Joanna Bristow Watkins

ForestBathing+GuideTraining

  • Autumn Forest Bathing with Harmony in Nature

    WhatsApp Image 2021 07 24 at 10.41.45 7

    Join us for Forest Bathing, 11am-1pm, Sunday 14th November within semi-ancient private woodland. We spend two hours in the peaceful grounds of the Harry Edwards Healing Sanctuary, Shere. Cost is £25. 🍁
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    Later this month, 11am-1.30pm, Saturday 27th November, we are offering our first weekend event at Cannon Hill, London SW20. This 2½ hour session costs £35.🍂
     
    Many of our sessions are offered at school drop-off friendly timings to enable busy parents to savour some 'me time'. This is our first weekend event in SW20, normally they are weekdays at this time. We can offer a closed session before end of term if we have 4-12 participants, and would be hapy to pay 10% to any organising PTAs or social groups. 👩‍👧‍👦
     
    Our Harmony in Nature woodland sessions deliver the restful yet therapeutic benefit of guided mindfulness sensory activities with fellow nature lovers. 🌲
     
    To book our 'harmony in nature' therapeutic sessions see https://bit.ly/FBSessions or, to receive our nature connection mailings, email 💻
     
    Next month we have winter sessions at Newlands Corner (Saturday 4th) and Horsell Common (Monday 6th, school pick-up friuendly timings of 10.30am-1pm), plus Harry Edwards again on Saturday 11th. ❄
     
    Forest Bathing (no swimming involved!) is an evidence based wellbeing activity. As well as boosting the immune system for 2-4 weeks, balancing blood pressure and reducing blood sugars, typically participants feel a reduction in anxiety (and rumination) and a sharp improvement in concentration afterwards. 🌲
     
    To find out how it differs from a dog walk or stroll in the woods, see our recent Blog https://bit.ly/WhyForestBathe🌿
     
    When we have the right clothing and footwear, usually plenty of layers, and a spare, we can happily stay outdoors for hours. Even longer if we take a hot drink and a snack! ☕🍏
    We sell Harmony in Nature Vouchers too. 🎁
     
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    WHAT MAY HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF FOREST BATHING?
     
    Forest bathing, and in particular Forest Bathing+, which we embrace at Harmony In Nature and through our training at The Forest Bathing Institute, could be considered an amalgam of nature therapy, mindfulness and meditation, as well as its own thing. As such, there are decades of scientific research into what happens when we experience nature, do things mindfully, breathe consciously or follow a guided meditation.

    The (mainly) Japanese research into forest bathing has shown that we may potentially experience any or several of the following:

    • reduced stress and cortisol levels
    • improved heart and circulatory system
    • improved digestive and respiratory issues
    • reduced anxiety, depression and rumination
    • improved decision-making, motivation, creativity
    • increase in sense of connection with nature, self and others
    • balanced blood sugar
    • boosted immune function through increased production of 'Natural Killer'-NK-cells and anti-cancer proteins, lasting 2-4 weeks

    forest bathingFundamentally, it brings our nervous system back into balance, which regulates our hormones and our nervous system, and resets our mind and body functions. Some participants express experiencing emotions they hadn’t allowed themselves to feel recently, and this felt safe, and it passed. Some say how energised they felt, others how sleepy.

    In its simplest form, forest bathing combines the physiological benefits of nature’s presence with the meditative aspects of closely observing without judgement. What we feel as a result is ultimately influenced by what we each need at that point- sleep, energy, creativity, a sense of peace, wonderment. Our minds and bodies will give us what we need, when we allow them space to do so. That’s why we go forest bathing.

    Summary of remaining 2021 Forest Bathing+ Sessions with Joanna & Katie
    We have Harmony in Nature forest bathing sessions at:

    Harry Edwards Healing Sanctuary, Shere, 11-1 on Sunday 14th November
    Cannon Hill Common, London SW20, 11-1.30 on Saturday 27th November
    Newlands Corner, Guildford, Surrey, 10.30-12.30 on Saturday 4th December
    Horsell Common, Woking, Surrey, 10.30-1 on Monday 6th December
    Harry Edwards Healing Sanctuary, Shere, 11-1 on Saturday 11th December

    Book any of the above sessions via Harmony Healing Shop

    last session at newlands cornerImportant News about Newlands Corner
    Newlands Corner, our beautiful site in Guildford Surrey, have put up our site rental price so much that we don't know if we will be able to continue working there. So, if you want to join us Newlands Corner, please book in ASAP for one of our pre-Christmas dates as it ls unlikely to feature as a 2022 destination. We will be forced to cancel Newlands events one week before if numbers are low, so please don't leave it to a last minute booking or you stand to be disappointed.   

    Blog updates
    To receive Forest Bathing updates ONLY,  sign up for the Harmony Healing e-newsletters on the above link and indicate receipt of the Forest Bathing mailings only.

    To receive all Blog updates (headed with a title detailing the occasion or event so that you can choose whether to open it or not), featuring New and Full Moon, meteor showers, eclipses and other meteorological events, interesting anniversaries, ancient festival dates plus notification of dates of numerological significance, sign up for the Harmony Healing e-newsletters above or at the top of any page of this Harmony Healing website. The nature of the Blog means that whenever there are several key dates in close succession, there will be frequent mailings. The sender e-mail address is  (and the sender will show as Joanna Bristow-Watkins @ Harmony Healing). You may need to add this email to your safe list and check your junk filter initially.

