San Francisco Forest Bathing - Sunday Reset

What to expect:
We will meet at the Ecology Trail in the Presidio of San Francisco and do a two hour forest bathing walk where I will guide you through a series of sensory invitations to engage with the forest.

Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing, is defined as making contact with, and taking in the atmosphere of, the forest. Shinrin-yoku was begun as a Japanese preventative public health initiative to get stressed-out and overworked business people outside and into the forest to slow down. As a result, their blood pressures dropped and stress hormones dissipated. Forest bathing has also been shown to improve sleep quality, mood, and ability to focus. During our forest bathing experience we will also incorporate working on our relationships with nature, ourselves, and with other people.

There is no right or wrong way to do the invitations I will suggest for you, there is just your way, and you showing up for yourself. Following the invitations, we will sit and share with each other. At the conclusion of the walk we will drink a local ethnobotanically important herb infusion together.

This is not a long hike to get sweaty and exercise, it is more of a slow meander to engage your senses, help you slow down, and get ready for the upcoming week with less stress.

Where to meet:
We will meet around W Pacific and Arguello, at one of the starts to the Ecology Trail. The coordinates of the meeting spot are (37.789978, -122.458209). Please allow time to find a spot to park; the closest public lot is at the Presidio Gold Course. Once everyone is there I will do a short introduction to the location and we will begin the forest bathing experience.

What to bring:
Bring appropriate clothing for the weather. We will also share tea together to close the experience, so please bring a cup with you. There will be opportunities for you to sit on the forest floor, so if a mat or pad will make it more comfortable for you, please bring one. Other than that just bring yourself and an open mind!

About the host:
My name is Anjali and I am a guide with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. I have a PhD in Animal Behavioral Ecology and have been working for the past several years in international development and foreign affairs related to forest and ocean conservation, mainly in South and Central America. After spending so much time abroad and farther away from nature and forests as I desired, I decided to return back to my passion of being immersed in nature and guiding others in engaging with all that the forest has to offer.

Payment for my expertise is appreciated. I have venmo, paypal, and accept cash.

I look forward to seeing and connecting with you!!