Hi Reader,

I've been in a bit of a funk this week and I think I know at least part of the reason why.

I've stopped walking.

Not completely, but after being really consistent with my morning walks through June, July and early August, I've had about a week of very spotty walks.

The funny thing is, the heat finally broke. You'd think that would make me want to get outside even more, instead, something shifted.

I missed a day. Then another. I broke the streak, and for some reason I've been having a surprisingly hard time getting myself back into the stride I had going.

And I can tell...

I've been sitting more. Avoiding things I know I need (and even want) to do. Feeling less motivated and a little down, and starting to hermit more than is probably good for me. 🐢

And my body is talking to me too. My legs have started getting that restless, tingly feeling that had pretty much disappeared when I was walking consistently.

It's annoying.

Especially because I KNOW BETTER.

Maybe you know this frustration too? That thing you know makes you feel better, but for some inexplicable reason you're avoiding it anyway. Maybe yours is walking too, or going to bed earlier, calling the friend, making something, getting off your phone, going to yoga... whatever your version is.

You know how you feel when you're doing it. You know how you feel when you're not doing it. And somehow, knowing all of that still doesn't always make us do the thing. 🙃

For me, I know how much better I feel when I'm moving every day. I know getting outside helps my mood. I know my morning walks help me feel more present and connected. I've spent the last few months experiencing the difference in my own body.

And yet, here I am, apparently rebelling against myself. 🙈 Tellllll me I'm not the only one who does this!

I'm sure there's some fascinating psychoanalytical explanation for why I'm doing this, but the simpler thing I've been noticing is this:

I stopped repeating the thing that was helping me, and now it's harder to start again.

Which brings me rather perfectly (and somewhat annoyingly) to this week's...

🌿 Field Notes on Why Nature Works

Last week I wrote about how our nervous systems learn through experience, not information. Well... exhibit A. 🙋‍♀️ Knowing that walking helps me isn't currently getting my shoes on in the morning. What was helping was the rhythm I'd built.

I wasn't debating whether to walk every morning. It was simply what I did. Now that I've interrupted that rhythm, I'm realizing how much more energy it takes to begin again.

I'm all about giving ourselves grace, and I'm definitely not interested in turning nature connection into another place where we have to perform or maintain a perfect streak. But grace and noticing can exist together, and what I'm noticing is that I don't feel as good.

So I'm trying to stay curious about that instead of beating myself up about it, and find my way back to something I know helps me feel like myself.

I've seen the value of that regular rhythm in the people I guide too. This spring, I spent five weeks practicing nature connection with the same group of women during my Spring Digital Detox. By the end, I was hearing about how the practice was finding its way into their lives outside of our time together.

Michelle shared:

That word schedule feels particularly relevant to me this week. Repeating the practice gave it a place in my life, and once I lost that rhythm, I could feel the difference.

🌿 This week's invitation

Is there a nature practice you've fallen out of? A morning walk, coffee outside, sitting under a favorite tree, wandering your neighborhood after dinner, or something else that used to bring you outside more often?

Consider returning to it this week, even once. Pay attention to what feels familiar, what feels different, and what you notice in yourself afterward.

Sometimes returning is enough to remind us why we started.

And if you're realizing that returning is a whole lot easier when there's already a time and place for it on your calendar, that's part of what I'm hoping to create with September Sundays in Nature.

We're gathering Sunday mornings throughout September to practice slowing down, noticing, and spending some intentional screen-free time outside together. You can join for two Sundays or all four, depending on what makes sense for your month.

I know from my own slightly rebellious week 😂 that sometimes having other people and a place to show up can be helpful when our own motivation isn't doing the job.

If you'd like September to include a little more of this kind of returning, I'd love to have you there. Keep reading to learn more.

September Sunday Sessions in Nature​
​A Digital Detox & Forest Bathing Series in St. Louis

For four Sunday mornings in September, we’ll gather in local green spaces for guided Forest Bathing, screen-free time, and a simple rhythm of returning to nature together. Having it on the calendar means you don't have to keep remembering to make the time.

September Sundays might be for you if you're craving:

🌿 A slower, softer way to begin the week
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📵 Less scrolling and more time present in your actual life
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🫶 Community without forced sharing, awkward icebreakers, or performative wellness vibes
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🐌 A simple nature connection practice you can return to throughout the month
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🍂 Time to notice the changing season and experience the world around you a little differently

Choose a 2-session pass for $65 or join the full month with all 4 sessions for $99.

I've also got several other Fall Forest Bathing sessions up on the website now, with more being added next week, including a special Autumn Equinox Celebration and more Full Moon sessions. 🌕 So if the Sunday series doesn't work for you, there are plenty of other opportunities coming to practice together this fall. 🍂

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 Women's Circle is opening for enrollment soon! Join the waitlist to get access to early bird pricing discounts and bonuses! Opens with the Full Moon September 26, closes with the Full Moon on October 25. 🌕 After the spring women's circle filled so quickly, I knew I wanted to create a fall version with more time for people to plan. This 5-week women’s series will open and close with full moon bonfire circles, and include three weeks of Sunday autumn forest bathing in local St. Louis green spaces in between. A small-group seasonal reset for women who are craving more presence, connection, and rhythm as we move into fall. ​ 👉 Join the waitlist here. This will be a very small group and I expect it to fill quickly.

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