About - The Status Foe - Nature Therapy Walks near Ouray, Colorado & Self-Awareness Coaching

“The suffering in our world is a reflection of the suffering in our minds. Humans are at war within ourselves so we create war within each other. Until we make peace with ourselves we won’t be at peace with each other or nature.” – Unknown

What are Nature Therapy Walks?

Nature Therapy Walks or more commonly known as forest bathing comes from the Japanese term and practice shinrin-yoku. “Shinrin” means “forest,” and “yoku” means “bath.”, so “shinrin-yoku” means “bathing in the forest” or “taking in the forest through our senses.” No swimsuit is required here, my friend. Shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere or taking in the forest through our senses. The evidence-based sequence I use during my guided walks is inspired by the practice of Japanese forest bathing.

In a nutshell, Nature Therapy Walks are a 2-3 hour gently guided walk in the forest. I guide you through different sensory meditations and somatic embodiment practices to develop self-awareness, stay present, self-regulate the nervous system, and feel a sense of wholeness, balance, and connection with ourselves and nature.

This is a wonderful and research-based practice for those who are looking for relief from symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. If you already have or are looking to start a mindfulness and meditation practice, Nature Therapy Walks are another tool for your “inner toolkit” as I like to say with my coaching clients. Self-care comes in a variety of forms and this unique experience can help with overall stress management and well-being. The key here is to allow yourself the permission to slow down and be present with the forest, and I can show you how to do this.

WHAT IS THE STATUS FOE?

We’ve all heard of the status quo, right? The definition of the status quo is the way things are right now or the current state of affairs. And I think the status quo is our enemy of living of peace and inner freedom.

The status quo distracts us with its shiny promises of temporary happiness, which leave us feeling empty. We’re so busy keeping up with someone else’s timeline and dream that we are left exhausted and drained. But we naturally want to feel good, so we continue to chase temporary happiness. We chase, chase, and then chase some more. No wonder we are so exhausted. We spend so much time building a life according to this so-called dream that we are strangers to ourselves.

I am here to help you unbecome everything that doesn’t suit your highest and best self. We must slowly and methodically remove each layer of societal or parent conditioning that blocks us from truly being ourselves. When you can freely be yourself there is a quiet confidence to live peacefully and have the tools to help you when life gets inevitably difficult.

About Your Guide: Glenda

I am currently working as a Certified Nature Therapy Guide, self-awareness coach, speaker, artist, and soon-to-be-published author of The Status Foe book. I earned my certification through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy in 2021 and have been guiding regularly in Colorado ever since. I am also certified in Basics Wilderness First Aid and certified with CPR/AED training through the American Red Cross.

I am not your typical guide. I grew up in the concrete jungle of Houston, Texas where diversity, flat land, highway overpasses, and humidity thrive. I didn’t grow up in nature or scampering around the woods. I was taught to fear nature at a young age. I was told nature was dirty, unnecessary, underneath human beings, and full of evil spirits. Little did I know that befriending nature would save my life. After being ridden with anxiety, depression, a 10-year eating disorder, riding a fine line to alcoholism, and questioning whether or not to continue living, I began to spend bits of time in nature. I found it was more helpful and therapeutic then the bottle of wine or bag of Reese’s I’d devour after 5pm. You know, to take the ”edge off”. I had to face my fears of being alone in the woods and that didn’t come easy but it did come with time and effort.

Once I realized where those fears (part of my conditioning) came from I could fully relax and find stillness in nature. It’s within that stillness that I began to hear my true inner voice. I began to distinguish what thoughts were from my generational or societal conditioning. I began to get to know myself and this has been one of the most powerful paths I have been on – to be self-aware. Because once you get to know yourself as in needs/wants/dislikes/likes and take off the masks you’ve worn for far too long you begin to experience peace and inner freedom. Through nature and a whole lots of honest introspection, you can begin walking around in this world as yourself and not the person everyone tells you to be.

This is my current path and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Located on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests under special use permit from the Forest Service, USDA. The Status Foe, LLC guide is an equal opportunity service provider regardless of an individual’s ethnic or cultural heritage, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or physical handicap.