Tamara Schmidt in the forest, Eastern Townships
Forest Therapy Sessions

Thursday evenings
in the forest.

A 90-minute sensory walk in the woods with a guide who knows how to slow things down. Come as you are. Forest tea included.

These sessions are for women who want real time for themselves, and who are ready to explore time in nature as a way back to what matters.

In-Person Thursday Evenings Cowansville, QC Spring & Summer 2026

Not a hike.
A return.

Forest therapy is a guided practice, rooted in the Japanese tradition of Shinrin-yoku, that uses the pace and presence of the natural world to help you drop out of your head and back into your body.

We walk at a pace that invites noticing. I offer a series of invitations that open your senses to what is around you and, from there, to what is going on inside. The forest does most of the work. Your job is simply to show up.

This is good for women who are capable, busy, and running on a kind of low-grade depletion. The ones who are fine, technically, but could use a real breath.

A session might help when you are:

  • running on empty and not sure when that started
  • too much in your head and not enough in your body
  • craving something real, something you can actually feel
  • ready to make time in nature an actual practice, not just a plan

A 2019 University of Exeter study of 20,000 people found that 120 minutes a week in a natural setting is the threshold for good health and well-being. Not more. Just that.

One Thursday evening session counts. And it tends to change how you move through the rest of your week.

You do not need experience, special gear, or a reason beyond wanting to be here.

Reserve Your Spot

Looking up through the forest canopy, Eastern Townships

What happens
on a Thursday.

We meet at the pavilion at the Cowansville Nature Centre as the evening light begins to settle. Sessions begin at 6 pm. From there, we walk together, slowly, with the trees.

I offer a series of invitations along the way: to notice, to breathe, to sit with something. There is no pressure to share. You can move through the whole evening entirely in your own experience, and that is completely right.

We close with a forest tea and light snacks, which has become one of the parts people remember longest. Something about drinking tea made from what is growing around you, standing still in the woods at dusk, has a way of landing.

Sessions run 90 minutes. I keep groups small so that the space stays real.


Yellow coneflowers, Eastern Townships
White wildflowers in the forest understory
Looking up into the tree canopy

Thursday evenings,
spring through fall.

$50

Per session, tax included  |  90 minutes

  • Guided forest therapy walk with an ANFT-certified guide
  • A series of sensory invitations along the trail
  • Forest tea and light snacks to close
  • Small group, kept intentionally limited
  • No prior experience needed
Reserve Your Spot

Where and how to prepare

  • Where: Centre de la nature de Cowansville. Meet at the pavilion.
  • Parking: Free for Cowansville residents. If you are coming from outside the city, parking fees apply.
  • Washrooms: Available on site.
  • Dress: For the weather, with extra layers. The forest is always a few degrees cooler than the street.
  • Bring: Water, bug spray, and a journal if you like to write.
  • Weather: If conditions make the session unsafe, it will be rescheduled and you will be invited to a future date at no extra cost.

From past
participants.

Here is what participants said afterward, in their own words.

The invitations helped me to slow down and really experience nature. I've been so used to just hiking through the woods without slowing down to sense, feel, and see all of the detail. It was a great experience and I wish it could have been longer.

A participant

I really felt your one foot in and one foot out, and it helped me drop in and immerse myself in the invitations. The tea ceremony and the location of it, I loved. Thank you, Tamara, for guiding me in closer connection to this beautiful land.

A participant

I would say it's a great de-stressor. You'll learn new ways of approaching a walk in the forest that are beneficial, and that you will carry the rest of your life. This is a walk for people seeking something real.

A participant

A few things
worth knowing.

Is this the same as a hike?

Not at all. We move very slowly, and the point is presence rather than distance. You will cover a fraction of the ground you would on a hike, and feel like you covered much more.

Do I need to be fit or experienced outdoors?

No. The trail is accessible and the pace is unhurried. No prior outdoor experience needed.

What if the weather is bad?

These are outdoor, in-person sessions. If conditions are not safe for a guided walk, the session will be postponed and you will be invited to a future date. You will not be charged again.

Do I have to share or participate out loud?

Sharing is never required. The invitations are entirely personal. Some people move through the whole evening inside their own experience, and that is completely welcome.

How many people will be there?

Groups are kept small by design. The intimacy of the experience depends on it.

Is this therapy?

No. Forest therapy is a guided wellness practice, not psychotherapy. It does not replace the care of a mental health professional. Come as you are; no diagnosis or label required.

Adirondack chair in the forest, Eastern Townships

Move at your own pace. The forest is here when you are ready.

Thursday evenings, spring through fall. A 90-minute walk, a cup of forest tea, and 90 minutes that belong entirely to you. $50 per session, tax included.

With appreciation,
Tamara 🌿