10/19/2026
A 90-minute walk in nature can quiet the part of your brain linked to rumination.
Stanford researchers found this in 2015. They compared people who walked through green space with people who walked along a busy road. The nature group reported less repetitive negative thinking, and brain scans showed lower activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, a region tied to rumination.
For leaders, rumination looks like replaying the meeting on the drive home. Rewriting the email at 10pm. Carrying the hard conversation into the weekend.
Time in the forest gives that loop a chance to settle. Research on shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of forest bathing, has measured lower cortisol, lower blood pressure, and a slower pulse in forest settings compared to city settings.
Forest bathing is a slow, guided walk where we use our senses to notice what's around us. We cover a short distance, pause often, and close with a tea ceremony.
I'm guiding two forest bathing walks at the Metolius Preserve through the Deschutes Land Trust:
🌲 Sunday, October 25, 1pm
🌲 Sunday, November 8, 1pm
You'll leave with a calmer nervous system and a practice you can bring back to your workday.
When was the last time you let your mind slow down outside?
Click on the "Upcoming Events" button in my bio to register.
