Family Forest Walk
Exploring your senses
Each animal has a dominant sense that determines its lifestyle and how it interacts with the world. Humans with our eyes mounted on the front of a flat face, are set up for a life based on vision. On this walk, awaken all your senses. After all, our senses never turn off, our brain patterns only filter what we pay attention to.
Experience a sensory adventure in the forest with an Animal Senses Forest Walk. But before you start I invite you to form a circle with your group or if you are alone find a spot that calls out to you. Now invite everyone to say aloud something they feel thankful for.
The 3 rules of the circle of thanks are:
1. Speak from your heart. Try not to think to much about what you will say, trust that you will know what is important to say at the right time.
2. Listen from your heart. Leave judgement and your own opinions out of the circle. There is no need to comment on what others have said.
3. If you would rather quietly think to yourself what you are thankful for that is ok too!
Fox Walking
Have you ever hoped to be so invisible that you could sneak up on an animal? Who would like to learn how to see and get close to wildlife?
I would like to introduce to you Fox walking. Foxes are sly, quiet and careful animals.
Bend your knees a little, relax your body, and then gently step forward with one foot, toes first. If it seems like you might make noise as you are placing your toes on the earth simply lift your foot and place it elsewhere. Once your foot rests quietly on the ground, shift your weight onto that foot, and repeat with the other foot.
Hold your head nice and steady, not bobbing up and down like most people when they walk. Make sure you look up and not down at your feet.
Picture yourself as a smart fox walking carefully through the forest.
Now you try! Have a Fox walking competition. Who moves the quietest? Who moves the slowest? Who moves quickly but still remains quiet?
Pause and observe your surroundings. What is in motion around you? Let your curiosity drive you to slow down and pay attention to nature’s movement. Use your Owl eyes and pick up the tiniest bit of motion. Swivel your head and turn your body in a slow circle, like an owl making only the slightest movement. Now zoom in and observe things up close. Look down, up and all around to get a full view of everything taking place. Remember to move slowly and quietly like an Owl in the forest.
Listen to the nature sounds surrounding you. Deer have acute hearing abilities. Deer ears have huge bulging muscles that can turn about like satellite dishes to focus on different sounds. Try making your own Deer ears by cupping your hands behind your ears and turn your head to find different sounds. Imagine yourself as a Deer, using your keen hearing to explore your environment. Take note of the quietest and loudest sounds, as well as those that are closest and farthest away. Are there sounds that interact together? Can you hear anything communicating? If it feels right for you, close your eyes for a few minutes and count on your hands how many different sounds can you detect?
Extend your tongue and try to taste the air, like an anteater that grabs a variety of ants and termites with its narrow, spaghetti-like tongue. Catch a whiff of the essential oils that plants and trees exude to communicate with their relatives and ward off predators. Give your palate a workout, trying to taste every quirky, interesting flavor.
Did you know that bears have one of the best noses in the animal kingdom? Pause and take a minute to contemplate what smells nature may be offering you in this moment. Do you smell differently with a long breath or with short quick sniffs? Can you smell better on your hands and knees closer to the ground? Through a bear’s perspective, think about what it would be like to roam this trail, sniffing out decaying logs, excavating moist earth, and foraging for grubs amid moss and twigs. What kind of smells do you notice?
Is there something in nature that calls out to you to be touched? Racoons depend on the sense of touch because their hearing and vision is poor. They use their long sensitive fingers to break into garbage cans and to feel for the food they want. Try using your racoon super touch. Feel your clothes touching your body. Feel the warm sun or cool wind on your skin. Feel your feet touching the ground.
Racoon Touch Game
Each person in the group looks for a nature object ( that is on the ground, do not harm nature) Stand in a circle and with eyes closed pass each item around the circle one at a time. When it is your turn with the object spend time with the object feeling every corner. When the object makes its way back to its owner the owner keeps the object secret while the group talks about what it was and anything interesting they would like to share about it. Then it is the next persons turn to pass around their object.
Now try to let all your animal senses come alive all together at the same time. How long can you pay attention like a wild animal?
Gratitude Gift
I invite you to create a gift of gratitude for something in your life you feel grateful for. It can be a person, a place, an experience, a feeling, to mother nature. Build it in a place you are called to. Please remember to not harm nature. After you have completed your gratitude gift if you feel comfortable show the group your creation and share the story of what inspired your gratitude.
Forest Therapy Guiding 