Experience ‘Forest Bathing’ For Yourself at Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary
The pace of modern life can leave us disconnected—from the earth, from each other, and from ourselves. At Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary, we believe the forest offers a pathway home to clarity, calm, and deep presence. We’re passionate about bridging the divide between humans and nature, so that every person can tap into their innate harmony, empowerment, and ability to love.
That’s why we’re OVER THE MOON to introduce our newest offering: Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku!)
✨ Shinrin Yoku: The Science of Nature Immersion
Slow your mind, listen to your body, and harmonize with nature through Shinrin Yoku, the ancient Japanese wellness practice of Forest Bathing—fully immersing oneself in nature through the senses.
Guided through gentle sensory invitations and contemplation questions inspired by nature therapy, you’ll reconnect with your surroundings through sight, sound, scent, taste, touch, and breath. With each step, each pause, each breath, you open yourself to a deeper sense of presence and peace.
What You’ll Experience with ‘Forest Bathing’
1. Opening Circle, Intention Setting & Guided Gratitude Walk
We begin by slowing down together, arriving fully in our bodies and the forest.
Intention setting activates the prefrontal cortex and helps gently quiet mental noise. Beginning with presence can shift the
nervous system towards a sense of safety, setting the foundation for deep connection later in the experience.
2. Guided Sensory Awareness Exploration
You’ll explore the forest through gentle invitations that awaken sight, sound, scent, touch, taste, and breath.
Forest Therapy is rooted in sensory immersion because when the senses awaken, the mind settles. Research shows that tuning into sensory detail increases parasympathetic activity—the “rest-and-digest” state—while lowering cortisol and heart rate. Slow sensory noticing also reconnects you to the natural rhythms your body inherently understands.
The benefits of forest bathing for each of the senses is equally profound.
When our eyes absorb sunlight in the morning, our bodies begin to rebalance their hormones.
When we take a deep inhale around forests, we breathe in phytoncides, chemical compounds that trees release. These compounds boost our immune system, and improve mood and focus!
We could keep going on and on…but we just want you to experience it for yourself, because the benefits of nature immersion are physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
3. Reflection & Journaling in the Pines + Tea Ceremony
We pause in the quiet of the pines for journaling, contemplation, and a warm tea ceremony to anchor the experience.
Reflection deepens integration and allows emotions and insights to be processed safely. Writing engages the rational and intuitive mind together, making insights more memorable and grounding.
The tea ceremony adds ritual and warmth—two things known to soothe the nervous system, enhance feelings of connection, and create a moment of communal presence!
4. Heart Awareness & Nature Mandala Co-Creation
You’ll gather fallen natural elements—leaves, petals, seeds, branches—to create a group mandala on the forest floor.
Creative play in nature reduces stress, encourages mindfulness, and rekindles a sense of wonder. Mandala-making is used across cultures as a form of meditation; it symbolizes harmony and impermanence.
Creating with fallen elements gives beauty back to the land and strengthens your sense of belonging in the ecosystem.
5. Closing Circle & Reflections
We end where we began—together—sharing insights, grounding, and gentle integration before returning to daily life
Closing rituals offer psychological completeness. They help the body understand the experience as a full cycle—opening, immersion, reflection, and return. This final moment also creates community, strengthening the social and emotional benefits that amplify the healing effects of time spent in nature.
The Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary
Nestled within the only accessible tropical montane cloud forest in the United States, the Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary is a living sanctuary of towering trees, filtered sunlight, and birdsong. Here, nature softens the nervous system and makes it easier to release stress, slow down, and return to your natural rhythm.
This is not a typical tour.
It’s a masterfully guided journey—part meditation, part sensory exploration, part quiet remembering.
A chance to simply be.
Book your experience here we can’t wait to meet you here under the gorgeous forest canopy!