The Sensory Shift
When the Liquid Amber and Rowan trees go bare, the berries and leaves have fallen, and their spindly dark branches stretch all jagged across the sky. Acorns dive to the ground and take cover hoping to thrive when their time comes around.
All a sudden the forest feels different. Not empty. To me it’s being vulnerable, allowing you to see all of it. It’s nooks and crannies, cracks and crevices, the entrances to creatures’ homes.
You can see if you look closely, its weaknesses too.
It’s quieter. It’s more honest.
Yet the sounds are still there, but they have changed and we have a part to play in that. The weather gives us the opportunity to change our footwear, heavy boots scraping the gravel paths. Woolly hats cover our ears, muffling the bird’s song.
The earlier months of the year are exceptional for sounds in the forest though.
The scampering of the squirrels, crunching, cracking of leaves and twigs fallen from above. Squelching underfoot, bouncy damp laden mossy floors.
The smell of the dampened earth underfoot as wellies stomp through its softness after rainfall. Leaves change their aroma as their colours and flexibility fade.
The sweetness of summer has left, as the coolness finds the tips of our nose.
The forest slows; our pace picks up. Briskly passing through.
As a forest bathing guide, I’ll show you how to embrace the senses of change.
Allow your senses to embrace the newness of the earlier months, don’t shut them out.
We’ve all heard the saying:
There’s no bad weather, just the wrong clothing. Which is true but not always convincing. Embracing the changes when forest bathing is key.
That’s why I give you that bit of extra warmth.
Hand warmers and warm drinks to sip along the way.
Let’s not ignore the changes or disregard the satisfaction nature offers.
If you are looking for forest bathing Hampshire experiences, January and February offer a unique kind of peace.
Have a look at the events page for next dates https://theforestbathingcompany.com/the-events/
Lots of updates of my adventures here too. https://www.instagram.com/theforestbathingcompany/
