This is the start of a series of episodes focusing on specific areas that are important to us as guides. Our first one the importance of safe spaces and vulnerability.Why?Quite simply because we've spent too many years being judged by others and not feeling comfortable in certain settings. Species survive by having ‘tending’ relationships with other species; we look after, or out for each other. If we don’t receive this from the people around us, we start to feel sad, defensive, left out of t...
We start with a rather profound realisation – I caught up with Moose late on a Sunday night after a drive home and during the drive I started to believe “I am enough”. Conversations earlier in the evening had got me thinking about ‘how do we know things are just good enough as they are’ and ‘how do we know when to just leave things alone and not try to change or improve’? This then led me down the rabbit-hole of realising in the last 18 months I’ve managed to shed that feeling that “I’m just ...
We are back!It was fantastic to sit down with Moose again and blether about forest bathing. In this episode we catch up on what we've both been up too but also talk about forest bathing with children (including digging for dinosaurs); ecoanxiety in the younger generation and how forest bathing can help; health equity and removing barriers and also the importance of letting go of any egos as a guide.We also talk a lot about our new community forest bathing group in the Cairngorms. We meet on t...
Join me as I chat with fellow guide, Jeannie during this episode; we recorded this back in December, when she was kind enough to sit down for a blether one winters evening.Jeannie guides under her company, Woodlands Breathing and is based in West Lothian, Scotland. During our chat we meander through the 'whys' and 'hows' of training to be a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide and current inspirations, making it a great episode if you are considering training or newly qualified. Jeannie has also ...
The Cold – love it or hate it, for some, there is a fear of the cold or a hatred, for others a beauty of the peace that snow can bring (I'm in that camp). I love guiding sessions in winter and this episode starts with Ana’s first experience of guiding a session in the cold, (podcasting 101 – press record at the very start! So, what started as an anecdotal chat before we really started was actually interesting so it’s part recorded!) You still get the gist though.I met Ana in January 2020 (bef...
The Podcast is back!….well kind of……but I need your help – and I’m not very good at asking for help.Give episode #21 a listen, it’s a hard one, not because there is anything especially upsetting but because I am incredibly self-conscious about how my voice sounds at the moment. I’ve tried to keep it short but have tried to explain where the podcast has gone over the past months.For all my 42 years of life, I have always relied on my voice and being able to blether to people, laugh and talk ab...
For this episode we had the chance to chat with Ben Page. Ben was one of our trainers in LA in 2020 as myself and Moose began our journey to become Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and among many things he is now, also a published author. 2021 saw the release of his book, ‘Healing Trees; a pocket guide to forest bathing.’Ben’s book is beautiful and comforting. Delivered in short, easy to read chunks, it is an easy read not because it is simple, but because it just flows and tricks you into re...
Welcome to our third podcast series. I’ve taken a while to get myself in gear for this one and that is mainly to my own pressurising and sometimes paralysing standards and expectations – I’m sure we can all relate to that at times!I’m really pleased that the first full episode of this series (episode 2) can be Ben Page. Ben was one of our trainers in 2020 and in 2021 he released his book; Healing Trees, a pocket guide to Forest Bathing, so hope on over to episode 2 and have a listen!More Abou...
Do you ever have that overwhelming urge to stop and appreciate the wonder of the place you live or location you are in? Sometimes it’s too easy to forget and be busy rushing from A to B; we all need that reminder to just stop and see and breathe for a moment. During this shorter episode, Cath holes up in the greenhouse before a visit from the Tawny Owls as the sunsets behind the trees and we chat all about remembering to say thank you and appreciate nature around us.More About Highland Quietl...
This podcast recording was an experience for many reasons; Cath sits with the sunrise in the Cairngorms, Scotland and Moose sits by a campfire and under a full moon on Vancouver Island, Canada.A sunrise gives us the chance to wake up with the day and everything around us; a time of quiet reflection; story telling with friends; meeting new friends and in some cases being invaded by a couple of polite Clydesdale Horses!Anyway, tune in, enjoy and next time you get the chance, get up for the sunr...