  • Harmony in Nature

    Our Forest Bathing sessions are run by Harmony In Nature, founded by Joanna Bristow-Watkins and Katie Robinson in 2021.  See Harmony Shop for public session dates and to book
    🌳 For monthly Forest Bathing updates, moon dates, seasonal wisdom & celestial highlights: subscribe here.
    See September issue here.

    Experience how woodland can help your Physical, Mental & Emotional Health.

    Newands Corner

    🌿 Forest Bathing & Nature Therapy with Harmony in Nature

    Slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover your natural rhythm

    At Harmony in Nature, we guide calming and rejuvenating Forest Bathing and Nature Therapy sessions in ancient and semi-ancient woodlands across Surrey and South London. These deeply restorative experiences combine mindfulness, meditation, and nature connection—supporting your mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

    Led by experienced guides Joanna Bristow-Watkins and Katie Robinson, both certified by The Forest Bathing Institute, our sessions are suitable for individuals, private groups, charities and corporate teams alike.


    🍃 What is Forest Bathing?

    Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, Forest Bathing means "bathing in the atmosphere of the forest". It invites you to slow your pace and tune into the healing power of trees through your senses.

    🌲 Scientifically backed benefits include:
    – Reduced stress and anxiety
    – Improved immunity and sleep
    – Regulates blood pressure and blood sugar
    – Enhanced focus, memory, and creativity
    – Greater emotional balance and inner peace

    We integrate gentle sensory exercises, walking meditations, and nature mindfulness practices—sometimes with a spiritual or seasonal theme—to leave you feeling calm, centred, and deeply nourished.


    🌟 What Makes Forest Bathing Different?

    Wondering how Forest Bathing differs from a simple dog walk or stroll in the woods?
    Discover the mindful depth and subtle power of this practice on our blog:

    👉
    Why Forest Bathe?


    🤝 Private, Charity & Corporate Experiences

    Looking for a bespoke wellbeing event? We offer tailored Forest Bathing and Nature Therapy sessions for:

    🌿 Friends & family groups
    🌿 Charities & schools
    🌿 Businesses & wellbeing teams

    🕒 2–3 hour sessions from £444
    📍 Alternative venues can be arranged (subject to suitability)
    🗓  Minimum 3 weeks' notice for private group bookings

    Corporate Wellbeing Experiences:
    See our electronic brochure (pdf).
    Tailored sessions available – please enquire.

    We’ve collaborated with Mind Woking and other Surrey-based charities on multi-week programmes, receiving excellent feedback and tangible wellbeing outcomes.


    🌳 Our Public Sessions

    Our regular venue is the beautiful Harry Edwards Foundation near Shere, a healing sanctuary surrounded by semi-ancient woodland. Public sessions are typically 3 hours long (2½ hours in winter), and cost £39.77 per person.

    We have guided sessions at Horsell Common, Kew Gardens, RHS Wisley, National Trust and RSPB sites, amongst others.  We can also work at various locations by arrangement.

    🕊   Participants are asked to conduct sensory activities in silence to maximise personal and group benefit.
    🐾 Sorry, dogs are not permitted (except trained Guide Dogs).
    🌦   We run in all weathers—except high winds over 30mph—so come dressed for the elements.


    🌿 Meet the Guides

    Holding space for deep reconnection — with nature, yourself, and what truly matters

    At Harmony in Nature, our Forest Bathing sessions are guided by a small, trusted team of experienced and intuitive facilitators. We blend natural mindfulness, trauma-informed care, and spiritual depth to create meaningful and restorative experiences in woodland settings.

    Katie and Joanna were among the first two cohorts to be certified by The Forest Bathing Institute (TFBI). Joanna brings valuable corporate insight from her earlier career as a Managing Director of a travel agency chain and senior industry trainer, adding an informed and relatable perspective for workplace wellbeing. Their combined approach is inclusive, grounded in scientific research, and enriched by years of spiritual and therapeutic practice.

    We are also regularly joined by Julli Dunman, a freelance guide and qualified mindfulness teacher, who brings warmth, calm presence, and over three decades of client-facing experience to the team.

    Jo at NC✨ Katie Robinson – Nature Educator & Wellness Facilitator

    Katie brings a vibrant, earth-loving energy to every session. Her early love of the outdoors was sparked on childhood adventures hiking the Lake District and North Yorkshire Moors. She has since completed two survival skills courses and developed a strong interest in foraging, natural remedies, and self-reliant living. A trained Forest Bathing guide and creative facilitator, Katie is deeply committed to helping others restore their equilibrium through time in nature.

    Her sessions are intuitive, grounding, and gently transformative—infused with laughter, warmth, and deep respect for the land. Katie also draws on her knowledge of nutrition, homeopathy, and essential oils to support holistic wellbeing and create balance in modern life. Clients appreciate her ability to hold calm, non-judgemental space and make nature connection accessible for all.

