🌲 Forest Therapy Retreat for Anxious Hearts:

Eco-love can see and hold it all

The Resilient Activist & Divine Nature Therapy

Facilitator: Shannon Gorres, MDiv, MA, Divine Nature Therapy

Date: Sunday, May 3, 2026
Time: 12:30–5:00 PM
Location: Lexington Lake Park, DeSoto, KS
Cost: $100 ($85 Early Bird till midnight 4/1/26)
Capacity: Limited to 25 participants
Age: 18+

Registration ends at midnight on May 1st!

About the Retreat

We are living in a time of deep care—and deep strain.

Are you worried about biodiversity loss, disappearing animal kin, or our future children and grandchildren not having a good life? Feeling overwhelmed by the effects of AI, or dreading a hyper-tech world that doesn't offer us enough meaningful connections?

This is for you.

This Forest Therapy Retreat for Anxious Hearts is a gathering for adults seeking a grounded peace that is bigger than the global nervous wreck we’re in.

Together, we will root into the life that is present here and now, and ground into the Bigger Love that nature offers through the persistent force of propagating life. We will meet the woods exactly as they are—with natives, invasives, imperfection, and beauty—and allow them to hold us.

You may have heard "no mud, no lotus." We will attune to Kansas' native cottonwood, learning from how it survives -and thrives- in mud. Know mud, know cottonwood.

This is a space to laugh, cry, play, sing, listen, and rest in relationship

Parking & Meeting Point

Meet at the parking lot furthest north, which is closest to the trailhead and the shelter. Restroom is between that parking lot and the south parking lot

NOTE: Optional Pre-Retreat Workshop (Free) & Forest Therapy Introduction - scroll to the bottom!

What We’ll Do Together

Activities include:

Sharing the eco-landscape of our hearts
Deep listening practices
Forest Therapy (Shinrin-Yoku)
Earth Nidra for whole-body restoration

No prior experience with meditation or forest therapy is required.

Who This Retreat Is For

This retreat is for you if you:

Feel anxious, tender, or overwhelmed by the state of the world
Care deeply about the Earth and all beings
Long for rest, grounding, and emotional support in nature
Want a slower, embodied, heart-centered experience

About the Facilitator

Shannon Gorres, MDiv, MA, is a certified nature and forest therapy guide with ANFT. She has led hundreds of groups in discovering the beauty of their internal and external landscapes. In counseling, she supports stressed individuals (often with anxiety, anger, or existential woes) shift into more integrative and loving relationships with a greater sense of worth, fulfillment, and belonging. She offers embodied spiritual practices, guided meditation and imagery, nervous system science, and trauma-healing techniques. A mother, poet, and queer, she is deeply embracing a hurting world and mending the ruptures that deter us from knowing divine love. Learn more at DivineNatureTherapy.com

🧺 What to Know Before You Come

This retreat will take place outdoors; please dress for the weather
Participants are encouraged to bring water bottles, blankets, and any comfort items
Light snacks will be provided
No pets, please
Restrooms are available nearby

✨ Accessibility & Care

If you have questions about accessibility, physical needs, or whether this retreat is a good fit, please reach out before registering.

🔔 Registration & Policies

Registration is capped at 25 participants
A waitlist will be available if the event fills
Registration will close Friday, May 1st, at midnight
Refunds will only be issued if the event is canceled due to extenuating circumstances
You will receive pre-retreat information as well as post-retreat and news from Divine Nature Therapy. You can opt out anytime.

Image cedit: Jonathan Bloy

Optional Pre-Retreat Workshop (Free)

Pre-Retreat Forest Therapy Introduction

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM (CT)
Location: Zoom
Cost: Free (donations welcome)

Curious if this retreat is right for you? Join a free, one-hour virtual workshop to:

Experience a taste of forest therapy practices
Meet the facilitator
Ask questions about the retreat

✨ You do NOT need to register for the retreat to attend the pre-retreat workshop.

Register for the Pre-Retreat Workshop at this link.

Contact the host of Forest Therapy Retreat for Anxious Hearts