What do we do at Forestry Wellbeing?

Day Retreats - Yikes (Yoga Hikes) - Family Days - Mindfulness

Emma and Claire share a love for yoga, walking and being outdoors.
We know that being outside in nature makes us feel lighter, happier, stronger & calmer. We want to help other people feel those benefits too!
We set up Forestry Wellbeing to encourage every sort of person to experience the beautiful forests of Cannock Chase in a way that suits them.
We offer mornings and days of yoga, family yoga, walking, relaxation, silence, meditation & mindfulness.
You can get revved up or wind down, bring along the kids or escape for some precious me/us time.
These sessions give you the gift of time; letting you leave your worries behind while the forests of The Chase restore your body, mind and soul.
We spend as much time as we can outside, strolling and barefoot, paddling in cool pools in summer, & briskly walking, practicing warming yoga and drinking tea round cosy fires in winter. Come prepared for all weathers, with layers, sensible shoes and a smile.
We have a forest cabin to keep our things safe, and provide a base (tea & biscuits, toilets and a warm, dry place to do our thing if we need it).

Introduction to Mindfulness ​Sessions
Sundays, 10am - 1pm, Birches Valley Forest Centre

If you want to experience mindfulness, then these mornings are for you!
Each morning will be a slightly different mix of mindfulness: mindful movement, breathing, relaxation.
We set up for the day in our little forest cabin and then spend as much time outside as possible, in the forest and in our yurt.
We will practice quite a few different techniques; learning how to be mindful of how we feel, our thoughts and what is around us. We will stand, sit (floor, chairs or on bum mats in the woods!) & lie down, letting the sights, sounds and smells of the forest help us fully appreciate being in the moment.
Please bring your own cushion &/or blanket.   ​£25 per person

Yoga Retreat Days in the Forest
Sundays, 9.45am - 3pm

 Each of these days is different, depending on the season, the weather and our theme, but they all are based on our forest cabin at Birches Valley on Cannock Chase. This is our base and where we can leave most of our stuff, have coffee & snacks and use the loos, but we try to be outside as much as we possibly can. Each Yoga Forest Retreat Day includes: some yoga,  always taught assuming your are a beginner, with options if you want a bit more, snacks, teas and coffees, a 2 mile-ish walk through the forests, by the lakes and into the woods, mindfulness and/or meditation in the woods or by the lake, a veggie lunch, either soup and bread or cheeses, eggs and salads, and a session of relaxation and meditation.
£35 per person

Get Mindful with Malas
​9.45am - 3pm, 21st July

Give yourself the gift of time with a yoga day retreat in the beautiful surroundings of Cannock Chase – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It’s easy to get bogged down in the daily chores of life and not really notice the beautiful world around and within us.  On this day retreat, we’ll be outside as much as possible as we guide you through a creative yoga asana practice to awaken the creative part of your personality and open your mind.  Under the cooling shade of ancient trees just outside our cabin, a gentle flowing practice focussed on opening up the Heart Chakra will set you up nicely for the rest of your day.
We will be designing our own mandalas too 😊.  Mandalas have been used for centuries in various cultures from Buddhism to Hinduism, from Aboriginal to Hopi. Mandala means ‘circle’ in Sanskrit and is said to bring harmony and unity. You’ll be designing your own mandala or following a template if you wish, colouring in or painting your designs, absorbing your mind so that the chattering thoughts can slow down, allowing for a more philosophical / spiritual essence to take over.  In other words, it’s a form of meditation, allowing the creative hemisphere of the brain to run free while the logical mind takes a nap.  And no, you don't need to be an artist, just someone who wants to create something mindful and beautiful 😊.
After sharing a delicious vegetarian lunch, we’ll head out further in to the forest following an easy trail of approximately 2 miles, indulge in some forest bathing and mindfulness practice.
The retreat will come to a close as we share some useful cooling techniques to help keep your mind calm through the warmer days ahead.  A guided relaxation and meditation focussed on the element of water will leave you feeling refreshed and rebalanced.     Cost £35 per person