Sunlight filtering through towering evergreen trees in a Vancouver forest

Forest Immersion

We all know that getting out into nature is good for us. But even those of us who love the outdoors and spend plenty of time hiking, biking, or exploring often don’t make enough time to simply slow down and be in the forest. Forest bathing is an invitation to do just that. Through a guided, unhurried experience, we step out of the pace of everyday life and into a quieter relationship with the natural world—giving our senses, bodies, and minds the space to settle, reconnect, and receive what the forest has to offer.

What To Expect

2.5 hour Forest Immersion

Every Salaltime forest immersion begins with a meeting point and a forest chosen for the day. We’ll consider the weather, trail conditions and the group

From there, we’ll spend about two and a half hours in the forest, but we won’t go very far. This isn’t a hike and there is no destination to reach.

After a short introduction, your guide will lead you through a series of invitations designed to shift your attention away from everything competing for it and towards what’s immediately around you. You might begin to notice sound, light, smell, texture, temperature and movement. Some time is spent together and some on your own.

You don’t need to meditate, know anything about the forest or achieve a particular state of mind. There is no right way to respond to an invitation, and you can always choose how you want to participate.

The guide provides the structure and the forest provides the experience. What you notice, feel or take away from that time is entirely your own.

We like to close the walk by having a snack and tea with opportunity to reflect, share what we’ve noticed, and allow the experience to settle before returning to the everyday.

People Need Forest Time

Only a few generations ago people all over the world were living in a much closer relationship with nature. We co-evolved to live in relation with the land, the water, the forest and the animals. We all recognize lush green tones, the sound of running water, the smell of petrichor and birdsong on a cellular level, not by accident, by design.

It seems sometimes like we’ve outpaced ourselves in creating and accepting a world that invites our nervous systems to run at max without the necessary reset our bodies are encoded to crave. We’re constantly searching, measuring, deciding, scheduling, responding.

Modern life asks a lot from our attention. Forest Immersion temporarily suspends those demands. Your attention is allowed time with what’s immediately around you: light, sound, smell, texture, movement and temperature.

Research into how our bodies respond to forest chemistry and time spent with nature, has observed reductions in stress markers, improved blood pressure regulation, on immune function; and of course, effects on emotional and mental wellbeing. Forest Immersion restores attention.

Take a break from the constant work of doing. Not to escape reality, to rebuild it stonger.

Credentials & Experience

It started with Outdoor Recreation Management at Capilano University, leading to 35 years of fun in the local outdoor recreation business, and a love for the North Shore mountains and surrounding regions. I am also a Certified Forest Immersion Guide, having completed training with the ANFT. Decades spent exploring the North Shore, allows me to guide others with confidence and respect for the places we visit. I’m continually learning. After 30+ years in this area, I know there is always more to discover—guiding feeds that ongoing curiosity .

ANFT Certification

ANFT certification means your guide has completed training through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy to safely lead people through a structured forest immersion experience. ANFT-certified guides aren’t there to teach you about forest biology or tell you how you should feel. They’re trained to create the conditions, and let experience unfold between you and the forest.

Guides are Wilderness First Aid and CPR Certified

A wide, photographic view of a forested mountainside near Vancouver at early morning, with layers of evergreen trees receding into gentle coastal fog. The canopy stretches across the frame in textured waves of deep green, while small shafts of pale sunlight break through the mist, illuminating selected treetops with a subtle glow. Captured from a slightly elevated vantage point with strong depth and clarity, the composition uses the rule of thirds to balance forest, fog, and sky. The mood is expansive, calm, and quietly inspiring, perfect for conveying the restorative scale and beauty of forest immersion experiences.
An intimate forest nook in Vancouver, where a narrow wooden footbridge crosses a shallow, clear creek surrounded by dense understory growth. The bridge’s weathered planks and simple railings blend into the environment, partially covered with moss and lichen. Soft, overcast natural light gently illuminates the scene, creating muted reflections in the water and subtle highlights on wet stones. Photographic realism, eye-level composition, with the bridge leading into the frame and disappearing into shadowed trees beyond. The atmosphere is peaceful, inviting, and introspective, evoking a sense of gentle transition and connection with the living landscape.

Reviews

Aya Nakamura

“A gentle, grounding experience—after one forest session, my anxiety eased and I slept better than I had in months.”

Mateo García

“Thoughtful guidance helped me slow down, notice the trees and birds, and reconnect with myself beyond screens and city noise.”

Upcoming Sessions

May-4

Stanley Park

Vancouver, BC

May-11

Lynn Canyon

North Vancouver

May-18

Pacific Spirit

Vancouver, BC

May-5

Stanley Park

Vancouver, BC

May-19

Burnaby Mountain

Burnaby, BC

May-26

Capilano River

North Vancouver

May-12

Stanley Park

Vancouver, BC

May-25

UBC Forest

Vancouver, BC

Jun-1

Tynehead Park

Surrey, BC

Journal

Visit us

Vancouver, BC

Hours

Weekdays Sunrise till Sundown

Phone

(604) 724-7845