What is Forest Therapy?

Forest Therapy is a structured sequence of guided practices designed to deepen your connection with the natural world. Rooted in the Japanese tradition of Shinrin-Yoku (“Forest Bathing”), it helps you slow down, engage your senses, and experience nature — and yourself — with greater clarity and presence.

As a public health practice, Forest Therapy has been shown to reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels, supporting healthier blood pressure and heart rate, and helping to regulate the nervous system.

Research also indicates that exposure to phytoncides — natural compounds released by trees — can strengthen the immune system due to their antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects. The benefits of a three-hour Forest Therapy session have been observed to last for up to four weeks.

A typical session lasts about three hours and includes a gentle, guided walk along a natural path, where your guide offers sensory and creative invitations to support a deeper connection with nature and with your inner experience.

Meet Your Guide

My name is Cristina. I am a Forest Therapy Guide, Transpersonal Art Therapist & Counsellor, and Artist based in the Blue Mountains. I facilitate regular Blue Mountains Forest Therapy sessions at Everglades Gardens in Leura.

Sensory connection with nature is an integral part of my own mindfulness practice, and creative engagement with the natural world has long been a source of meaning and inspiration for me. My personal experience of burnout, and the profound healing I found through time in nature, is what fuels my commitment to this work.

I support individuals in slowing down, reconnecting with their senses, and cultivating a deeper presence through nature-based practices. Whether walking through the forest, spending time with trees, or engaging in a nature based creative practice, each experience is thoughtfully designed to promote calm, reduce stress, and gently strengthen the connection between self and nature.