Forest Bathing: Second Sundays at Sunset

Program Details

Join a rotating roster of guides, all certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, on the second Sunday of each month for a gently guided Forest Bathing experience at the Arboretum.

Participants are led through a grounding sensory practice followed by a series of thoughtful invitations that encourage personal exploration and connection with the more-than-human world. After each invitation, the group gathers to share reflections, and the experience concludes with a shared herbal tisane.

Timed to coincide with sunset, this slow, meditative practice offers a peaceful close to the weekend, supporting stress regulation and deeper connection with self, community, and the natural world. This class is recommended for ages 12 and up.

What Is Forest Bathing:
Forest Bathing is a research-based wellness practice inspired by the Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku. It supports healing through guided, sensory immersion in nature, shown to reduce stress, strengthen immune function, lower cortisol levels, reduce blood pressure, improve mood and improve mental clarity. By slowing down and engaging all of our senses, Forest Bathing encourages participants to engage all of their senses, deepening presence and fostering a more reciprocal, restorative relationship with the natural world.

Class Details:
-Bring comfortable layers of clothing in preparation for the temperature shift that occurs after sundown and into the night.
-Apply sunscreen and insect repellent as needed.
-Bring a small blanket, towel, cushion, mat to sit on for portions of the experience.
-Silence your phone.

Day of Details:
-Meet your guide at the Main Entrance at the Arboretum.
-Check-in begins 15 minutes prior to class start time.
-Due to the meditative nature of the class, late arrivals will not be allowed to join the class as it is disruptive to the experience.

Cancellation/Reschedule/Refund Policy:

Cancellations or reschedules must be requested in advance of one week prior to the program start date in order to qualify for a refund or reschedule. Cancellations or reschedules requested within 7 days of the class start date will not qualify for a refund or reschedule. The Arboretum does not offer credit or reschedules for tardiness or missed classes. If you are unable to cancel within the required refund window, please consider your program fee a donation to the garden. Your registration confirms your understanding of and agreement with this policy. 

About Our Guides

Debra Wilbur is an ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide, a UCLA/Marc-trained Mindfulness Meditation Instructor, sound healing practitioner, Usui Reiki Master.  She weaves together these practices along with her interests in astrology, ritual and ceremony to create a singular nature-based immersion aimed at quieting the mind and body, easing stress, freeing the imagination, and creating community among strangers.

Website: www.insideoutimmersion.com

Email: debra@insideoutimmersion.com

IG: @insideoutimmersion

Dr. Novellyn Heard is an ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide, bird watcher, meditator, and retired mental health professional. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard Medical School. Through forest immersion practices, she helps herself and others relax, connect with nature, and improve well-being. 

Deborah Ackrich is a certified Nature & Forest Bathing Practitioner through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT). As a longtime resident in the Santa Monica Mountains, she deeply values the importance of a healthy relationship with nature, known as “the more-than-human world”. Her passion is to share the healing practice of Forest Bathing, helping people reconnect with nature’s rhythms, experience wholeness, and recognize the interconnectedness that calls us to care for our Earth and all its beings.

IG: @heart_felt_nature_therapy

Email: debackrich@gmail.com