    ✨ Joanna Bristow-Watkins – Holistic Therapist & Spiritual Mentor

    Joanna is a passionate advocate for nature reconnection as a portal to inner peace and soul alignment. Raised with access to ancient Surrey woodlands, she brings a lifetime of personal connection to the natural world, complemented by over two decades of experience as a spiritual mentor and energy healing practitioner.

    Founder of Harmony Healing (est. 1999), Joanna developed the Reyad Sekh Em® Egyptian Alchemy Healing system, combining sacred breathwork, vibrational sound, angelic frequencies, and earth wisdom. She offers themed Forest Bathing sessions that integrate these teachings—blending scientific insight with ancient traditions to help others realign with their authentic selves.

    Known for her insightful guidance, intuitive depth, and gentle presence, Joanna holds a uniquely sacred container where participants feel seen, supported, and spiritually nourished.

    Julli Dunman✨ Julli Dunman – Forest Bathing Guide & Mindfulness Teacher

    Julli brings a wealth of heart-centred expertise from over 30 years in the travel industry, where she specialised in creating bespoke healing retreats and unforgettable experiences. A qualified mindfulness and meditation teacher, and a certified Forest Bathing guide with TFBI, she offers deeply grounding sessions that help people pause, reset, and rediscover joy in simplicity.

    Whether guiding private individuals or corporate groups, Julli fosters a calm and compassionate space where participants feel truly cared for. She encourages them to “dust off” life’s pressures and connect to the present moment—often sparking emotional release, deep insights, and a renewed sense of wellbeing.

    A lifelong lover of cultural diversity and human connection, Julli’s intuitive approach combines lived experience with soulful presence. She believes nature is the perfect mirror, helping us remember who we are when the world becomes too loud.

    🌍 Learn more about Julli’s work at www.mindfulnessinnature.co.uk


    🎧 Hear from Us

    🎙 Listen: Our Forest Bathing podcast interview with Brooklands Radio shares insights into the practice and its many benefits.

    🎥 Watch: Participant reflections and nature-based conversations are available on our Facebook video page.

    📬 Stay Connected: Receive our monthly seasonal summaries, including lunar cycles, Celtic festivals, and Harmony in Nature news, direct to your inbox.
    👉 Click here to join our mailing list


    🎥 Watch & Explore More

    🌲 Forest Bathing & Nature Connection Video
    Explore the diverse wellbeing benefits of Forest Bathing and hear about our experiences with green social prescribing and business events on Nadège’s YouTube Channel:


    🌐 The Silver Tent TV: Wood Wide Web Discussion
    The Silver Tent is a global online community for women aged 50+, encouraging deep sharing, connection and collaboration.
    If you meet the criteria, request to join via the Silver Tent Facebook Group Page. Joanna is a long-standing member and has shared insights into Forest Bathing, sacred nature, and spiritual mentoring within this inspiring sisterhood.
    Our YouTube discussion delves into the fascinating concept of the Wood Wide Web—how trees communicate underground, what science tells us, and how this inspires our Forest Bathing practice.

     


    🌟 Book Your Place

    🛒 Browse upcoming sessions in the Harmony Shop
    📩 Enquiries for private bookings:  

    We look forward to welcoming you beneath the trees 🌳✨

  • Saturday 12th September, Heritage Open Day at West Horsley Place

     

    285019f4 686c 4a89 8152 7465ed7bbd34Saturday 12th September, Heritage Day at West Horsley Place, where we are offering complimentary Forest Bathing+ taster sessions. There were just 12 places available in the morning which filled very quickly.

    Forest Bathing+ involves a two-three hour immersive experience (depending on the season), ideally within ancient woodland such as rthe grounds of West Horsley Place, Surrey.

    Forest Bathing is an elementary practice (children instinctively enjoy nature this way) which can elicit surprisingly positive reactions. In a nutshell, it can be described as mindful time under the canopy of trees using the senses. Deep breathing is also encouraged; Japanese research uncovered essential wood oils help boost our immune system.

    Some of the scientifically proven benefits of spending time in woodland include reduced stress levels, stronger immune system response, and a stabilised cortisol cycle.

    Joanna has undertaken Forest Bathing+ (FB+) Guide training with The Forest Bathing Institute (TFBI) and works with a team of other TFBI qualified FB+ Guides.

    During the session you will be provided with a sequence of sensory exercises designed to calm the body and mind. Whilst this might sound intimidating, in practice participants love it! If you have ever wondered about the healing benefits of nature, this session should give you a chance to experience it for yourself. To get a better idea of what to expect, please see the Facebook videos below.

    Whilst undertaking the mindfulness sensory exercises during the session, participants will be asked to refrain from talking to each other (and avoid other distractions such as mobile phone use) so that all participants can gain the full benefits from the surroundings. 

    West Horsley Place Forest 1For more details about Forest Bathing:-

    See my 8.5 minute chat with Fiona Mason of Cuppa Time

    https://www.facebook.com/CuppaAndAChat/videos/1134876673567721/

    See Emma Reed's reaction after her Forest Bathing+ Session with Joanna

    https://www.facebook.com/248959805155973/videos/2373335036220701/.

    Forest Bathing is known in Japan as Shinrin-Yoku where it has been practised for 30+ years and is recognised as offering harmony and wellbeing.

