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Forest Bathing Press & Articles
'Forest Bathing' at the U of M Landscape Arboretum
Hannah Flood - FOX 9 Good Day
As part of the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Nature Heals Initiative, the arboretum is offering “forest bathing” courses that allow people to explore a stronger, more meaningful connection with nature.
Watch Motz Studios' founder David Motzenbecker showcase this connection with FOX 9's Hannah Flood
Get lost among the trees at Green Island Preserve for better health
Frank Lee - Wadena Pioneer Journal
Walk among the trees of Green Island Preserve in Wadena and you just might find yourself feeling better.
“The techniques of forest therapy bring proven benefits for mental and physical health through structured activity among trees,” according to Kent Scheer, co-owner of Green Island Preserve with his wife Vicki Chepulis.
Motz Studios of Minneapolis will lead an introduction to forest therapy techniques on a walk at Green Island Preserve from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, June 24, with talks about its research-proven benefits and pointers for teachers, health care workers and parents.
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Read the article.
KARE 11's Julie Nelson, Belinda Jensen try Japanese practice of
forest bathing
Belinda Jensen - KARE 11
There's something about a walk in the woods that just makes us feel better.
We know it does, and yet, so few of us make the time to do it. But now, a growing number of people in Minnesota are trying to change that by promoting a Japanese practice known as "forest bathing".
Watch Motz Studios' founder David Motzenbecker share some insights with KARE's Belinda Jensen
Embrace Winter 30-Day Challenge
Erica Pearson - Minneapolis Star Tribune
“If you feel comfortable, go ahead and introduce yourself to the tree. Think of questions you want to ask,” the guide suggested.
I looked up at a striking maple in Eastman Nature Center and wondered, “How did your branches end up twisting and curving so much, making you stand out in the forest?”
It was just one of the ways forest therapy guide David Motzenbecker invited us to experience nature during an immersive, three-hour winter walk through the Maple Grove park.
Soak in Nature, Melt Away Stress
Kate Havelin – Nature Writer
COVID. George Floyd. Unrest. Unemployment. Since the pandemic hit, it’s felt like a near-constant state of siege.
David Motzenbecker knows what that’s like. On a recent podcast he said, “Right now … we are all in a state of constant low-level fight or flight stress. Our bodies are drip, drip, drip with cortisol, stress hormones, all the time with this low-level stress and that’s causing a lot of bad health problems for everyone.”
Welcome Along On A Forest Bath
Lisa Filter - Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota
Forest bathing: what an intriguing term. Have you heard of this?
If you’re like me, you’ve seen the idea popping up here and there, but have never come across a satisfying explanation of what it is, exactly. So, when I saw an opportunity to participate in a 2-hour, guided forest-bathing session at a nearby park, I jumped at the chance to finally figure out this mystery.
Spirituality & Well Being
Lisa Buck - Hennepin Lawyer
When we think of health, we often envision exercise and eating well (physical health) or stress reduction and therapy (mental health). But a third facet of health— spiritual— is often overlooked. Emerging research indicates that spirituality is as important to our well-being. This article explores what spirituality is and the role it plays in our lives.
The Coronavirus Pandemic and the Invisibility of Nature
Michael McCarthy - Emergence Magazine
As rampant urbanization increasingly severs humanity from the living world, naturalist Michael McCarthy explores the ways in which the “anthropause,” ushered in by the coronavirus, has—on an unprecedented scale—made nature visible again.
The Solitude Series
Jennifer Stitt & The Garrison Institute
In 1852, Herman Melville described the dark depravity of silence. “All profound things, and emotions of things are preceded and attained by silence,” Melville wrote. Read on to discover the power of solitude for yourself.
The Powers of Immersion and Mindfulness: Forest Bathing
DeepRoot
Those of us who are in environmental fields or simply have an affinity for backyard gardening are familiar with the benefits of being surrounded by nature. Now there is a great amount of research on the mental and physical benefits of spending intentional, mindful time outdoors, especially in forests.
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Far from being 'woo woo,' research shows that forest bathing is calming and stress-reducing
Star Tribune
David Motzenbecker, founder of Minneapolis-based forest bathing provider Motz Studios, has been taking others on guided walks for a year. His participants range from tourists who find the experience on Airbnb to students at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
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The mental health benefits of ‘forest bathing’
MinnPost
Three hours in the woods: Young adulthood is a time of challenges, but for the group of Minneapolis Community and Technical College students that accompanied counselor Jamal Adam on a guided forest therapy walk earlier this spring, the idea of 180 phone-free minutes with nothing but nature for distraction felt hard to fathom.
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Being Out in Nature Does A Body (and a Brain) Good
Laine Bergeson Becco - Minneapolis Star Tribune Magazine
If it feels like spending time outside makes you feel better, you're right. There's even research to prove it.