A Reflective Forest Bathing Walk in Sacred Woods

A Women’s Forest Bathing Walk: Rest, Release, Renewal

Late autumn brings a quiet shift in the world. The trees have shed their leaves, the air carries a softer edge, and the days shorten into long, gentle evenings. It is a season of slowing, of pausing, and of turning inward—and this walk is an invitation to meet it fully. This is a moment to unplug, to have quiet time, and to connect with the land in a soft, magical way before the busyness of the holidays begins.

We will gather on the Sheep Farm North in Groton, a landscape sacred to the Mohegan and Pequot people, whose care and presence have sustained this land for generations. Here, the forests, streams, boulders, and evergreens hold stories that reach far beyond human memory, shaped over millennia by the passage of glaciers and the slow rhythms of the earth. We begin by acknowledging this ancestral land, honoring the Indigenous peoples who have nurtured it, and opening ourselves to the wisdom it offers.

Together, we will practice Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, the Japanese art of immersing ourselves in the forest atmosphere. This is not about hiking or exercise—it is about slowing, noticing, breathing, and letting the land touch our senses and our spirits. Our walk is quiet and reflective, with minimal talking, allowing space for the forest and its features to guide our attention and reflection.

The sacred glacial landscape of Sheep Farm:

• Glaciers from over 10,000 years ago shaped the land, leaving behind glacial erratics, massive boulders, and exposed ledges that invite us to pause, reflect, and connect with the earth’s magick. These stones are anchors of memory and wisdom, holding deep time, strength, and quiet guidance.

• Clusters of Mugo Pine, Eastern White Pine, and Norway Spruce rise throughout the forest, their evergreen needles a symbol of resilience, continuity, and the enduring pulse of life. We will explore the subtle magick of these trees, sensing how each variety carries its own energy and presence in the forest.

• Streams and waterfalls, including a spectacular 10-foot waterfall cascading over a rock ledge, offer moments to witness movement, flow, and release.

Our time together will include:

• A gentle welcome and grounding practice to settle into the forest and the season.

• A slow, quiet walk across the glacial terrain, pausing to connect with boulders, rock formations, and evergreen trees, noticing their presence, energy, and the deep time they hold.

• Conversations about the earth magick of the rocks and boulders, as well as the various forms of pine and spruce, discovering the subtle ways they guide reflection, resilience, and renewal.

• Opportunities to anchor ourselves, breathing with the steadiness of the earth beneath us, and to soften, release what no longer serves, and create space for what is to come.

• Time at the 10-foot waterfall, feeling both the power and calm of moving water and letting it inspire reflection and renewal.

• Gentle prompts for journaling, sketching, or silent contemplation, allowing each participant to engage with the land on her own terms.

• A closing tea circle to gather intentions and reflections, honoring the land, the stones, the evergreens, and the shared community of the walk.

Throughout the walk, the boulders, glacial features, and evergreen trees act as subtle guides. They hold memory, energy, and wisdom, inviting us to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the enduring rhythms and magick of the earth. In silence and stillness, we connect with the deep time of the land, the care of its ancestral stewards, and our own inner cycles of rest, release, and renewal.