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Creatures of Habitat
Comox Valley BC, Canada
EXPLORE RECONNECT REMEMBER
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Creatures of Habitat
Nature and Forest Therapy
Feel Your Home in Nature...
Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness.
~ Eckhart Tolle, Stillness Speaks
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For the body, mind, and spirit
Rooted in the foundations of The Association of Nature & Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT) our Creatures of Habitat Nature Therapy Programs are designed to reflect similar missions and values. Strongly oriented around relationship and reciprocity, we strive to provide a safe and inclusive environment where participants are encouraged to immerse themselves in the pleasures of Nature, to benefit from the medicines naturally present in our natural environments and to, even more importantly, help strengthen the connection they share with the More-Than-Human World, "helping them fall in love and take good care of the world in such a way that it benefits all beings".
The practice of nature and forest therapy is really quite simple, yet its effects can vary to profound. For some participants one of our walks may simply serve as a delightful retreat into nature (and away from the stress/ busyness of life), while for others the effects may be reminiscent of those gained through other mindful practices such as meditation, tai chi, or yoga, where the simplicity of moving slow in the present moment acts as a doorway to a place for calm and healing. In any case, every person's experience will be unique and their own.
A nature therapy walk can be enjoyed in any natural setting and is generally 2-3 hours in duration. Over the course of the walk participants are gently encouraged, through a series of invitations, to simply slow down and connect through all their senses with the natural world that surrounds them.
Although we meet and practice as a group, some may consider nature therapy to be more of a solo practice. That is, while there are many opportunities for sharing amongst the group, it is during those other times - our times of solitude and exploration - when we can truly harness the deeper benefits of this practice.
So come, breathe in the fresh air, reconnect with your roots, and bathe your senses in an environment that is naturally REVITALIZING...and beautiful.
Nature. Nature soothes, nature heals, and nature reconnects us with ourselves and with the world (Human and More-Than-Human!). It IS truly therapeutic: for the body, mind, and spirit!
*Please SCROLL down for a brief description of our two main programs: Forest Bathing and Intertidal Immersion
Forest Bathing
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Join me for a wander into one of our most treasured natural ecosystems, the enchanted forest. Move slow... sit still... or lay under the canopy of one of its gentle giants...
BREATHE in the forest's natural medicines. EXPLORE with all your senses… CONNECT with Nature and REMEMBER: we (humans) evolved in wild places such as this one, among the great trees and in community with the More-Than-Human-World...
Reconnect and feel your home in Nature.
Cost: 15/30/45$ per person (see Pricing)
Duration: 2 1/2 hours
Group Size: Maximum 5 (including guide)
Creatures of Habitat
Nature Therapy Programs
Intertidal Immersion
Here, we take the mindful practice of forest bathing to where the waters ebb and flow, and two worlds meet and overlap...
Come, immerse yourself, with all of your senses, into the unique qualities of this rich and wonderous place called the intertidal zone.
Experience this natural setting in a way that perhaps you haven't before... Rediscover the connection we all share with this watery world, and feel its benefits - on your body, mind, and spirit!
Not to worry - no actual bathing is required, although you never know how it may move you!
Cost: 15/30/45$ per person (see Pricing)
Duration: 2 1/2 hours
Group Size: Maximum 5 (including guide)
*Dates / times for Intertidal Immersion sessions have been set to coincide with the lowest tides of the month. Please see Calendar of Events.
Your Guide
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Welcome!
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My name is Vicki Petrie and I am so very excited for the upcoming season, for the air to get warmer, to get out into nature more regularly again, and to share the trail and this beautiful practice with other like-minded nature-beings like myself - other Creatures of Habitat.
Until my training to become a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, I had not truly realized the full extent to which nature affects us (humans): our physiology, our psyche, and our spirit. The simple slowing down, for one, is in itself so very powerful… (as it regulates our body systems, promotes healing…), but then adding in the splendors of Nature: its sights, sounds, smells, the feel of the air on your body, face, hands, …maybe an encounter with a small Being… The natural world is just so incredible!
As a child, growing up on the ocean surrounded in forest, I spent most of my time with Nature. It was my playground and also my friend. With a deep passion for ocean life, I studied marine biology in University which led me to my first work as a biologist/ educator. It wasn't long before I began raising a family but, once my youngest was well established in school, I went back to University to get my teaching degree - so that I might share the gifts I, for so long, yearned to share with others - the things I was so passionate about...
Now, through my work as a wildlife guide and as a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, I am so happy to offer the greatest gift of all: the beautiful and bountiful gift of Nature and the profound benefits that come from being IN it and connecting WITH it!
Please take your time to browse this website fully, to find out more about the practice of Nature Therapy, the Programs we offer, and how you can join me.
May the forest be with you, as you seas each moment!
Your Guide, Vicki
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Nature Therapy
Why?
Since the beginning of (our) time we humans have known the value of nature in its capacity for improving our lives. Nature provided everything for the First People including raw materials for all their day-to-day needs (building homes, clothing, containers for storing/cooking food, tools, implements…), as well as the rich lands and seas where they hunted and gathered their foods and medicines. Nature was highly respected and highly revered, managed closely, and considered sacred.
