Forest Walks: The Other Plant Medicine
By Matt Colaciello | February 28, 2024
Being present in nature holds the potential for profound healing of our greatest psychological and systemic ills. This healing is as ancient as humanity itself, rooted in our evolutionary past, and essential to our individual present and collective future.
The Forest as Teacher
Indigenous cultures, the world over, tend to recognize something that those of us who grew up in settler colonial cultures are only recently beginning to remember: the natural world is not just a landscape, a background to the human world, but a complex, living network of beings in relationship—a network of which we are a part whether we acknowledge it or not. In this way, the forest offers essential lessons on living reciprocally and sustainably at a time when most humans have internalized the extractive, one-sided behaviors of unmitigated capitalism. By engaging with these teachings, we can start healing ourselves and the systems we've created, moving towards a future where humans and more than human life can thrive again together.
Presence is the First Step
Our erasure of the experiences of other species from our daily consciousness has led to a profound disconnection, not just from the ecosystems that sustain us, but from our own innate place within the family of life. Offering our presence is the first step we must take in rebuilding a reciprocal relationship to the more than human world. The act of presence is not passive; it is an active engagement, a sensing with all of our senses, an offering made with an open heart. By undoing the erasure of nature within our own consciousness, we reconstruct our ability to sense a living reality that has long been denied. Environmental advocacy must be rooted in this awareness but our survival depends on more than that; our very worldview must be transformed. We cannot heal what we do not even notice.
The Medical Benefits of Forest Walks
Studies have consistently shown that time spent in the forest can lead to measurable benefits for both physical and mental health, including reduced stress levels, improved mood, enhanced cognitive function, and a stronger immune response. These benefits are not just the result of exposure to a pleasant environment. They stem from a deep, evolutionary bond between humans and the natural world. It's a relationship built into our DNA. For most of human history, wild environments were our home, providing us with food, shelter, medicine, and meaning. The forest's unpredictability and inherent risks call us to a state of heightened awareness and presence, grounding us in the moment and reinforcing our connection to the earth. This blend of danger and splendor enriches our experience, teaching us respect for nature's complexities and fostering a deeper, more engaged relationship with the world around us. And that, it turns out, is good for your health.
How to Take a Mindful Forest Walk in 8 Easy Steps
The ability to connect with nature is always available to us but often goes unnoticed. Walking mindfully in the forest is an opportunity to notice and offer presence. Here's a step-by-step method to help you take yourself on a mindful walk in the forest:
1) Preparation: Before entering the forest, take a moment to set an intention for your walk. This could be seeking clarity, healing, or simply being open to the teachings the forest has to offer on that day.
2) Entering: As you step into the forest, allow yourself to feel the more-than-human systems alive around you. Acknowledge that you are making time to do something that contemporary humans rarely make time to do. This is not a just a walk in the woods, it’s a pilgrimage to Prime Habitat, the world beyond the human world. Even if you aren’t entering a perfectly pristine old growth forest, allow yourself to feel the preciousness of any habitat where you can feel the presence of more-than-human systems.
3) Offering Presence: In basic meditation, we allow our focus to be on the breath. It’s not a tense focus. It’s simply noticing that you’re breathing. On your walk in the forest, offer this focus not only to your breath but to all of your senes. Cycle through each of them, noticing the sights, sounds, sensations, and scents you experience. Then widen your focus to acknowledge the presence of each being you encounter, from the smallest insects to the tallest trees.
4) Returning from Distraction: When you notice your mind running away, exhale and come back to presence. No criticism. No analysis. Just come back. Grounding by focusing on your own breathing can be helpful. A useful mantra is “There will be time for that. Right now is the time for this.”
5) Encountering Other Humans: When other people walk by during your walk, acknowledge them. Not in a performative way. Simply offer them whatever presence you have to offer them as they offer you whatever presence they have to offer you; it may be none and that’s okay. As an additional contemplation, notice how they are engaging the forest. Many humans behave in the forest as they behave in the mall, the supermarket, or a cafe. Notice this and then let it go. Right now is the time for forest.
6) Contemplations: Along your walk, you find yourself wishing to add an additional contemplative component to your experience. Here are some contemplations you may find helpful. Remember to return to your senses during and between contemplations. The goal is to stay present with the forest.
Contemplation of Trees: As you wander beneath their towering forms, allow yourself to reflect on the enduring resilience and wisdom of trees. Observe their rootedness, their reach towards the sky, and consider how they adapt and thrive through seasons and storms. Contemplate their silent witness to time's passage, providing shelter and sustenance to countless beings. Let their presence remind you of the interconnectedness of all life, inspiring a deep sense of belonging and peace within the web of existence.
Contemplation of Intelligence: Notice the intelligence of the forest. Observe how plants, animals, and the elements support and sustain each other, harmony among diversity. Contemplate how the organization of the forest reflects the character of its intelligence. Where does its intelligence come from? Does it have a center? Contemplate the relationship of your own intelligence to forest intelligence. Let this awareness deepen your appreciation for the forest's wisdom and inspire you to access its intelligence in yourself.
Contemplation of Landcestors: If you live in a settler colonial society, like those in North America, you may not be descended from the original inhabitants of the land. What's more, your ancestors may have been involved in the displacement and genocide of those original inhabitants. Nevertheless, you live on the land of these people. As you walk, offer them your presence, acknowledge their history, their world, their deep connection to this place. Allow yourself to recognize that this was a peopled ecosystem, a place with homes, families, cultures, and languages that came into being in relationship with this land. Offer recognition of the violence that was done to them. Try to feel the echoes of it all around you, each layer of their history, as much as you can imagine it. Could you see these people as your “landcestors”, the ancestors of this place? How could you make yourself worthy of living on this, their land?
Contemplation of Interbeing: Reflect on the profound truth that every life form on this planet, including us, is descended from the same single-celled organisms, which in turn arose from the elements themselves. Prime habitat is a sibling, a relative, a longtime friend to our species. And we are that to it. Like siblings, we may be different but we share the same evolutionary lineage and our growth together over the eons contributed to who and what each of us is today. As you move through this living landscape, consider the ways in which your life is intertwined with the lives of the forest's inhabitants. Reflect on the exchange of breath between you and the trees, the shared journey of water through your bodies and the earth, and the mutual influence you have on each other's existence. You are because everything else is. Let this realization fill you with a sense of kinship with the more than human world.
7) Reflective Pause: Find a comfortable spot to sit or stand still for a while. Reflect on your intention and any thoughts or emotions that have arisen during your walk. Observe what unfolds in one place in the forest over a few minutes. Stay with your senses. Keep offering whatever presence you can.
8): What You Carry Home: As your mindful walk comes to a close and you prepare to re-enter the human-dominated world, take a moment to contemplate what you carry back from the forest. The forest offers gifts that extend beyond the boundaries of its terrain. These experiences and reflections can transform not just how you view the natural world, but also how you engage with your own life and the community around you. Let the peace, wisdom, and connectedness you've experienced in the forest infuse your daily actions, relationships, and decisions. Carry the forest's teachings back into the human dominated world, nurturing a life that honors and reflects the deep connections you've rekindled today.
Guided Forest Walks
Interested in experiencing one of the forest walks I regularly lead in Florida? Learn more here.
About the Author
Matt Colaciello is a holistic coach and educator, specializing in integrating mindfulness, spirituality, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to support personal growth and mental health. With a diverse background that spans global human rights advocacy, Buddhist monastic training, and environmental policy, his approach is rooted in compassion and tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual.
