What A Forest Knows: Forest Therapy, Cancer, and the Healing Power of Being Alive

There are some scientific studies that make you pause—not because the findings are entirely surprising, but because they put numbers and measurements around something you have felt in your bones for years.

A recently published study from Taiwan did exactly that for me. The study, A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Health Benefits of Forest Therapy for Cancer Survivors, looked at whether a guided forest therapy experience could help cancer survivors with some of the emotional and physiological burdens that can remain long after, and sometimes during, cancer treatment.

Nature Is Medicine for the Mind

From quiet walks beneath towering trees to moments of stillness beside a rambunctious river, many of us instinctively feel better after spending time in nature. But is that feeling simply anecdotal—or is there real science behind it? A comprehensive review of research suggests it's much more than a coincidence.

Forest Bathing Benefits: What Science Reveals About Nature's Healing Power

Several years ago I found myself running on empty.

Like many people, I had convinced myself that being busy meant I was being productive. My days were filled with meetings, emails, errands, and an endless stream of notifications. Even when I wasn't working, my mind was. I couldn't remember the last time I had simply sat still without reaching for my phone.

What the Forest Taught Me About Healing

After my friend's medical diagnosis, I thought I was taking him into the mountains to help him escape the reality that had become his life. Instead, I realized the forest wasn't offering an escape at all—it was gently helping him reconnect with himself and return to the life that still awaited him, one breath and one step at a time.

How the Forest Helped Name My Practice

When I first considered becoming a forest therapy guide, I knew I would eventually face the task of naming my practice. My first experience with forest bathing took place on the island of Oʻahu with two friends, where my guide’s website was simply called Forest Bathing Hawaiʻi.

While most of my own walks would happen close to home in the Santa Ynez Valley, I travel often and felt resistant to anchoring my practice to a specific place or region. Even using Santa Barbara or California in the title felt limiting—too fixed for a practice rooted in movement, relationship, and presence.