In part two of a two-part special, you’ll be transported to The High Line in NYC for a virtual walk with Brooke Mellen, a Forest Therapy guide and founder of Cultured Forest, an Art and Nature connection company here in New York City. Brooke promotes wellness in the outdoors by leading guided mindfulness walks where she introduces participants to the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, also known as Forest Bathing, a taking-in of the forest atmosphere. Forest Bathing requires that you slow down and focus in on connecting with nature, not just passing through it as a means to get to a destination. On this episode, you’ll travel along on an audio journey of sorts where you’ll get to hear what it’s like to actually be on a shinrin-yoku walk with her.
Back in early March, just before New York City went into social isolation mode to help combat the spread of Covid-19, Brooke took Melissa on a one-mile guided mindfulness walk on The High Line, the elevated greenway built on a former railway on the west side of Manhattan. The High Line has been transformed from a forgotten about space slated for demolition, to a lovely outdoor space, full of art, design and nature, not to mention one of NYC’s most popular public outdoor destinations, (especially on a budding spring day). The episode starts us off by leaving Brooke’s apartment in a busy high rise mid-town neighborhood, full of construction noises and stress and when it ends, we’ll be feeling relaxed and in touch with the sounds of birdsong amongst the birch trees down in the historic meatpacking district at the south end of the High Line.
Learn how to connect with nature wherever you are by listening in on this audio walk with Brooke. If you want to learn more about the impetus behind Cultured Forest and Brooke’s global journey learning from the masters of shinrin-yoku, be sure to go back and listen to episode 7 to get the skinny or simply head over to her website at culturedforest.com, or check out her Instagram @culturedforest.
Show Notes / Useful links:
Cultured Forest events page
The High Line in NYC
Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li