Guided Shinrin-Yoku Session in Gion, Kyoto

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森

森の心・人の心
Journey Through Life With the Wisdom of the Forest

Event Schedule

This experience begins in the Gion area of Kyoto, where we meet at the reception hall of Hotel Gion Misen. From there, we walk together through Gion, accompanied by a local Kyoto guide, allowing the transition from city movement into stillness and presence.

Near Maruyama Park, the guided Shinrin-Yoku session with a certified guide unfolds through breath, touch, sound, and sight.

Shinrin-Yoku（森林浴), often translated as forest bathing, originated in Japan and over the years became more widely known in English as forest therapy (森林セラピー). Scientific research suggests that exposure to forest environments may help reduce stress, support the nervous system, and enhance overall well-being through direct sensory contact with the forest.

Contact: themindfultourist.net@gmail.com

In case of bad weather conditions, the session will be rescheduled for the next day, starting at the same time.

Guides:
– Milena A. Guziak. Shinrin-Yoku/Forest Therapy Guide and founder of The Mindful Tourist and Shinrin-Yoku Association, IG: @daily_meditation_journey, @shinrin_yoku_guide_trainings
– Jacopo Rosamilia, Kyoto Tour Guide, Gion Hotel Event Manager

Experience Details
– Dates: April 26 (Sun), May 2 (Sat), May 9 (Sat)
– Time: 11:00 to 15:00
– Participant number/session: limited to 10
– Registration necessary

Location
– Starting point: Hotel Gion Misen reception hall
– Route: Walking through the Gion area to a destination near Maruyama Park
– Exact details will be shared at later date

Price
– Hotel guest: 5,000 Yen per person
– Non-hotel guest: 8,000 Yen per person

What to Bring

Comfortable clothing suitable for the weather (layered is best)
Tarp to sit on (this will be provided)
Water
A small notebook or journal and pen
Any required personal medications
Open mind

What to Expect

Guided or non-guided Shinrin-Yoku sessions are not about understanding everything logically; they are about experiencing . You will be offered gentle invitations, which are simply suggestions for ways to connect with yourself and the natural world. There is no right or wrong way to participate. What matters is how it unfolds for you, in your own way and at your own time.

During the Session

During the session, many things may arise, calm or restlessness, clarity or uncertainty. You may find the pace fast or slow, your thoughts loud or your emotions deep. Whatever you feel, please know that it’s okay. It may be happening just as it needs to.

Science shows us that the forest supports relaxation in many ways. At some point, you may feel your body settle into calm. And from that calm, something may open during the session or long after it ends.

After the Session

The experience may stir something within or it may not. Both are natural. You may want to walk quietly, rest, or share with someone afterward. Sometimes clarity arrives immediately; other times, it unfolds slowly over days or weeks. Trust your own rhythm.

Please read this article if you have a moment: Why The Forest is The Therapist

What Research Indicates

Mindfulness in Nature

Mindfulness in nature can support mental well-being.
Combining mindful awareness with natural environments has been associated with reductions in stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. The presence of natural stimuli may enhance the effects of mindfulness by gently guiding attention outward.
Natural environments support attention restoration.
According to Attention Restoration Theory, exposure to nature can help replenish directed attention, reducing mental fatigue and improving focus. Soft, effortless attention — sometimes called “fascination” — allows the mind to recover from cognitive overload.
Mindfulness in nature may regulate the nervous system.
Practices that combine slow breathing, sensory awareness, and natural surroundings can support parasympathetic activation, helping the body shift toward a state of rest, recovery, and balance.
Emotional regulation may be enhanced.
Mindful awareness in natural settings can support the processing of emotions, reduce rumination, and foster a greater sense of acceptance and clarity.
Embodied awareness is strengthened.
Being present in nature encourages awareness through the senses — sight, sound, touch, and smell — supporting a more grounded, embodied experience rather than abstract thinking.

References

Kaplan, S. (1995).
The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008).
The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science.

Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., & Daily, G. C. (2012).
The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Bratman, G. N., et al. (2015).
Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. PNAS.

Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003).
The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Nature Connection

Nature connection reduces stress.
Spending time in natural environments can lower cortisol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Mood and psychological well-being improve.
Exposure to forests and green spaces is associated with reduced anxiety, depression, and mental fatigue.
Attention and cognitive functioning improve.
Natural environments help restore directed attention and reduce mental overload.
Immune system activity may increase.
Studies on forest exposure suggest that phytoncides released by trees can support immune function, including increased natural killer (NK) cell activity.
Connection with nature can be cultivated through specific pathways.
Research by Miles Richardson and colleagues identified five pathways to nature connection: contact, emotion, meaning, compassion, and beauty. These pathways help deepen people’s relationship with nature and are associated with greater well-being and pro-environmental behaviour.
Short practices can be effective.
Even brief periods of mindful attention in natural environments, such as 10–20 minutes, may contribute to measurable improvements in mood, attention, and stress reduction.
Benefits may deepen over time.
Regular practice of mindfulness in nature may support longer-term changes in well-being, including increased resilience, emotional balance, and a stronger sense of connection.

References
Li, Q. (2010). Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine.
Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology.
Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., & Daily, G. C. (2012). The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Richardson, M., et al. (2019). A measure of nature connectedness for children and adults: Validation of the Nature Connection Index. Environment and Behavior.

Grounding in Nature

Grounding can support mental and emotional well-being.
Spending time in direct contact with the natural environment — such as standing barefoot on the earth — has been associated with reduced stress levels and improved mood. Even short periods of contact may contribute to a sense of calm and regulation.
Contact with the ground may influence physiological processes.
Some studies suggest that direct skin contact with the Earth may affect electrical activity in the body, potentially supporting the regulation of circadian rhythms, reducing inflammation, and improving sleep quality.
Grounding may support the nervous system.
Being barefoot on natural surfaces, combined with slow breathing and sensory awareness, can activate the parasympathetic nervous system — the body’s “rest and restore” response — helping to reduce physiological arousal.
Attention and sensory awareness are enhanced.
Grounding invites awareness of physical sensations — temperature, texture, pressure — which can anchor attention in the present moment and reduce rumination or overthinking.

References

Chevalier, G., Sinatra, S. T., Oschman, J. L., Sokal, K., & Sokal, P. (2012).
Earthing: Health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons. Journal of Environmental and Public Health.

Clancy, R. L., et al. (2015).
Earthing (grounding) the human body reduces blood viscosity. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008).
The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science.

Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018).
The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review. Environmental Research.

Guided Nature Connection Session

WHAT

What are guided nature connection sessions?

Guided SY/nature connection sessions are structured experiences designed to help participants intentionally reconnect with the natural world. In everyday life many people move quickly through outdoor environments without consciously engaging with them. These sessions create a space where participants can slow down, shift their attention, and begin to notice the living environment around them more fully.

Guided sessions are typically facilitated by a trained guide who provides guidance rather than instruction, allowing participants to explore their own experiences while feeling supported within a safe and respectful environment. The intention is not to teach participants about nature in a purely informational way, but rather to create conditions to experience nature directly and personally.

By creating opportunities for attentive presence in a variety of places , guided sessions can help participants rediscover feelings of belonging, appreciation, and connection.

WHY

Why do we need guided nature connection sessions?

Many people today spend most of their time indoors and in structured environments: offices, classrooms, homes, and digital spaces. Urbanization, demanding schedules, and constant exposure to technology have significantly reduced everyday contact with natural environments. As a result, many individuals experience what researchers describe as a growing disconnection from nature.

Studies in environmental psychology and public health suggest that reduced contact with nature is associated with higher levels of stress, mental fatigue, and reduced well-being. At the same time, people who feel less connected to nature are often less likely to engage in behaviors that support environmental protection and sustainability.

Guided sessions respond to this challenge by creating intentional opportunities for people to slow down and re-engage with the natural world. Through simple, sensory-based invitations—such as noticing sounds, observing natural patterns, or quietly reflecting in a natural setting—participants can begin to restore their attention, reduce stress, and experience a sense of calm and presence.

WHERE

Where can these sessions take place?