    Joanna also offers Forest Bathing+ sessions throughout Surrey and beyond and through Harmony Healing, Joanna utilises the philosophies of the Ancient Egyptians to bring balance and harmony.

    The next Harmony Healing virtual healing circle is 7.30-9.30pm (UK time),1st October. Reyad Sekh Em (RSE) Egyptian Alchemy Healing Level 1 is now availale as virtual interactive training modules, details on Harmony Healing Virtual Events. Currently, due to Coronavirus, most events will be virtual hence distant readings and healings are proving popular. We don't recommend giving a reading or healing to another person, without first checking whether it would be welcomed. 

    To receive regular Blog updates (headed with a title detailing the occasion or event so that you can choose whether to open it or not), featuring New and Full Moon, meteor showers, eclipses and other meteorological events, interesting anniversaries, ancient festival dates plus notification of dates of numerological significance, sign up for the Harmony Healing e-newsletters above or at the top of any page of this Harmony Healing website. The nature of the Blog (i.e. 12th - 23rd September this month) means that whenever there are several key dates in close succession, there will be frequent mailings. The sender e-mail address is  (and the sender will show as Joanna Bristow-Watkins @ Harmony Healing). You may need to add this email to your safe list and check your junk filter initially.

  • Saturday 21st March, International Day of Forests

    IDF image 2

    🌿 Reconnect with Nature in the Surrey Hills

    Saturday 21st March marks the International Day of Forests, established by the United Nations to honour the profound importance of the world’s woodlands. This year’s theme, Forests and Innovation, invites us to reflect not only on environmental stewardship, but on the creative and restorative intelligence held within the living forest.

    Forests shelter over 60,000 species of trees and sustain around 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. Yet approximately 10 million hectares are lost globally each year. As woodland disappears, so too does humanity’s intimate relationship with the natural world.

    Ancient cultures revered the forest as teacher, healer and sanctuary. Modern science is now affirming what our ancestors instinctively understood: time spent amongst trees measurably supports both physiological and psychological wellbeing.

    Trees emit phytoncides — natural aromatic compounds that calm the nervous system, support immune function and encourage restoration. When we consciously immerse ourselves in woodland presence, we begin to recalibrate.


    🍃 What Is Forest Bathing?

    21st March at Harry EdwardsOriginating in Japan as Shinrin Yoku during the 1980s, Forest Bathing is a gentle, guided practice of sensory immersion in nature. It is not a hike, nor a fitness pursuit, but a slow and mindful attunement to place.

    Sessions weave together:

    • Guided sensory awareness

    • Gentle movement

    • Moments of stillness

    • Breathwork and reflection

    • Deep listening to the land

    Research demonstrates that regular practice may:

    • Reduce stress and anxiety

    • Lower blood pressure

    • Support cardiovascular and metabolic health

    • Strengthen immune resilience

    • Enhance clarity, focus and memory

    • Elevate mood and energy

    • Support pain reduction and overall vitality

    In essence, it restores balance to body and spirit.


    🌲 Join Us in the Surrey Hills

    Surrey is blessed with woodland covering roughly a quarter of its landscape, offering an exceptional setting for deep nature connection. Our public sessions are held in ancient and semi-ancient woodland, including our regular venue near Shere at the Harry Edwards Foundation.

    🌿 We held an event today to celebrate International Day of Forests. Our Next Forest Bathing Experience is:

    📅 Sunday, 26th April, 11am-2pm
    📍 Harry Edwards Foundation, Shere
    🔗 Reserve your place here.🌳

    You are warmly invited to step beneath the canopy and rediscover your natural rhythm.


    🌼 Stay Connected

    To receive updates about upcoming monthly sessions, seasonal immersions and special events, join our Harmony in Nature mailing list.

    If you facilitate a local group, workplace wellbeing programme or community network and would value a talk on the science and soul of Forest Bathing, presentations are available both in person and online.


    ✨ Beyond the Woodland

    Our wider work through Harmony Healing offers complementary pathways for inner alignment, including Full Moon Guided Healing Meditations, recorded meditative journeys, distant readings and energy healing sessions.


    As the light lengthens and spring quietly awakens, there is no more fitting time to step into the forest.

    Breathe deeply.
    Slow down.
    Allow the land to hold you.

    🌿 Join us and experience how the forest restores balance — gently, naturally and profoundly. 🌿

  • Sunday 25th September, National GetOutside Day in the UK and The Great Big Green Week until 2nd October

    25Sep National Get Outside Day an initiative by Ordnance SurveySunday 25th September is National GetOutside Day in the UK, an initiative by Ordnance Survey. 

    Embrace GetOutside Day by Savouring the Approach of Autumn
    Guest Blog by Katie Robinson, Co-Founder of Harmony in Nature

    Once the days start to feel cooler and shorter, it’s very tempting to stay inside with our heating, rather than add on extra layers and step outside; but it’s well worth the effort! If you can go out into a clean natural environment, that’s ideal, but observing plants in a pot, listening to the birds, watching the sun go down, feeling the breeze or sun are all ways to feel a sense of connection with nature, which soothes our mind and body.

    When we have the right clothing and footwear, usually plenty of layers, and a spare, we can happily stay outdoors for hours. Even longer if we take a hot drink and a snack! If you have the company of a young child, you may want to let them lead you, as they know what to do in nature, by following their instincts.

