Sylvothérapie en Alsace – Forest bathing

Forest bath and sophrology in the Munster Valley

The Vallée de Munster, with its magnificent natural landscapes, offers the ideal setting for a forest bath. Sophrologist Carole Michel offers nature baths and forest baths, sometimes with additional themes such as yoga, snowshoeing or sophrology. I was able to take part in a “Forest bath and sophrology” outing on a beautiful winter afternoon, which was very pleasant!

Starting from the Col du Wettstein, a short stroll through varied landscapes is planned. Don’t worry, it’s not a long walk, but rather a stroll through nature. The idea is not to do sports, but to move quietly while paying attention to your sensations and the different places you discover along the way. A dense forest or a brighter one, a ridge with a view of the surrounding mountains… In no time at all, you have access to a wide variety of environments, which you can observe to the full.

During the outing, we use simple sophrology exercises to relax, listen to the sounds of nature, ground ourselves in our bodies and reconnect with the natural environment. These seemingly simple exercises help you to put your mind at rest and enjoy the experience all the more. I also liked the fact that these activities activate all 5 senses (yes, even taste!). This activity leaves you feeling relaxed, disconnected and with the pleasant sensation of having taken a breath of fresh air from the trees!

Dive into a forest bath in Wangenbourg

Do you know what sylvotherapy is? Forest therapy is commonly practiced in Japan (lucky the cuddly trees!) and it has ended up being trendy in our countries, so I had to try it out!

It’s in Wangenbourg, in one of my favorite forests in Alsace – wild and quick to access from Strasbourg – that I have an appointment with Laetitia Redel from Naturez-soi on a beautiful afternoon. Let’s go for 3 hours in a small group (10 people maximum) in a program called “Live your deep nature”.

As a busy city dweller, it is always a pleasure for me to go for a walk in nature, but this time it was something more profound that awaited me.

Although I am initiated to holistic methods, I must admit that at the beginning, it is necessary to show a certain letting go, without prejudice on “the illuminated ones of the forest”; it is the first phase of immersion in the session!

I won’t spoil too much, but you’ll have the opportunity to walk barefoot, discover tree species, connect with them, embrace them, meditate and respectfully activate your 5 senses.

It is quite surprising how naturally things happened, in complete confidence with our guide who is a true professional in sylvotherapy, reiki (energies), naturopathy, aromatherapy, whose advice she distils harmoniously.

The session ends with a convivial moment to anchor this wonderful experience in our memories. I’ll never walk in the forest like I used to! Are you ready for a plant ballet?

Forest bathing at night in Northern Alsace

How about going for a forest bath? But no day, when it’s easy to have all your bearings. No, the sylvotherapy experience proposed by Manuela Peschmann, sophrologist and “forest therapist “, is even more unusual and disconcerting, as she offers you a nocturnal forest bath. Actually, both day and night forest baths are possible, but I chose to experience the night version, which intrigued me more.

An immersive sylvotherapy experience in the forest

Manuela offers forest baths lasting about 2 hours in the magnificent forests of the Vosges du Nord regional nature park, in La petite Pierre or in Sparsbach. If you know the area, you should be able to guess why this is the perfect setting! The forests there are beautiful. Manuela lives here and is a real enthusiast, who loves to share moments in the forest with the people participating in her activities.

In a small group, the idea of the forest bath is to take a walk in the forest punctuated by regular breaks and small exercises to become more grounded, to become aware of one’s body, to take a mental break to evacuate stress and to awaken one’s senses, without forgetting, of course, to appreciate the beauty and calm of the forest.

An immersive experience where contact with the forest becomes a source of well-being, going further than a simple walk. During the forest bath, we are really encouraged to become more aware of our surroundings. This is especially true when you participate in the night version: the light gradually declines and you can no longer rely on your sight… The other senses then take over!

Simple exercises to recharge your batteries

I don’t want to tell you everything, because I think the surprise of discovering the different exercises on offer is part of the experience, but in any case I really enjoyed this forest bath: walking barefoot in the forest, listening to Manuela play the drum in this wonderful setting, paying attention to the different sounds, losing your bearings a little by walking at night between the trees, without any artificial light, enjoying settling down next to a tree and simply being there…

So many moments that I enjoyed and that offer a much richer experience than what we sometimes tend to summarize as sylvotherapy. No, it’s not (just!) hugging a tree! 😉 So, I even want to try another of Manuela’s activities next time, a night in the forest!

Sylvotherapy in the Haguenau Forest

We didn’t try it out, but it’s also possible to enjoy a session of sylvotherapy in the Forêt de Haguenau. Contact Forêt en soi for more information.