Description
Take a contemplative walk and engage in the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku. Forest bathing lets you restore the self through mindful contact with trees
Wander through Allshire-Howe family’s 58-acre farm where the oldest Irish herd of free-range outdoor pigs reside. As you walk alongside Avril Allshire-Howe, you’ll get a sense of how this farm and the family’s life are connected not just with the seasons but with other natural cycles – the span of a lifetime or a tree’s survival on this windswept coastline.
As you entire the forest, you’ll see trees of mostly native species which were planted between 1995 & 2018. The light and atmosphere changes and the ground may be rough underfoot. But the change of pace will be your prompt to engage with nature – in Japan, they call this lovely practice ‘forest bathing’.
Shinrin-yoku – forest medicine – is all about restoring the self through mindful contact with trees.
Breathe the fresh air; listen to the water rippling over the stones in the stream; take in the varied birdsong; touch the trees and fully engage with the light, scents, and atmosphere of this peaceful place during a short guided meditation.
The tour will be followed by a communal lunch where you’ll work alongside each other to make a beautiful sandwich, drawing on West Cork’s bountiful produce including the farm’s own award-winning black pudding!
Dates: 6th September & by appointment (contact us to arrange an alternative date).
Start/End time: 10am-2:30pm
This event is part of A Taste of West Cork Food Festival 2019