Forest Bathing empowers you to quiet your mind, manage emotions for better outcomes, and trust your intuition more.
Nature Connection locations in the Pacific Northwest.
Whether you want to explore Seattle’s Forest Bathing in the Rain or other wonderful locations across Oregon and Washington State, this website shows you the way. Consider a trip to the Olympic Peninsula, Mount Rainier, or the stunning Oregon Coast.
How to find the best Forest Bathing locations.
You can enjoy Forest Bathing anywhere in the natural world. But sometimes you might need a little help to get started finding the right location. My guide “Forest Bathing Near Me” Includes how to find the best locations, important questions to ask, and practice videos.
A Beginner’s Guide to Forest Bathing.
Are you interested in Forest Bathing but unsure how to begin unlocking a deeper connection to the Natural World? This comprehensive guide offers simple and proven techniques for enjoying a Nature Connection with healing, wellness, and empowerment benefits.
Let me lead you on an in-person Nature Connection experience.
Experience a super-charged version of Forest Bathing on a two-hour walk with Matthew Kessi through the beauty of Seattle’s flagship Washington Arboretum. Learn tools to engage your own Nature Connection and leave with more self-clarity about your daily life.
Why begin Forest Bathing?
Forest bathing, or Shinrin Yoku, is a concept that originated in Japan in the 1980s as its population migrated from rural to urban living to support a booming economy based on manufacturing and technology. However, in this transition, companies found that their employees were prone to sickness and burnout.
Japan’s government commissioned studies to get to the root problem. They found empirical proof that a mindful re-connection to the Natural World worked well as a remedy against the stress of daily life in a demanding corporate environment.
The concept of “forest bathing” comes from the phytoncides and other essential oils emitted from forest trees. They quite literally rain down. Several studies have shown that the fragrance of phytoncides reduces stress and promotes immunocyte growth, including natural killer (NK) cells.
Furthermore, a growing body of research points to the beneficial effects of exposure to the Natural World on health, reducing stress, and promoting healing. Some studies further clarify that only 20 minutes daily (of immersive Natural experiences) are essential to producing lasting benefits such as lower blood pressure, higher concentration, improved mental health, regulating cortisol levels, neutralizing inflammation, and even higher sexual satisfaction.
What about other Forest Bathing resources?
Why should you listen to Matthew Kessi (that’s me) about Forest Bathing?
While I’m not Japanese, I’ve spent a lifetime leading myself and others into the Natural World. My gifts as a practical mystic help me guide people to deepen their Nature Connection in ways that can help them quiet their minds, regulate emotions better, and trust their intuition more.
A practical mystic is a person able to bridge the magic between Nature’s Intelligence and daily life. This work uses the mystery to make constructive and tangible changes to daily life scenarios. Consider me a translator of Nature’s energy or a guide to safely engaging an altered state of healing, growing, or awakening to your true purpose in life–also known as high-octane Forest Bathing.
Another tenant of practical mysticism is that we all possess gifts and talents to connect with the mystery of the Natural World. If you don’t feel unique gifts or intuition right now, it could be as simple as learning to “reawaken” that part of your inner self. This is where I’m trained to help you.
“Matthew Kessi is gentle, kind, and compassionate. These three qualities alone make him an excellent guide in the outer and inner worlds. How these virtues become exceptional has to do with what he attracts to him from Nature: the spirits of land and place. If you are seeking something deeper than sightseeing, Matthew is your person. He’ll take you to places on the land and in yourself that are truly remarkable.”
Patrick O’Neill | The Four Directions
Give virtual Shinrin-Yoku a try with the three-part series working with the land spirits around Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park.
I offer a YouTube series of Guided Nature Connection videos. They are a mystic hybrid of meditation, contemplation, and enchantment—always in beautiful locations. The 20-minute dose is enough to maintain a strong connection with the Natural World when you cannot get outdoors daily (especially in dark and damp seasons).
This Guided Nature Connection experience, “How the Forest Empowers Metamorphosis,” takes place on the Spruce Railroad linear trail along the banks of Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. It represents a Natural World conversation about transforming your life by acknowledging your inner courage, letting go of the past, and embracing your creativity, trust, and passion to write the next chapter of your life. Using brooding footage of a winter forest scene, we ask questions and ponder the answers.
Take your Forest Bathing experience to new levels on a three-day Olympic Peninsula retreat
Spring and Fall retreat dates | Olympic Peninsula Washington State | 3-day all-inclusive | Premium amenities in a five-star beach house | Guided mystic experience | Stay on a private beach | Intimate 1-4 people groups fill up quickly.
My partner and I joined Matthew for a premium nature immersion retreat on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. The experience was unexpectedly powerful, nurturing introspection to address our distinct needs. While my partner focused on career challenges, I worked through residual grief after losing my mother. Despite similar exercises, Matthew’s innate ability as a spiritual guide led us to distinct and beneficial outcomes. This meditation retreat and the rejuvenating power of the natural world can benefit anyone at any life stage. Whether confronting career dilemmas or personal struggles, it provides a space for reflection and gratitude. Even those in a positive place can find solace and connection with our abundant planet.