    Feeling the barkIf you want to amuse yourself, then here are some things that we at Harmony in Natureenjoy doing outside, as the cooler weather approaches. Take your time, and really notice the details with your senses. When we become completely present in the moment, rest, recovery and healing is triggered through a different branch of our autonomic nervous system operating than during our daily ‘doings’. Being outside, and especially in nature, has been shown to benefit our wellbeing, physically, mentally, emotionally, as well as spiritually, when we sense a connection to something greater outside ourselves. (The Rev Kate Botley described her session with Katie for The Forest Bathing Institute and filmed by the BBC as ‘a spiritual experience’.)

    • See what draws your attention when you step outside: is it the temperature, the light, colours, shapes/angles, movement? Follow one of these qualities for a few minutes, and see how you feel.
    • In a clean area in nature, appreciate the quality of the air, breathing slowly in and out through your nostrils (especially important in very cold weather, as the nose warms the air). Notice if the air seems the same temperature as it goes both in and out, or is it different?
    • Feel the air on your face, hands and skin - does it change if you turn, very slowly, in a full circle? Do you feel some breeze/warmth/cold/movement across your skin, or not?
    • What can you hear? If it’s a jarring sound, take a few slow breaths in and out, and listen even harder to find a natural sound - maybe birdsong, wind, water from a small fountain? Cup your hands round your ears and see if that makes the sound louder.
    • Take a tip from dogs, and smell as much as you can! As there is more moisture in the air, the smells get stronger, so make the most of this by looking for some areas where leaves have come down. Rubbing them between your fingers, and breaking fallen twigs or leaves increases the smell, as does ‘sniffing like a cat’, taking in several shorter sniffs before inhaling more deeply (but not so deeply that you get bits of leaf up your nostrils!) Do deeper layers smell different?
    • Leaves are fun for all the family! You can scuff them along to make a great swishing sound, or throw them, kick them or, if you find a nice layer in a safe place, even lie down and make ‘leaf angels’ with your arms, so you don’t have to wait for snow!
    • Have you walked on grass in your bare feet? Not only is the damp grass a lovely feeling, but being in contact ‘skin to skin’ with the ground has wonderful health benefits, too. It sends to the earth all the excess positively charged ions, which we are absorbing from all our tech and electronic equipment, and sends us back the negatively charged ions, which bring us more health. Some say we need at least 10 minutes of uninterrupted contact, but others feel it is instant. Certainly, we often feel tingling after a while, and sometimes feet even warm up! (You can always put something like a towel on the top of your feet, and that keeps them warmer, for a luxury version!) This is also known as ‘earthing’.

    The Great Big Green Week, Sept 24th-Oct 2nd

    Last year 5,000 sessions took place during the week, making it the UK’s biggest ever nature and climate event. Events take place outside around the country and online, so and you’ll find a wide variety of events to join in with. A flavour of events near us:

    • a recycling clothing event, to avoid the obscene amount of clothing which finds its way to landfill each year
    • an eco-fayre, with ways to rethink, re-use, re-purpose, repair, refill…
    • an introduction to mindfulness
    • a quiet track bike ride
    • a community feast with leftovers from food businesses to avoid waste
    • a bat walk

    …you get the picture.

    Let us know what you found.

    Whatever you do outside, ensure you have fun, and rediscover the pleasures of having the curiosity of a child again.

    forest bathingForest Bathing+ Sessions with Joanna & Katie
    We hold Harmony in Nature forest bathing sessions 

    See our recent September Update (October out soon) - for a round-up of our forthcming events. Book any of our sessions via Harmony Shop

    Within Surrey, via Harmony In Nature, we facilitate Nature Connection & Forest Bathing Sessions to help adults reconnect with nature and reap the therapeutic benefits. We work in Shere,Tadworth, London SW20 and Woking.

    Other services from Joanna and Katie
    Through Harmony Healing, Joanna runs a monthly Full Moon monthly Unity Consciousness Meditation [next one is Sunday 9th October 7.30-9.30pm (UK time), £20], a Lunar Cycle Alignment Programme [next one running 25th October - 23rd November £155] and other online esoteric/energy healing practitioner and self-empowerment courses

    Katie has five 1:1 places left this year for Nurtured by Nature, One-day Reset Retreats, which are individually tailored. Depending on what is most helpful for you, they may include a selection from nutrition, breathing, mindful movement, sounding or chanting, essential oils, ‘de-chemicalising’ your lifestyle, natural first aid, as well as reconnecting to ourselves and nature through sensory nature connection practices outdoors, ending, naturally, with a forest bathing session. Priced at £488 for the whole day. Message Katie on 07596 830910 for further information, and to discuss your ideal day!

    Blog updates
    To receive Forest Bathing updates ONLY, sign up for the Harmony Healing e-newsletters on the above link, indicating receipt of the Forest Bathing mailings only.

    To receive all Blog updates (headed with a title detailing the occasion or event so that you can choose whether to open it or not), featuring New and Full Moon, meteor showers, eclipses and other meteorological events, interesting anniversaries, ancient festival dates plus notification of dates of numerological significance, sign up for the Harmony Healing e-newsletters above or at the top of any page of this Harmony Healing website. The nature of the Blog means that whenever there are several key dates in close succession, there will be frequent mailings. The sender e-mail address is  (and the sender will show as Joanna Bristow-Watkins @ Harmony Healing). You may need to add this email to your safe list and check your junk filter initially.

