Welcome and thank you for being a tree friend. It’s been a while since Woodlands Breathing was in touch … we’ve been busy guiding walks for the spring and early summer as well as getting on with life. Here are some of the highlights.
Special last minute walks for the Jubilee weekend
Thursday 2 June at Beecraigs Country Park in West Lothian (between Bathgate and Linlithgow). Tickets - £20 (& booking fee). Time: 10:00 - 13:00.
Friday 3 June - online. Connect from your local green space, your garden or your sofa and we’ll walk in the woods near Livingston in West Lothian. Tickets - £10 (& booking fee). Time: 10:00 - 11:30.
Our Wanders
Our wanders have included forest bathing experiences in some new locations and supporting some projects. Thank you to the partners have enabled these sessions.
First of all, we introduced forest therapy to some residents local to Cowden Japanese Garden near Dollar. A series of four funded sessions was held in March and so it was also a privilege to observe the beings of the garden reveal themselves to the spring, from catkins to emerging leaves and blossoms and some four-legged animals - more of that later. Subsequently, another couple of sessions were held for another group which supports people living with bereavement. The Japanese Garden and adjoining woodland is a special place and it’s much appreciated that the site has been lovingly restored. The gaps created in the woodland after storm Arwen will allow space for the next generation of trees to grow.
Another project went online. We facilitated another series of four weekly sessions to support people living with Long Covid as part of a pilot research project with the University of Derby, led by Dr Kirsten McEwan. These sessions were kept brief to support participants with low energy levels and everyone connected from their garden or local park. It was a pleasure to play in the woods with them. We understand that the early results were positive and will update readers further once the results are published.
With the longer days and some sunshine, staff wellbeing walks have been guided in Fife and West Lothian. It has been a pleasure to spend time with the teams of colleagues and support their wellbeing during mental health awareness month. If you’d like to arrange a similar experience with your colleagues or friends, please get in touch.
Walks - summer 2022
We hope some of you will be able to join us in the woods over the summer, whether in a live group in Scotland, or connecting from wherever you are in the world in an online experience.
Walks in various locations have recently been added to the listing of events, via the website and Eventbrite for details and bookings. Here is a summary of the dates so far; other dates and venues around Edinburgh will be added so please keep an eye on the website and social media for additions. Please note that walks are available to advance bookings only. Tickets for live group walks include refreshments.
Special last minute walks for the Jubilee weekend
Thursday 2 June at Beecraigs Country Park in West Lothian (between Bathgate and Linlithgow). Tickets - £20 (& booking fee). Time: 10:00 - 13:00.
Friday 3 June - online. Connect from your local green space, your garden or your sofa and we’ll walk in the woods near Livingston in West Lothian. Tickets - £10 (& booking fee). Time: 10:00 - 11:30.
Almondell Country Park, West Lothian
Monday 6 June at 10:00. Tickets: £30 (includes booking fee).
Saturday 2 July at 10:00. Tickets: early bird £26.46 or £30 (includes booking fee).
Tuesday 23 August at 10:00. Tickets: early bird £26.46 or £30 (includes booking fee).
Beecraigs Country Park, West Lothian
Thursday 2 June - see above
Saturday 11 June at 10:00. Tickets: early bird £26.46 or £30 (includes booking fee).
Saturday 16 July at 10:00. Tickets: early bird £26.46 or £30 (includes booking fee).
Saturday 20 August at 10:00. Tickets: early bird £26.46 or £30 (includes booking fee).
Binning Wood, East Lothian
Monday 27 June at 10:00. Tickets: early bird £26.46 or £30 (includes booking fee).
Monday 25 July at 10:00. Tickets: early bird £26.46 or £30 (includes booking fee).
Saturday 30 July at 10:00. Tickets: early bird £26.46 or £30 (includes booking fee).
In the press …
Growbiz is a great network and community of people working in small businesses across rural Scotland. We have benefited from a few of their webinars over the last year and met folk from a wide range of interesting businesses throughout rural Scotland. GrowBiz has a directory, REDS, of rural business where people can support small businesses. Recently, we had an opportunity to be interviewed: https://www.growbiz.co.uk/client-stories/an-interview-with-jeannie-nairn-woodlands-breathing. Thanks to our local woods and neighbour, Lyndsey for the photo.
One last thing …
If you hear a distant sound of motorbikes on a sunny day in the spring, it might not quite be what you thought. Just check in case you are close to water and look closely - is there any suspended animation to see? I enjoyed watching and listening to the frogs waking up around the pond at Cowden Garden.
Please get in touch if you have any queries about joining a walk, would like to arrange any gift vouchers or special group for friends or staff wellbeing.
Contact us if you know of a woodland where you would like to experience forest bathing in Scotland and we’ll see what can be arranged.
Thank you for reading and we hope to welcome you to the woods soon.
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