One of my first words was 'dog' and it was certainly one of my most used words (probably is now truth be told). I think there has always been at least one dog in my life since I was 8 years old, the first being a little Westie called Pip who was the dog I had always asked for. Currently, there are three in our family home, all rescue Greyhounds; Newt, Edie and Clover and we foster for an awesome rescue called GAGAH (Give a Greyhound a Home).Nadine Mazzola has written a wonderful and award win...
"Being told by the universe and humanity to stay put is an opportunity to explore our surroundings...….it's OK to just go and sit for 10 minutes and just listen to what's around you." - said by two wise Nature and Forest Therapy guides!It's true though eh! It's only this past year I've learnt and permitted myself to just sit and take time out, even if only for 15 minutes. Yes, if people compliment me on this skill, I leap to the defense to justify why I have sat for a period of time and ...
I like to look for the good things and positive outcomes in life, but... it's been a funny old 12 months huh? I'm not going to say the C word or the P word (you can go figure those out yourself), but I am going to acknowledge that sometimes it's been hard to find the positive! However, remotely guided Forest Bathing sessions - who knew these could be a thing!?I resisted guiding remotely for a while but eventually gave it a go and could see the power that still emitted from the forest and surr...
Are you as weary of staring at video calls as we are? It would seem we certainly both reached our limit on the same day and headed into nature to reconnect and switch off, forming, without realising it, a threshold into the 'more than human world'...... however our ways were quite different! We also touch on how you can find that connect with nature if you are an urban dweller and the joys of forest bathing with your dog! More About Highland QuietlifeNature heals...sitting, sharing space...
A year on from starting our journey as Nature and Forest Therapy Guides, this week we touch on our fears, group acceptance and feeling safe in the dark. More About Highland QuietlifeNature heals...sitting, sharing space with nature, admiring beauty or simply playing amongst it...nature is awesome. Welcome to the world of ‘Forest Bathing’.Forest Bathing, or Shinrin-yoku is the practice of immersing yourself in nature; ‘bathing’ in the awesome goodness that trees release into the atmospher...
Hot chocolate, chocolate brownies and snow...... welcome to family Forest Bathing! After recent guest Pete coined the phrase 'treespeed', this and our future podcasts will focus on our nature connection and 'what are we noticing?' - a fundamental element to any Forest Bathing session.Cath tried out family sessions in the Scottish snow, tackled iced up footpaths and mountain bikers and the Moose had the most magical deer / prisms / water droplets experience ever!! More About Highland Quie...
Join myself and Moose for a diverse chat with Pete Wright about ultra running, learning to just stay in the moment, brain injuries and the importance of acceptance.Pete was a Forest Bathing sceptic before I trained and he took part in his first session, now he talks about "Tree speed" and well and truly sees and has received the benefits himself."It's about being in the moment and just letting it happen."#ultrarunner #braininjury #headway #reasonstorun #environmentalprotection #forestbathing ...
"I'm completely not OK" one of those realisations we all get at some point or another. But what do we do with that thought? How many of us bury it and ignore it? How often do we actually stop, feel it, do something about it and importantly share it with someone else?!?This episode was recorded mid-October and me personally, I was not OK, but I'm grateful I have some tools to help me recognise that and importantly act upon it. This podcast explores more about how we act upon the 'wonky' feelin...
Season 2 of our Forest Bathing podcast kicks off with the most perfect of forest fairies; Leigha Horton of Minnesota based Nature and Forest Therapy company, Silvae Spiritus.The beauty of this girls company name sums her up; Silvae Spiritus is Latin and translates to "the breathing of the forest" - pure beauty in words. During this podcast she talks the 'whys' and 'how's' of Forest Bathing, with a slightly odd diversion to tortoises, before we get it back on track and focus again!"It felt lik...
With the end of our training to be Nature and Forest Therapy Guides in sight, its time to round-up our experiences and look to the future!Highland Quietlife https://www.facebook.com/highlandquietlife