The importance of our relationship to land, plants, and place is rooted in ancestral Indigenous Knowledge all over the world. Experience an integrative mindfulness practice that honors this ancestral wisdom. You will be given directions, in the form of an invitation, to assist you in slowing down, relaxing, and observing with all of your senses. It is a kind of nervous system reset that has the potential to remind us of the Interconnection of All Things and our relationship to the Earth. You may begin to notice things in a way that you may never have noticed them before. Experience the holistic health benefits of Forest Bathing such as enhanced immunity, lowered blood pressure, lowered cortisol concentrations, increased focus, enhanced creativity, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system to support your body in engaging its own restorative processes. You are the medicine. Tu eres la medicina. The event ends with a sharing of tea and some healthy snacks.
Elena Rios is an ANFT Certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, Interdisciplinary Artist, Cultural Practitioner, and Wildland Fire Professional
** Scholarships Availalbe - Please Inquire **
GUIDE:
Elena Rios is a Native Californian, who presently makes her home on the ancestral land of the Chumash peoples. She is a Nahua (Azteca Mexica) indigenous woman of the Americas with mixed ancestry. With an ongoing interest in plant medicine, she draws inspiration from stories of her late grandmother, Maria Rios, to whom folks in the neighborhood came for basic natural healing services in Sylmar, CA during the 1930’s & 1940’s. She is an ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Guide, Interdisciplinary Artist, and Facilitator. Holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute, she is the author, artist, and illustrator of Mitohtiancalli – The House of the Dancer. Spending the majority of her early adulthood as a Wildland Firefighter, she worked on such specialized crews as U.S. Forest Service Interagency Hotshots. At present, she is a CWN employee of the Chumash Fire Department. She has experienced and witnessed the healing power of the Native American sweat lodge, and as the child of a Korean War Veteran, she strives to assist in offering opportunities for building support for Veterans and active military personnel through these ways. Also playing a part in helping to coordinate indigenous circles of learning rooted in the structure and ways passed down by elders and teachers of the past.
Please:
- Avoid strong perfumes, as they can affect sensory perception of smells in nature
- Leave your dog at home
What to Bring
For comfort:
- Insect repellent
- Layered clothing
- Water and snacks
- Closed-toe walking shoes
- You will be invited to sit on the ground at times. There may (or may not) be chairs or benches. It may (or may not) be damp in certain places. Some people like to bring something to sit on like a “lightweight folding camping stool”, a “sit-upon”, a yoga mat, or a towel that is easy to carry. Some people don’t bring anything at all. It is up to you.
For enjoyment:
- Binoculars
- Journal or sketch pad
- Plant Identification app
Personal items:
- Portable phone charger
- Necessary medications, such as an EpiPen