Forest bathing in the Tautari Wetlands

When was the last time you stopped to connect with nature in a meaningful way. Forest Bathing, also known as Shinrin Yoku, takes you on a deep dive to awaken your senses to the world around you. It is a vital step to allow you to connect and commune, to listen to the voice of nature in a clarified way. It is the foundation of connecting with nature and you will gain depth even if you already spend a lot of time in nature. 

Your Forest Bathing experience starts with a sensory meditation, then flows into a series of simple yet powerful invitations designed to open up the senses to experience the natural world in a whole new way. We will move slowly, smell, touch, taste and feel the sensual world around us. We will end with a tea ceremony of edible plants gathered on our journey. 

Held beside a small lake in the secluded Tautari wetland at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, this Forest Bathing experience offers the unique opportunity to meet the rare New Zealand takahē (bird) and tuatara (reptile), whose enclosure we will move through. Sighting these toanga is not guaranteed and information on these amazing creatures will be provided at the end of the experience. 

More about your host:

Hannah McQuilkan is passionate about supporting people to connect more deeply to nature. She is a qualified Naturopath, Medical Herbalist and Forest Therapy Guide with ANFT (Association of Nature and Forest Therapy) and has over 18 years of experience in the wellness industry. Hannah lives in Auckland where she holds regular events through her business Tree Mystic, she is thrilled to be partnering with Sanctuary Mountain to bring the serenity of Forest Bathing and the wisdom of trees to this special place.