Hi! I'm Jess
Sign Up to be notified of upcoming Forest Bathing + Nature Therapy Sessions. I share about Forest and Nature Therapy, nature-based wellness, creative practices, and holistic well-being.
What if you only changed one thing?
Hey Reader, Here we are! 🌸 Dare I say spring is actually, *finally*, truly upon us? Despite that little winter/summer detour just took here in St. Louis. Something I find myself saying a lot when I'm guiding Forest Bathing sessions at the Botanical Gardens is this: today is an opportunity to experience things differently. Most people come to the garden with a plan. Places they always visit, things they want to see. And I invite them to set that aside and just... listen to what their body is...
🌱 Finding Hope in the Thaw: Welcome March
Happy March Reader! It's finally starting to look (and feel) like spring! Yesterday I led a Forest Bathing Session at the Botanical Gardens focused on Nature's Early Hints of Spring and boy oh boy did I need that! The shares from those who attended told me I wasn't the only one. This age and timeline we're living in right now 😮💨 feels so FULL and FAST and BUSY. I often feel like I'm in a race that I did NOT sign up for but can't seem to escape. Do you relate? I'm guessing you might.. It's...
🫶 I’m here. Nature is still here, too.
Hi Reader, I wanted to reach out and say this, simply: I’m here. I’m thinking of you. And I hope you’re finding your way through these days as gently as you can. I won’t sugarcoat it: the world right now feels destabilizing, exhausting, and honestly overwhelming. When I feel myself tipping toward despair, I pry myself away from my devices and go looking for something steady enough to hold my attention without demanding anything from me. Nature keeps answering that call, so I'm leaning into it...
💫 Today is Winter Solstice 🕯️
Hello there, Reader! Today is the shortest day of the year. 🕯️ The solstice marks the moment of transition, when the long nights begin to ease, and the returning light reminds us that rest is always followed by renewal. Just like the Earth, we’re in a season of quiet, of slowing down, and of gathering energy for what’s to come. I've been in a healing cocoon from my ankle surgery since early November. Resting, sitting, slowing, doing a lot less than usual, and practicing finding the surrender...
🍄 A relational pause for a very full day
Hi Reader, It’s been a while since I’ve written, but before the shopping emails start rolling in, I wanted to offer you a little pause, and take a moment to say how grateful I am that you are part of this community that cares about slowing down and connecting with the natural world 🐌 🍄🟫 🌲. I’ve been in a bit of a healing cocoon lately after ankle reconstruction surgery earlier this month. It's been a lot of resting, moving more slowly (literally) and working on getting better at receiving...
Time to dig out the cozy everything! 🧣
Forwarded this email? Subscribe Here for more Hi Reader, Is it just me, or is everyone talking about how fast October is flying by? I swear, we blinked and suddenly it’s almost Halloween! 🎃 And the weather? It finally feels officially, completely, without-a-doubt autumn. Time to dig out the cozy everything! Blankets, hoodies, shawls, that one favorite fuzzy hoodie you could basically live in. (Just me?) Speaking of autumn coziness, thanks to that full day of rain last weekend, we had to...
Feeling maxed out? The forest has something for you. 🍂
Forwarded this email? Subscribe Here for more Hi Reader, The woods are turning golden hues, and you can feel the shift toward stillness. Before October slips away, I’m guiding one last Forest Bathing walk this season at The Nature Institute - Saturday, October 26 from 9:30–11:30 AM. This slow, sensory morning invites you to notice what’s changing - both inside and out. We’ll wander among the autumn colors, breathe in that crisp air, and listen for what the season is asking us to release. You...
🍂 New blog + a gift: 31 days of autumn creativity
🍁 Happy October Reader! It’s hard to believe we’ve already slipped into a new month. If you’re anything like me, you might feel the pace picking up, like the year suddenly wants to rush to the finish line. That’s why I’ve been practicing small ways to slow time down, and I wrote about it in this week’s blog post: 6 Simple Ways I’m Slowing Down Time This Autumn → Read The Post 👉 🌿 Nature Connection Invitation: Draw-tober This October, I’m inviting you into a playful daily ritual called...
Want to feel calmer this week? Don’t do it alone
Greetings Reader, Is it just me, or did time speed up this month? I feel like we’re on the cusp of a very slippery season. As soon as September closes and October begins, it can feel like a landslide to the end of the year. I don’t know about you, but this starts to make me feel very anxious, like I need to start ‘getting things done’ because soon the year will be over. Well - I’m not falling into that trap this year. For me, It leads to a lot of rushing around, doing things as quickly as...
🍂 8 Autumn Shifts for When Life Feels Like Too Much
Hello Reader! Happy Autumn Equinox 🍁! Today marks the beginning of the transition from summer to autumn. On this day we'll experience equal light and equal dark. It’s nature’s reminder that balance is possible, even when life feels anything but balanced. I know there’s a lot happening right now - in your life and in the world. That’s exactly why I pulled together a slide series of 8 simple shifts you can make to bring a little more balance and ease into your days. Scroll through them and see...
Sign Up to be notified of upcoming Forest Bathing + Nature Therapy Sessions. I share about Forest and Nature Therapy, nature-based wellness, creative practices, and holistic well-being.