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.
** Scholarships Availalbe - Please Inquire **
GUIDE:
Elena Rios is a Cultural Practitioner, ANFT Certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide, Interdisciplinary Artist, and Wildland Fire Professional. She draws inspiration from the life of her late grandmother, Maria Rios, who was a “curandera” and a “huesera” on Tataviam/Tongva territory in the San Fernando Valley. Her journey toward deepening relationship with the healing power of trees, plants, herbs, and flowers has continued throughout her life. It has taken shape within the context of their inclusion in inter-tribal circles of learning, ceremony, dance, and song, including Danza Azteca Mexica. Elena is a former California Interagency Hotshot wildland fire professional. There, she experienced the kind of camaraderie found among operators who work on highly trained, physically fit, elite teams. Later, as an employee of a well respected tribal fire department, she received training as a Cultural Specialist from tribal elders and archeologists. This has enhanced her perspective in relationship to land and place. She also explores the cultural lens in which we may view our relationship to fire as teacher, healer, and as a necessary restorative, regenerative sacred element in the western landscape. Elena was born in California on the ancestral lands of the Tongva and Acjachemen peoples. She spent many of her formative years on Tübatulabul/Yokut territory in the foothills of Sequoia National Forest (adjacent to the Tule River Indian Reservation), where she first learned about ranch, land, and fire stewardship practices from her family. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute. She has formed and participated in cultural music, song, dance, and interdisciplinary art groups. She is a Xicana Indigena/Azteca/Mexica/Chichimeca/SW Pueblo/Inter-tribal/Scots-Irish daughter of the Americas. She is based on Chumash land in central/southern California.
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.
Optional items:
- Necessary medications, such as an EpiPen
- Journal or sketch pad