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Forest Bathing to slow down and feel the moment
Looking for a way to relax and take a moment just for yourself? In the enchanting Arselle plateau in Chamrousse, nestled in the heart of the Belledonne massif, Isabelle Bronner invites you to discover forest therapy through a specially designed walk.
Guided by this experienced mountaineer, immerse yourself in a soothing forest bath that will calm your mind, awaken your senses, and help you reconnect with your body.
Forests offer us countless benefits that science continues to validate. More than just natural spaces, they are places of rejuvenation capable of reconnecting us with ourselves and our environment.
The forest, a source of benefits
Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of forest bathing, offers numerous health benefits: it reduces the stress hormone cortisol, lowers heart rate and decreases blood pressure.
Yet when life speeds up and overwhelms us, we often struggle to pause and let go. That’s exactly when we need to surrender control and allow ourselves to be guided.
Isabelle, our expert guide, steps in here to lead the way and invite us to begin taking care of ourselves.
Vitamin G, or the Green Vitamin, is readily available in parks, forests, the countryside, and wherever you connect with sunlight.
Breathe to recharge yourself
We find Isabelle on the Nordic ski trail in Chamrousse 1700.
In the middle of summer, only the sound of buzzing bees or the occasional neighing of horses grazing in the distance breaks the silence..
She explains that for her, it’s almost second nature! A mountain girl, she grew up exploring the trails of Belledonne, forging an unbreakable bond with her environment.
First a snowboard champion, she then turned her attention to mountain guiding.
She has never stopped learning: architecture, watercolour painting, meditation, yoga… she has cultivated many talents, each one a pathway to help us disconnect.
Sensitivity & simplicity
But it is above all her sensitivity and experience, she tells us, that are decisive, and ready to be shared with us.
It will be a matter of slowing down, of bringing a deep awareness to our perception of our environment, and of settling down.
Simply equipped with hiking gear, we set off after her, along a small path to reach the immense coniferous forest just nearby.
Let yourself be guided & meditate
Once among the trees, we feel almost intimidated. We’re struck by the urgency to slow down and listen to everything they have to say.
Isabelle invites us to choose a tree from among the group, to go to it, to open ourselves up to it. To learn more about it, she invites us to smell it, touch it, caress it, put our ear to its bark, embrace it.
Be careful, however, as some trees have moss or resin on their bark that can cause itching.
Natural connection
By taking off our shoes, we connect with the earth through the soft touch of moss.
A ray of sunshine pierces through the deep green of the treetops, settling on our eyelids and urging us to close our eyes.
Then we enter into a gentle meditation, guided by Isabelle’s words.
We breathe deeply, all our senses awakened, reconnecting with our emotions and letting go of our mental agitation.
Isabelle herself leans against a tree trunk and communicates with a monumental fir tree. A few moments later, after this mindful escape, everyone shares their feelings and sensations.
We feel freed from all anxiety, anchored in the present moment, assuredly.
An experience to be had, a moment for yourself or to give to someone else, cut off from time.
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© Pascale Cholette -
© Pascale Cholette -
© Pascale Cholette -
© Pascale Cholette -
© Pascale Cholette -
© Pascale Cholette
* The benefits of forest bathing mentioned in this article are not medical recommendations or prescriptions. The purpose of this article is to present a gentle outdoor activity that quickly promotes a sense of well-being and calm.