I first met Yara at Camp Wildfire back in 2017 when she was working with the Woodland Trust - thanks to her we planted 10 acres of new woodland. We met a couple more times at Camp Wildfire again, where I joined in with her bushcraft workshops which I LOVED!

Earlier this year I saw through her social media that she was delivering some Forest bathing sessions in Buckinghamsire. As part of my schools Adult Mental Health and Environment Teams, I thought this could be perfect for some of our staff to get out into the woodlands for an hour and try something new.

We met in Langley Park and spent about 1.5 hours outside. Yara was fantastic! We were encouraged to explore our surroundings and pay close attention to our senses, feeling, smelling, hearing, seeing and even tasting! (Did you know pine leaves taste like citrus and are full of goodness?)

As it got darker, our senses became even more switched on as we had to follow the sound of Yara's flute back to our meeting spot where we learned about the science behind how trees communicate with each other, how the bacteria in the outdoors supports a healthy microbiome and the neurobiology behind how trees and woodlands can help our bodies immune systems. Yara is incredibly knowledgable and passionate about her work which really captured the imaginations of our group.

We managed to stumble our way back to the cars (without torches) feeling relaxed, calm and refreshed!

My colleagues all messaged me the next morning telling me what a fantastic time they had, and how relaxed they still felt. One is excited to try out the hammocks on our next outing!

10/10 we are already planning our next one!