  • Training to be a Forest Bathing+ Guide - and be at one with nature, Guest Blog by Philippa Bassett

    Forest Bathing photo 2

    This year, Philippa Bassett trained to become a Forest Bathing+ Guide like Joanna. Her blog outlines the approach and appeal of Forest Bathing+ and her motivation for taking it up. Reproduced with her permission, here is her take on the delights of Shinrin-Yoku.

    This time last year, if you had asked me what my plans were for future courses, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have mentioned training to become a Forest Bathing+ Guide!

    However, after a year working with The Forest Bathing Institute (TFBI), I have learned so much about the science behind the benefits of practising Shinrin-Yoku (the Japanese term) for Forest Bathing+, that I am now on my journey to becoming a fully-fledged TFBI Forest Bathing+ Guide myself!

    Forest Bathing+ is essentially spending time relaxing under the canopy of trees, the health giving benefits of which have been scientifically evidenced over the last 40 years, particularly in Japan. Here, forest bathing is regularly prescribed by their NHS system as a preventative healthcare measure for mental health and general physical well-being.

    Forest Bathing is also prevalent in South Korea, where overnight retreats and specific ‘trails of healing’ help stressed out executives’ re-charge from their daily life under the health-giving canopy of an accredited woodland environment.

    Forest Bathing Bluebell WoodsBut this is not new to me. At some level, I feel that I am returning to my roots with Forest Bathing+. Having grown up by the sea in a rural part of South Wales, I spent a lot of time in the woods at the back of my grandparents’ house, where we used to walk under the woodland canopy to the local beaches. Climbing and playing in trees formed a large part of my childhood, and this connection has been re-kindled by attending Forest Bathing+ events. The feeling of calmness and relaxation following several hours of mindfulness in the forest is a great benefit to one’s general health and well-being.

    The catalyst for deciding to become a Forest Bathing+ Guide was attending the Mindfulness and Meditation Training which took place in mid-March, just before the Covid 19 lockdown. Due to the self-isolation restrictions, the theory behind Forest Bathing+ was conducted online, which gave me more time to focus on the benefits. During the course, I was really surprised to learn so many interesting facts about the science of ancient forests, their chemical structure, the wood wide web and many more fascinating nuggets of information.

    I am very interested in natural healing and healthcare having worked in this area for over 6 years. Learning about the natural healing ability of the forests and woodland reinforced my passion and I now feel committed to attracting more people, of all ages, to experience the wonders of immersive nature therapy and spend quality, mindful time in the beautiful woodlands and ancient forests that are such an integral part of the UK’s natural landscape.

    I would thoroughly recommend the Forest Bathing training to anyone who also has a passion for nature, the environment and general health and well-being.

    Photo credits: Forest Bathing images showing a track through a Surrey woodland and bluebell woods, taken by Philippa Bassett.

    *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

    As many of our Blog readers will know, Joanna Bristow-Watkins from Harmony Healing trained as a Forest Bathing+ Guide with TFBI in 2019. Joanna will be writing a future Blog about Forest Bathing, but when her colleague Philippa published this Blog, she sought permision to use it as her first Guest Blog.

    Forest Bathing Sessions bring harmony and balance into your life. Joanna and other qualified TFBI guides are now tentatively offering small group Forest Bathing+ Sessions at Newlands Corner (near Guildford) with additional social distancing and other protocols to minimise COVID risks. 

    Harmony Healing utilises the philosophies of the Ancient Egyptians to bring balance and harmony.  It was a key part of ancient Egyptian life to be connected with nature and all of the Deities represented manifestations of nature.  Even our own word 'nature' is likely to be derived from their word 'Neter' generally translated as God.

    A number of virtual courses are starting again this month, including Reyad Sekh Em (RSE) Egyptian Alchemy Healing Level 1, which is now fully available as interactive training modules, details on Harmony Healing Virtual Events. 

    Currently, due to Coronavirus, most events will be virtual hence distant readings and healings are proving popular. We don't recommend giving a reading or healing to another person, without first checking whether it would be welcomed.If you are looking for spiritually enlightening activities during lockdown, Joanna offers distant intuitive readings (past life and/or aura readings) and distant 1-2-1 healings and virtual healing circles. We also have meditations available.

    To receive regular Blog updates (headed with a title detailing the occasion or event so that you can choose whether to open it or not), featuring New and Full Moon, meteor showers, eclipses and other meteorological events, interesting anniversaries, ancient festival dates plus notification of dates of numerological significance, sign up for the Harmony Healing e-newsletters above or at the top of any page of this Harmony Healing website. The nature of the Blog means that whenever there are several key dates in close succession, there will be frequent mailings. The sender e-mail address is (and the sender will show as Joanna Bristow-Watkins @ Harmony Healing). You may need to add this email to your safe list and check your junk filter initially.

  • What's on this spring: Unity Consciousness, Lunar Cycle alignment course, forest bathing ...

    Spring Equinox 20th 1Last weekend was the Equinox, so at last, Spring is in the air and we can feel optimistic about the summer.

