Hey there Reader,

I send a lot of emails about slowing down, reconnecting with nature, supporting your nervous system, and finding your rhythm again.

And most of the time, when I write about those things, I’m really writing about us.

About the all too common human experience of getting overwhelmed, feeling overextended, ending up overstimulated, and then trying to find our way back to a sense of calm/sanity. 😅

But today, I thought I’d share something a little different.

Since I’ve been in more of a behind the scenes season, I’m sharing three random things about me. Not because they’re especially impressive or dramatic, but because I think they give you a better sense of who I am, why I do this work, and what I’m still learning right alongside you.

Ready?

Ok - here we go...

1. I am not naturally zen. 🧘‍♀️

I feel like I should say this first because I know “Forest Bathing Guide” may conjure a very specific image.

Like maybe I spend my days floating through the woods in a linen dress, whispering to moss, fully regulated at all times.

Despite how amazing that sounds, I do not.

I am a real person with a real nervous system, a family, a business, a calendar, health "stuff", bills, responsibilities, and a brain that can absolutely turn one small task into a 47-tab research spiral. 🤓😬😣

Nature has become such an important part of my life not because I’m naturally calm, but because I’m NOT.

I need places where I don’t have to perform. I need practices that help me come back to my body. I need reminders that I am not a machine and that the world is bigger than whatever problem my brain is currently fixated on.

That’s part of why I love this work so much. It's less about guiding people toward some perfect state of peace I have personally mastered and more about creating spaces where you don’t have to be impressive, productive, polished, or “healed” to belong.

2. I love structure, but I do not love being bossed around by my own life.

This is a funny little contradiction in me.

I love a plan. I love a good framework. I love knowing where we’re going and what we’re doing and what happens next.

And also, the moment something starts feeling too rigid, too performative, or too disconnected from real life, I want out.

Maybe that’s why I care so much about creating spaces that feel supportive without becoming another set of rules. I don’t want wellness to feel like another system you’re failing at. I don’t want nature connection to feel like homework. I don’t want rest to become one more thing you’re supposed to optimize.

But I also know that most of us (including myself) need some kind of container. A time on the calendar, a practice to return to, a prompt to guide us. A reason to step away from the scroll, the to do list, or the noise - long enough to hear ourselves again.

So much of my work is about finding that balance. Enough structure to support you. Enough space to let you breathe.

3. I am kind of obsessed with watching people soften outside.

Not in a weird way. But also… kind of in a weird way.

After guiding hundreds of hours of Forest Bathing and Nature Therapy walks, one of my favorite things is watching what happens when people realize they don’t have to do anything impressive.

They don’t have to hike to the summit. They don’t have to identify the tree. They don’t have to meditate correctly. They don’t have to say something profound. They don’t have to be good at being outside.

They can just arrive. And then, little by little, something shifts.

People start noticing tiny things, shoulders might drop, breathing changes, pace slows. When things gets quiet - both internally and externally - often we start to remember something. Maybe it's something we didn’t realize they were carrying, maybe it's that we realize we haven't looked at nature with this much curiosity since we were eight.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.

Because every time it happens, it reminds me that we are not as separate from the natural world as modern life wants us to believe. We are still responsive to birdsong, shade, wind, light, water, soil, and the simple relief of not having to be “on” for a little while.

So, that’s a little more about me.

This month away from public events has reminded me that slower seasons are extremely important. Not every season needs to be outward-facing. Some are for early morning walking, working behind the scenes, letting ideas come back slowly, and remembering that a pause is not the same thing as disappearing.

I’ll be back with autumn events soon. In the meantime, I’m still here, still walking, still making things, and still staying connected to summer.

And now, because this is still The Nature Brief, here’s your small invitation for the week:

A small invitation for you:​
Since it is wildly hot outside, let this be easy. Step out early, stay in the shade, look through a window, water a plant, or notice one small bit of nature from wherever you are. Let something ordinary catch your attention, then ask yourself: What’s one ordinary thing about me that deserves a little more attention too?

In Peace and Presence,
Jess 🌻

Jess Thenhaus 🌿 Nature Based Wellness Coach | NBHWC, CHHC Certified Forest & Nature Therapy Guide | ANFT 🫶Helping you cultivate presence, margin & intentionality in your life. CONNECT WITH JESS → Forwarded this email? Subscribe Here for more

🍂 Autumn Rhythm Reset is coming back (waitlist now open)​ After the spring digital detox filled so quickly, I knew I wanted to create a fall version with more time for people to plan. This 6-week women’s series will open and close with full moon bonfire circles, and include four weeks of Sunday morning autumn forest bathing in local St. Louis green spaces in between. A small-group seasonal reset for anyone craving more presence, connection, and rhythm as we move into fall. ​ 👉 Join the waitlist join the waitlist here. This will be a very small group and I expect it to fill quickly.

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