Why use a guide or be part of a group?

But there are more specific benefits that come with a guided forest therapy experience, as opposed to going out and doing some individual forest bathing. A great article was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health a couple years ago, "

But there are more specific benefits that come with a guided forest therapy experience, as opposed to going out and doing some individual forest bathing. A great article was published in the Internatinoal Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health a couple years ago, "Forest therapy alone or with a guide: Is there a difference...?"

From their conclusions:

"The results showed that the forest healing factors were divided into four categories in common: auditory, visual, tactile, and olfactory. The health benefits of forest therapy were divided into five categories: change of mind and body, introspection, change of emotion, cognitive change, and social interaction.

So these were true in both cases. What was the difference? Folks who went out doing individual forest therapy - in the study, this was South Korean college students walking a specific path with interpretive signs offering questions to think about - shared more introspection progress and wrote about having better-ordered thinking.

Students participating in a group with a guide, on the other hand,

[E]xperienced positive emotions due to the beauty of the forest and various elements in the forest and

showed that negative emotions such as anxiety and tension were resolved.

In particular, participants who experienced the guided forest therapy program mentioned many keywords related to fun/joy/laughter among positive emotions.

The researcher concludes:

As a characteristic of each activity, self-guided forest therapy provides an opportunity for self-reflection to focus on and think about one’s inner self. On the other hand, guided forest therapy programs have been shown to be effective in providing participants with positive emotional changes and promoting social bonds through interaction with others."

So, again, nothing is stopping you from enjoying a walk in the woods. But if you hope for outcomes like positive emotions due to the beauty of nature, reduced anxiety and tension, and more joy, then I'll be happy to be your Forest Therapy Guide!