Guided SY/nature connection sessions can take place in a wide range of environments, including:

forests and woodland areas
parks and botanical gardens
riversides, lakes, or coastal areas
mountains or rural landscapes
urban green spaces
school campuses or university gardens

Even small green spaces can support meaningful experiences when attention is directed toward noticing nature.

Importantly, these sessions are not limited to wild landscapes. Nature connection practices can be facilitated almost anywhere—even close to home, in hospital settings, rehabilitation centers, prisons, workplaces, or other built environments. In such places, connection may occur through simple elements such as plants, natural light, sounds of birds, views of the sky, or small natural objects.

The key is not the size of the landscape but the quality of attention and the intention to notice and relate to nature.

HOW

How are these sessions conducted?

Guided SY/nature connection sessions are often structured around the Five Pathways to Nature Connection: contact, emotion, meaning, compassion, and beauty. Through gentle invitations, participants are encouraged to notice and engage with nature in different ways.

Contact – Participants directly engage with nature through their senses, for example by walking slowly, touching tree bark, feeling the ground, or listening to natural sounds.
Emotion – Invitations encourage participants to notice how nature makes them feel, fostering appreciation, calm, gratitude, or curiosity.
Meaning – Participants reflect on their relationship with nature and how natural processes may mirror aspects of their own lives, often supported by journaling or quiet reflection.
Compassion – Participants are invited to cultivate care and respect for the living world, recognizing their role within the broader ecological community.
Beauty – Participants are encouraged to notice aesthetic qualities of nature, such as patterns, colours, light, movement, and seasonal changes.

Throughout the session, the facilitator gently guides participants while allowing freedom of experience, creating space for personal insight, connection, and reflection to emerge.

Terms & Conditions

We warmly encourage everyone to arrive 10 minutes early for our Shinrin Yoku session. This helps us start on time and honor the commitments of all participants (our intimate group will consist of up to 6 participants). Should any delays occur, we kindly ask for your understanding that the group can wait up to an additional 10 minutes at the meeting place before departing.
Our session will proceed, even if we don’t reach full capacity.
We ask that you turn your phone to airplane mode or leave it in the center.
Don’t forget to bring any essential medications (e.g., asthma inhalers, allergy medications, or EpiPens). Your guide, although First Aid trained, will not be responsible for administering your medication.
For your peace of mind, you are required to have insurance coverage.
We gently remind you to look after your belongings. Unfortunately, we cannot be responsible for any loss or damage.
Your safety is our priority; hence, in the event of adverse weather conditions, the guide reserves the right to reschedule the session to a more suitable time or change the location. You may choose either of the two options.
We understand that plans can change; however, refunds cannot be provided for cancellations or no-shows. Transferring your session to a friend or to another available date is, of course, an option.
If there are any special needs or concerns you think we should be aware of, please reach out to us at themindfultourist.net@gmail.com. Your comfort and safety are important to us.
We hope everyone can maintain a respectful and considerate attitude toward each other’s personal space throughout our time together.
Let’s all show our respect and love for the natural environment by adhering to Leave No Trace principles.
Please refrain from smoking and drinking during the session.
To avoid any discomfort, we suggest using the restroom before our session begins.
By joining the session, you agree to release and hold harmless all involved parties from any liability arising from unforeseen incidents, as we all wish for a safe experience.
Please wear comfortable, appropriate clothing and sturdy, closed-toe footwear to ensure your comfort and safety on our forest trails. Long socks and trousers are strongly encouraged. You may not be permitted to attend the session at the guide’s discretion.
We all share the responsibility for our safety and well-being, as well as that of our companions and our guide.
The guide is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being and will act in accordance with her expertise should any concerns arise due to non-compliance with these terms and conditions.

By choosing to join this guided Shinrin-yoku session w, you’re signalling that you’ve taken the time to read and understand terms and conditions, how to prepare for the session, and that you’re willing to respect and adhere to CO-RESPONSIBILITY, CO-BEING & CO-EXPERIENCING principles during the session and you release your guide from any medical cost if anything is to happen during the session. We truly appreciate your cooperation and am excited to share this experience with you.

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