May Gathering: Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku) at Kingley Vale & Mystery Dip!

Kingly Vale - why it's fun to go

Kingley Vale is known for its twisted and ancient yews and includes a grove of veteran trees which are among the oldest living things in Britain. It also has superb chalk grassland and is one of the most important archaeological sites in southern England, with 14 scheduled ancient monuments. I love it! 

What's Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku) then?

In Japanese, shinrin means forest and yoku means bath. So Shinrin-Yoku means bathing in the forest environment and taking in the forest through each of our senses. When we open up our senses we begin to connect to the natural world. It originated in Japan in the 1980’s in response to mass urbanisation, disconnection from the land, and the results of unhealthy lifestyles in large overcrowded cities. I qualified as a Forest Bathing practioner in 2019 so thought I'd take you out into the forest and show you how easy it is to connect more deeply with nature. The ideal time to spend in the forest is 2 hours (or more), so we'll aim for 2 hours. After that, we'll head somewhere (recommended by Donna) for a dip onroute back to Selsey for those who want to - otherwise you can just sit and enjoy the incredible scenery. 

FAQ's, Practicals

Just to note, you will need to be used to walking at least a mile for this little adventure. It's a good 10 minute walk up to the start of Kingley Vale from the car park. After that we'll just duck and give into spots within the forest, so no great hike, but just to be aware of this. We can meet at the house at 9.30am and drive together in a few cars to pool the journeys. Please bring your own drinks (flask of coffee/tea/whatever) and any snacks for this trip. I envisage getting to Kingley Vale at roughly 9.45am, 2 hours in the forest, then a dip/sit and view the sea onroute back to Selsey for those who want to (we can plan cars accordingly), so returning back to Selsey around 1-1.30pm.