    Things have been very hectic for me having embraced a transition to Zoom virtual format shortly after lockdown a year ago.

    Since last March, there have been continuous enrolments for my RSE (Reyad Sekh Em©) Egyptian Alchemy healing training courses. Especially the Introductory Level although 10 have gone onto become qualified RSE Practitioners and are working towards advanced practitioner training. I couldn't be happier on that front, after almost 23 years in the healing fraternity, the most amazing community of healers and trainee healers has emerged. I dreamt of this but to have it materialise is fantastic.  And the talent amongst them is incredible; if you are looking to develop latent (or extend existing) healing skills, do join us.  Here's two of the recently qualified super capable practitioners telling their stories on You Tube: Benjamin (a hairdresser, aged 21, unable to work during lockdown) and Agata (a practising NHS physiotherapist) tell their stories (less than 15 mins in total). 

    Most important is the desire to run an active team of lightworkers and make a difference in the world, especially considering the desperate global environment.  If you are familiar with the work of David Hawkins and Owen Waters, you will know that working on your own spiritual consciousness is one of the most productive steps we can make as individuals regarding improving global wellbeing. See my short YouTube presentation for more on this. 

    Monthly Full Moon Meditation 

    We hold monthly Full Moon Virtual Guided Meditations, the next ones are Sunday 28th March, Monday 26th April & Wednesday 26th May. Other dates are listed on the Harmony Healing website until the end of the year.  These cost £22 via PayPal (£20 if paid via BACS bank transfer) and act as a great low investment introduction to my work. 

    New Moon New Vision: lunar cycle connection programme

    Very soon, Monday 12th April - Tuesday 11th May, we have our coveted New Moon New Vision; lunar cycle alignment programme re-starting, cost is £155 (+ £7.50 admin fee if paid via PayPal). This was run earlier in the year featuring daily angelic affirmations, weekly meditations and several distant attunements to enhance your energetic connection to the sun, moon, earth, planets and stars plus the current Western and Chinese zodiacs. We simultaneously learn, though 10+ hours of virtual Zoom mentoring, to work with the energies of the moon cycle and each person creates a Vision Board for 2021 & beyond. Multiple participants found it a 'life changing for the better'. More at Harmony Healing Website and a YouTube informational video (about 15 mins) with feedback from three of the group members and here's what another had to say as the last course reached the final week: 

    "As we're almost at the end of the course, but still the beginning of a journey, I thought I'd share a few of the things that have changed for me during this moon cycle.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 

    I have more space within... I can literally feel it - possibly as a result of the Soul Star and Earth Star Chakras attunement, and also because of the releasing that has been happening over the last 2 weeks.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 

    I have recovered a routine which brings about a more productive day.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    My brain has tuned into the fact that I need to lose weight... I've let go of snacking, I'm having beautiful detox baths and have done the oil pulling. I am doing daily dance exercises.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    I am meditating more and got back on track with daily self-Reiki.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    I'm seeing the bigger picture.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    I am generally more focused.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    Such positive stuff for everyday living! ♥"⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    Yvonne Oaks, Light From Within, London, 10th Feb 2021🎈 

    Forest Bathing+ Sessions in leafy Surrey

    Earlier this week, Monday 21st March was International Day of Forests and I'm delighted to announce that we will be able to offer Forest Bathing+ sessions in Surrey again, starting on 17th April at Harry Edwards Healing Sanctuary (Shere) and 22nd April at Newlands Corner (near Guildford).See event dates listed up to July on the Harmony Website, please do join us for one or more of these enjoyable and therapeutic experiences.

    I will also offer another series of RSE (Reyad Sekh Em©) Egyptian Alchemy healing training courses over the summer. Our current course finished yesterday (25th March), so I will wait and see whether they want to progress immediately onto RSE 2 Practitioner which will mean a delay before the next introductory series.

    So that's a summary of what we are offering for the next 3-4 months, if you aren't already and feel inspired to join our active Lightworker Community, think about joining one of the activities above or sign up for the Celestial Forecast Blog email updates.  Subscribers receive reminders of the New Moon, Full Moon, Meteor showers, dates of numerological significance (three '555' dates coming up in May, one of which is included in the New Moon New Vision Course), Pagan, Egyptian, Roman and other religious festivals as well as international celebrations.

    Whatever you do, have a happy spring & summer.

    If you would like to experience one of our spiritual offerings (meditation, reading, 1:1 healing, a Forest Bathing+ session or a full mentoring course), why not ask for a Harmony Healing gift voucherfor a birthday or other celebratory occasion? 

    A number of virtual courses are now ready, details on Harmony Healing Virtual Events. Currently, due to Coronavirus, most events will be virtual hence distant readings and healings are proving popular. We don't recommend giving a reading or healing to another person, without first checking whether it would be welcomed.

    Joanna offers distant intuitive readings (past life and/or aura readings) and distant 1-2-1 healings and virtual healing circles. We also have meditations available.

    To receive regular Blog updates (headed with a title detailing the occasion or event so that you can choose whether to open it or not), featuring New and Full Moon, meteor showers, eclipses and other meteorological events, interesting anniversaries, ancient festival dates plus notification of dates of numerological significance, sign up for the Harmony Healing e-newsletters above or at the top of any page of this Harmony Healing website. The nature of the Blog means that whenever there are several key dates in close succession, there will be frequent mailings. The sender e-mail address is (and the sender will show as Joanna Bristow-Watkins @ Harmony Healing). You may need to add this email to your safe list and check your junk filter initially.

