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Hi Reader,

This week, I’ve been noticing that particular kind of green that only shows up in May.

Everything feels lush and fully alive now. The sky is filled in with green leaves all bushed out and fully open, the birds are singing their hearts out and everything feels like it’s stretching toward summer.

We’re in that late spring, almost-summer threshold now (despite the temperature dips in STL this week), and I find myself really wanting to press pause and just fully be IN it.

Partly because the season is so visually beautiful, and partly because life feels very full on my end right now too.

It’s an interesting reflection I see in nature right now, all those flower buds and green leaves, there’s a busyness to it and yet, also a comfort in it too. Knowing that fullness that's emerging in my life right now is also happening outside.

And then of course, there’s the overwhelm that can also come with that fullness for me 😅

One of the things that has been holding me lately is the weekly Sunday morning time I’ve been spending outside with the women in my current Go Play Outside digital detox group.

Every Sunday morning we gather in the park for an hour and a half, and I can honestly say I didn’t realize how much I needed that time too.

There is something so simple and so powerful about meeting outside, putting phones away, slowing down, and being with other people in a more real way.

The feedback from the group has echoed that same feeling. Again and again, women have shared how much those Sunday mornings are setting the tone for their week. Starting Monday a little more grounded, rested, a little less stressed, and best of all feeling more connected to themselves and more able to hear what they actually need.

It’s such a good reminder that this kind of slow, mindful time in nature is not extra.

It gives something back that somehow creates more space for us. And maybe that’s especially worth remembering this week.

Mother’s Day can hold many things. Celebration, gratitude, tenderness, grief, complexity, longing, relief, love. Sometimes all at once.

Whatever this weekend brings up for you, I want to gently remind you that nature has room for it.​
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Your joy, your sadness, your gratitude, your ache, your memories, your not-knowing. Nature welcomes celebration, and it can hold grief too.

So whether you step outside on your own, gather with people you love, or join me for a session soon, there really is no time like the present. Nature is holding that for you too. 😉

🌿 This Week’s Invitation: Spend a Moment with What Is Being Held
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If it feels supportive, you might step outside for a few minutes and notice what in nature is holding something else.

Maybe it’s branches holding nests.
Maybe it’s stems holding blossoms.
Maybe it’s roots holding soil in place.

Simply spend a moment with that.

And if it feels available, you might notice what feels like it is holding you, too.

Maybe the ground beneath your feet. Maybe a place to sit. Maybe the air, the shade, or the simple sense of groundedness of being outside for a little while.

There’s no right way into this, and nothing you need to do with what you notice.

Just a gentle invitation to spend a moment with support as it already exists around you.

And if you’re feeling the pull to spend more intentional time outside, I have a few ways to join me this season:

🌾 Summer Threshold Forest Bathing at The Nature Institute

If you’ve been craving a deeper reset, or just a little more room to breathe, this might be just the thing.
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This session takes place at The Nature Institute, about 35 minutes from the city, and that little bit of distance is part of the medicine. The drive, the wider landscape, the wilder feel of the place... people often tell me these sessions feel like a mini day retreat.

It’s a chance to step out of the usual pace, spend time in a more spacious and peaceful landscape, and cross into summer with a little more intention.

If that sounds like just the reset you need, you can learn more here:

🌼 Gift a Private Forest Bathing Session

If you’re looking for a meaningful Mother’s Day gift, or simply a way to gather the important people in your life for some screen-free, touch-grass, actual-quality-time connection, a private forest bathing session could be a lovely fit.

This can be a beautiful gift for a mom, a family, a group of siblings, close friends, or anyone who could use a little more presence, slowness, and relational time outdoors.

🌙 After-Hours Full Moon Forest Bathing at Missouri Botanical Garden

The June and July Full Moon after-hours Forest Bathing sessions at Missouri Botanical Garden just went live this week.

If you’ve been wanting that Urban Forest Therapy-in-the-gardens-after-hours experience, don’t wait too long to register. These usually sell out, and I’ll be promoting them on socials over the weekend or early next week.

Whatever this weekend holds for you, I hope you find a little space to step outside and let yourself be met there. Happy Mother’s Day to those who are celebrating. 💐

🫶 And if your mom is no longer here, or your relationship with her is layered, complex, or tender, I hope you feel held this week by the Great Mother, the Earth herself.

She’s always tending to you.

In Peace and Presence,
🌱 Jess
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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 →

PS. Need a little nudge to pause and breathe this month? Grab my free May Moments of Presence printable—a gentle guide with 15 simple ways to slow down and reconnect. 📥 → Download For Free

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