself to be here—not planning the next task, solving problems—just noticing the colors, the movement, the sounds, the feeling of being outdoors.

If you notice a sense of calm, curiosity, or even a small shift in how you feel, allow that to be enough. Even a short pause like this can help reset our attention and our energy. Anytime you feel stressed, disconnected, sad, or just a little flat, nature is always available for you.

Before we finish, allow your eyes to drift across your surroundings one last time. Try and notice something you hadn't seen before—just one small detail. Maybe something has changed since you first arrived.

Take one final, steady breath in, and gently breathe out.

When you're ready, allow your attention to widen again to the space around you. You might choose to continue exploring the gardens with a slow and mindful wander. Why not pace the nearby labyrinth, stay a moment longer to watch the birds, or simply carry this sense of noticing with you as you move on with your day.

Thank you for taking this moment to pause in nature. Until next time, go gently.