  • Why Go Forest Bathing When I Already Go Out in Nature?

    WhatsApp Image 2021 07 24 at 10.41.45 7Guest Blog by Katie Robinson, Co-Founder of Harmony in Nature, September 2021

    ‘I walk my dog every day.’

    ‘I meet my friends weekly for a walk.’

    ‘I go for a run three times a week; does that count?’

    ‘I get great benefit from doing my 10,000 steps most days.’

    Of course we can continue these positive activities. And, we can enhance our experience when we add something new into our lifestyle.

    For example, if our usual supermarket doesn’t stock something new we want to try, do we not even look elsewhere? Of course not; we’ll find out where we can find it. Forest bathing is simply a different way to be out in nature and woodland, with different benefits from these other activities. It’s not an ‘either/or’ scenario.

    To answer the title question with another question: Where is your mind when you do these activities?

    Is it noticing the details of what is immediately around? Or the mind and body sensations? Personally, my mind would be clocking up the steps, or the landmarks indicating I’m half way, or wondering how far away until my stop at the coffee shop as a reward, or chatting with my friend, or checking the dog hasn’t disappeared. Dogs are very mindful, but owners checking on them cannot be. This is why our walks currently do not include children and dogs. This is total ‘me’ time.

    Our minds are wonderful things; always busy and looking for problems to solve to keep active. However, years of this often leads to it being stuck on ‘doing’ and ‘fixing’. With forest bathing, we can leave this behind for a while.

    I notice the texture of the many tree barks; I stop to smell the variety of new growth or layers of the soil, noticing how clean it smells and how uplifting that feels; or I allow my attention to be drawn to the many patterns in the tree canopy above. I can use my senses in a directed way that brings out the wonderment in nature I felt as a child; I breathe deeply and appreciate the power and healing we get from a high-oxygen environment; I notice the tiny things.

    Forest bathing adds another way to be in nature and has enhanced our lives immeasurably. Giving ourselves 2-3 hours to meander around in woodland is a great act of self care, and a common realisation by participants is that the permission to do this is so valuable.

    They realise how little we notice normally, and get great joy and excitement from re-discovering small elements they hadn’t paid attention to in a long time, if ever. Immersing ourselves in all the forest has to offer (hence the ‘bathing’) is eye opening for many. The sights, sounds, smells and feel of the forest, as we each experience it, brings us into the present moment, away from the upset of the past and worry about the future that hasn’t yet happened. We simply ‘are’ and the forest accompanies us, being its beautiful self, just waiting to be noticed, to calm and reset us, and never judging us for the failures we perceive in ourselves.

    WHAT MAY HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF FOREST BATHING?

    Forest bathing, and in particular Forest Bathing+, which we embrace at Harmony In Nature and through our training at The Forest Bathing Institute, could be considered an amalgam of nature therapy, mindfulness and meditation, as well as its own thing. As such, there are decades of scientific research into what happens when we experience nature, do things mindfully, breathe consciously or follow a guided meditation. The (mainly) Japanese research into forest bathing has shown that we may potentially experience any or several of the following:

    • reduced stress and cortisol levels
    • improved heart and circulatory system
    • improved digestive and respiratory issues
    • reduced anxiety, depression and rumination
    • improved decision-making, motivation, creativity
    • increase in sense of connection with nature, self and others
    • balanced blood sugar
    • boosted immune function through increased production of 'Natural Killer'-NK-cells and anti-cancer proteins, lasting 2-4 weeks

    Fundamentally, it brings our nervous system back into balance, which regulates our hormones and our nervous system, and resets our mind and body functions. Some participants express experiencing emotions they hadn’t allowed themselves to feel recently, and this felt safe, and it passed. Some say how energised they felt, others how sleepy.

    In its simplest form, forest bathing combines the physiological benefits of nature’s presence with the meditative aspects of closely observing without judgement. What we feel as a result is ultimately influenced by what we each need at that point- sleep, energy, creativity, a sense of peace, wonderment. Our minds and bodies will give us what we need, when we allow them space to do so. That’s why we go forest bathing.

    forest bathing Forest Bathing+ Sessions with Joanna & Katie

     See our current sessions listed and/or book atHarmony Healing Shop

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Blog updates
    To receive Forest Bathing updates ONLY,  sign up for the Harmony Healing e-newsletters on the above link and indicate receipt of the Forest Bathing mailings only.

    To receive all Blog updates (headed with a title detailing the occasion or event so that you can choose whether to open it or not), featuring New and Full Moon, meteor showers, eclipses and other meteorological events, interesting anniversaries, ancient festival dates plus notification of dates of numerological significance, sign up for the Harmony Healing e-newsletters above or at the top of any page of this Harmony Healing website. The nature of the Blog means that whenever there are several key dates in close succession, there will be frequent mailings. The sender e-mail address is  (and the sender will show as Joanna Bristow-Watkins @ Harmony Healing). You may need to add this email to your safe list and check your junk filter initially.