Today, many of us still recognize the value of nature, of eating organic and whole foods, using natural (body care/cleaning) products, spending time outside… Generally, there seems to be a consensus that ‘natural’ equates with ‘healthy’. However, I think many of us have forgotten the extent to which we truly are connected with nature, and how enmeshed our wellbeing is with the health of the natural world we live in. We seem to have forgotten that we evolved in nature, among the trees and in community with the ‘More-Than-Human-World’, and that we have an innate kinship with this natural world that our bodies and hearts remember, even if we consciously may not. This weakened relationship has sadly, yes, led to the mismanagement and mistreatment of our natural world, BUT ALSO it has prevented us from recognizing an incredible opportunity… right in front of us, and all around us… That is: to harness the FULL benefits of spending time in nature. The physical benefits, and also those that come from remembering and rebuilding the reciprocal and loving relationship we once had with our natural world. Nature and Forest Therapy was conceived with these purposes in mind.
Nature and Our Health
After decades of study, the correlation between human health and exposure to nature is unmistakable. Further, it is found that spending time in nature is particularly beneficial for those with:
Depression/Anxiety
ADHD
Cardiovascular Disease
Respiratory Illness
Autoimmune Disorder
Musculoskeletal Complaints
Cancer
Infectious Disease
5 BIG Ways Nature and Forest Therapy Benefit the Body, Mind, and Spirit:
1 Relaxes Mind and Body
By simply removing oneself from the stresses of day-to-day life and activities, the body relaxes and works to move back toward its natural state of healthy equilibrium. The sympathetic system (fight or flight response) is replaced by the parasympathetic system (rest/digest) where breathing/heart rates decrease, vessels dilate, digestion is triggered, stress hormone levels reduce, and the immune system is restored. In this calmed state body systems can function properly, and any healing that is needed can occur.
The mind also relaxes when exposed to natural settings and images. Clarity is increased and also the mind's capacity for concentration and focus. Rumination (when a person gets stuck in the same thoughts, turning them over and over in their mind), which often accompanies states of anxiety and depression, has also been found to be lessened by spending time in nature.
2 Exposure to Trees and Plants Boosts the Human Immune System
All plants, and especially coniferous trees, produce and emit special substances called phytoncides, to protect themselves from funguses etc. When we (humans) breath in these phytoncides, special white blood cells called Natural Killer (NK) cells are released in OUR bodies. These are VERY important constituents of our immune system as it is their job to seek out and rid the body of serious threats such as tumor cells and viruses. So, the immune system of the trees helps boost OUR immune system!! Talk about CONNECTION and talk about THERAPY! This is where the term 'Forest Bathing' came from – we are literally bathing in phytoncides – the forest’s medicine.
3 Reduces Stress
Research has shown that by immersing oneself in nature (without exercise or other unrelated stimuli such as social media , phone calls, conversations, or reading) it can have a significant effect on the level of stress hormones in our bodies. Spending at least 20 to 30 minutes was associated with the biggest drop in cortisol levels.
4 Exposure to Fresh Air and Natural Light/Sun
Breathing fresh air has a positive impact on the physical and mental health of a person as it: reduces the workload on the heart, maintains and raises oxygen levels in the blood, cleans up the airways and the lungs, triggers the release of seratonin (improving mood, sleep patterns, immune system...), makes a person more energetic...
Exposure to the sun and to natural light is important as it prevents / protects against SAD, improves brain function, heals skin disorders, improves mood, can cure depression, improves sleep prevents vitamin D deficiency, promotes bone health, regulates vital calcium levels... ...!
5 As a Mindful Practice
By slowing down and turning our attention to the details of our natural surroundings, our minds/bodies calm, we become grounded in the Present moment, and we naturally experience a feeling of improved spiritual wellbeing.m a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
So, if you have ever experienced that improved feeling of wellness after spending time in nature, now you know why. It is not in your head or a cliché without merit. You feel better because you are (getting) better!
For more information check out these other great articles:
Canadian Geographic - Using nature as medicine
CBC - Forest Therapy viable option to deal with pandemic stress, guide says
Echopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health
Forest Bathing
Its ROOTS
The practice of Forest Therapy first began in Japan in the 1980s as a way to address a serious health crisis that was coinciding with the technology boom of this time. You see, traditionally an agrarian (farming) nation, the shift to technology brought significant lifestyle changes to the people of Japan, moving their work indoors and into highly stressful conditions (in a race for productivity). Seeing a large spike in cancers and autoimmune disease, the government acted by launching a National Program: the practice of Shinrin Yoku (translated as ‘Forest Bathing’). With special trails set up in forested parks this program had two aims 1) to encourage the people to spend more time outdoors and 2) to create ‘outdoor labs’, so to speak, where trained medical professionals and scientists could collect data and properly study the effects of nature on human health.
Read more about Nature and Our Health here.
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**Please be sure to include in your email the program / date you are interested in. I will be sure to get back to you promptly to ensure your spot!
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my son Liam Petrie for designing the Creatures of Habitat logo, to my sister Caryn Stroh and good friend Christie Jeffers for providing me with their honest and incredibly supportive feedback as I worked to create this site, and last but not least to both Christie Jeffers and my incredible partner Andrew Young for contributing such beautiful photographs to the site's Photo Gallery.