Guided Ecotherapy Walk – Narrabeen Lagoon

Learn how to deeply experience nature and build your mindfulness muscle on this slow wander and reap the mind and body benefits.

Have you heard of ecotherapy? Nature immersion or forest bathing perhaps?

Ecotherapy is the healing and nourishing effect of being in nature. Science is catching up with this free, age-old practice of looking to nature for improved health and wellness.

Learn how to deeply experience nature and build your mindfulness muscle on this slow wander and reap the mind and body benefits.

Your ecotherapy guide, Sarah Freeman, will take you on a mindful wander through nature to help you connect with yourself, you senses and the natural world around you.

The location alternates each week between the rainforest section of the Narrabeen Lagoon, and Warriewood Wetlands.

During the activity there will be periods of silent mindful walking to practice connection with nature and opportunities to reflect on and share your experiences.

The benefits of Ecotherapy include:

• Connect with nature to feel grounded and calm
• Increase your ability to access creative thinking to help with important decision making
• Understand the science – calming the nervous system and accessing the brains prefrontal cortex
• Connecting to place and understanding that we are ‘a part’ of the earth not ‘apart’ from it
• Mindful connection to the earth helps reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, fear, and depression
  Mindful connection promotes feelings of joy, creativity, strength, and resilience

Totally free and easily accessible form of (self-guided) therapy to increase wellbeing

The walk goes slowly from Jamieson Park towards South Creek Reserve and back. The route is under 3km in total and the group will stop and start along the route.

When: 10am – 12pm Wednesdays

Where: Jamieson Park, The Esplanade, Narrabeen NSW 2101. Meet on the grass area to the right of the boat ramp at Jamieson Park.

Cost: Free

What to bring: Water, mask, hat, sunscreen, mozzie repellant; and wear good footwear and clothing to keep you warm when sitting outside.

Important information:  This is not clinical therapy. Ecotherapy, is based on the principles of interconnectedness and reciprocity. This practice supports people spending time in, and dialoguing with, the natural world for improved wellbeing.

Weather, safety and responsibility : If the weather isn’t suitable you will be contacted via email by 9am that morning, and a zoom link provided as the session will become a 1-hour online ecotherapy session.

It is important that you make your own decisions regarding your comfort and safety. This is particularly relevant to weather and walk suitability. The decision to undertake the event is at your discretion and by registering for the event you deem yourself fit and capable of safely participating in the event.

Remember to wear good footwear, such as walking or hiking boots, and ensure you have water and enough warm clothing to keep you comfortable outdoors for 2 hours.

Covid : Please look after each other and do not attend if you are experiencing any covid symptoms or are considered a close contact to a covid case.

Parking : If you have a Northern Beaches parking sticker, parking at Jamieson Park is free. Otherwise the parking area costs $10 per hour. The most affordable option is to park on the street close by to the Park . The closest bus stops are 2km on Pittwater Road at Clarke and Goodwin Streets.

Contact us: If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call 1300 002 262 to speak to the team.

Image: Maurice van Creij, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons