What is forest therapy?
Forest therapy is a guided practice that highlights the physical and emotional benefits of spending time outdoors. On a forest therapy walk, a trained guide invites you to slow down and engage your senses, fostering a deeper awareness of both your surroundings and yourself. The practice encourages presence in the moment, nurtures connection with the natural world, and promotes healthy relationships between people and nature.
What is a forest therapy guide?
Forest therapy guides lead safe, gentle walks that typically last about two hours. Along the way, they offer invitations to slow down, engage your senses, and explore your imagination, helping you notice how your body responds to the natural environment.
Guides are not therapists; rather, they create the conditions for nature—the forest itself—to be the healer. Any personal growth or restoration you experience comes through your own interaction with the natural world.
Those certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy are trained to offer mindful, sensory-based invitations that help unlock the forest’s healing potential. ANFT’s training is considered the most in-depth and comprehensive forest therapy/forest bathing guide training available worldwide. It involves 200 hours of study and practice over six months, followed by a four-day in-person training immersion. ANFT has trained more than 3,000 guides in more than 65 countries.
How long is a forest therapy walk?
The standard length of a forest therapy walk is two hours. They can be as long as three hours or as short as one hour. Most forest therapy guides prefer to plan walks of at least 90 minutes to make sure participants have enough time to relax and experience the benefits of time in nature.
What happens during a forest therapy walk?
During a forest therapy walk, a guide trained by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) offers a series of invitations that help participants get out of their thinking minds and ground themselves in their bodies and their senses, allowing them to more fully experience the sights, sounds, scents, feelings, and tastes of nature.
A typical two-hour walk over relatively even ground will rarely cover more than a mile. As this slow walk progresses, ANFT-trained guides offer a minimum of four invitations for participants to experience the natural environment with their senses. Most invitations are followed by a gathering to share what participants noticed. Guides respect participants’ autonomy, encouraging them to participate in invitations and share in any way that feels comfortable for them. This includes silence and nonparticipation. Walks conclude with tea and snacks.
Walks can be adapted to meet participants’ needs. All walks are relaxed and slow-paced, with opportunities to sit and rest.
Will a forest therapy guide lead a walk in any location with a natural environment?
Forest therapy guides certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) are trained to select walk locations with conditions that will provide a safe experience for walk participants. They guide walks only in locations where they have taken the time to learn about the natural environment, understand the terrain, and identify any potential hazards, such as wild parsnip, poison ivy, or exposed roots that pose a tripping risk.
If asked to lead a walk in an unknown location, an ANFT-certified guide will need to scout that location to ensure it is safe for walk participants before agreeing to proceed.
What are the benefits of forest therapy?
A growing body of peer-reviewed research suggests that intentional time in nature may support overall health and well-being by helping regulate stress, support immune function, improve mood, and enhance cognitive and emotional resilience. Specifically, research suggests that forest therapy:
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Helps regulate stress hormones and nervous system activity
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May lower blood pressure and heart rate
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Supports immune function, including natural killer cell activity
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Improves mood, sleep, and emotional resilience
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Reduces anxiety, depression, and mental fatigue
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May support quality of life for people living with chronic illness
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Encourages restoration rather than constant vigilance
Learn more about the science behind forest therapy.
What are the risks of forest therapy?
The risks of forest therapy are the same risks that come from spending time in any natural environment. These include exposure to weather, wildlife, allergens, and uneven landscapes that may pose a risk of physical injury.
How do I prepare for a forest therapy walk?
Start by ensuring the walk can begin on time. Arrive about 15 minutes before the walk is scheduled to begin. This allows you to park, use the restroom, find the walk’s starting location, and meet your guide.
Your guide will share event-specific instructions, as conditions vary by season, weather, and location. In general, follow these guidelines to ensure you will have a comfortable, meaningful experience:
What to wear and bring
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Wear comfortable footwear suitable for uneven terrain. Walks typically last from 90 minutes to 3 hours and take place mostly on natural surfaces.
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Dress in layers and plan to wear warmer clothing than you think you might need, especially in winter weather. The pace of forest therapy is slow, so you won’t generate much body heat.
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Bring a filled, reusable water bottle to stay hydrated.
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Prepare for sun exposure with appropriate clothing, a hat, and sunscreen.
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Protect yourself from mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects by using bug spray or natural repellents and wearing long sleeves, pants, socks, and sturdy shoes.
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Consider bringing a small snack if you think you may get hungry before the walk ends. Forest therapy walks conclude with tea and snacks, but these are light refreshments.
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Check the forecast and be ready for changing conditions. Walks proceed in most weather—including light rain. Experiencing the elements is a part of forest therapy.
Mindset and technology
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Allow yourself the gift of unhurried time. Keeping your schedule open after the walk helps you carry the benefits of the experience forward.
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Consider turning off your phone or leaving it behind. Even silent notifications can be distracting to you and others.
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Resist the urge to take photographs during the walk, as this can distract from the experience. Photographs are welcome at the conclusion of the walk.
Why would I want to participate in a winter forest therapy walk in Minnesota?
A fellow guide already provided a great list of reasons for you here. If you're dressed for the weather and we have fresh snow, it can be a truly magical experience.
Do you cancel walks due to weather?
Walks are conducted rain, snow, or shine. If it becomes unsafe to proceed with a walk, the walk will be rescheduled. If a walk must be permanently cancelled, payment will be refunded.
Do you offer refunds?
I do not offer refunds unless a walk must be permanently cancelled due to unsafe conditions. If a group walk for the community must be rescheduled and you are unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict, you will have the opportunity to participate in a another group walk in the future at no additional charge.
Do I need a guide to practice forest therapy?
You do not need a guide to practice forest therapy. However, self-guided and guided forest therapy offer different benefits. Self-guided forest therapy provides the opportunity for self-reflection. Through interaction with the guide and other walk participants, guided forest therapy provides positive emotional changes and promotes social bonds. Learn more by reading this study.
Where can I practice forest therapy?
Forest therapy can take place anywhere people and nature come together. City parks, gardens, arboreta, and nearby natural areas all provide excellent settings for a walk. The practice can even be adapted indoors by incorporating natural elements—such as potted plants, pets or therapy animals, stones, leaves, seeds, or soil.
Certified guides with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy can also facilitate virtual walks, making the practice accessible to participants around the world.