Grounded in Nature
Forest bathing (shinrin yoku) in South Holland
What is forest bathing?
Forest bathing is spending time in nature, and it need not be a forest, and taking time to slow down, quieten down, and connect with nature. This is done by focussing on the sensory experience in the here and now. Its all about stopping to smell the roses - sometimes quite literally. Experiencing a natural space in this way helps to create spaciousness – mentally and emotionally. Forest bathing could perhaps also be described as a kind of meditation in and with nature.And nope, it has nothing to do with outdoor swimming.Shinrin yoku, known in English as forest bathing, began as a formal practice in the 1980s in Japan, as a means to reduce stress and improve health. Since this time there has been a growing body of evidence from a variety of disciplines, such as medicine and psychology, to indicate that forest bathing has a positive effect on mental and physical health, such as reducing stress hormones and lowering blood pressure.But, in addition to formal evidence, many of us intuitively have a sense of how nurturing it can be to spend time in nature.
Upcoming open sessions
Katwijk aan Zee
NEW!
FOREST BATHING ON THE BEACH
Sunday 6 September
10:00-13:00
€40
Langevelderslag, Amsterdamse Waterleiding Duinen
AUTUMN AFTERNOON
Sunday 27 September 2026
15:30 - 18:30
€49*
Leidsehout, Leiden
NEW! FOREST BATHING TASTER
(shorter session) Wednesday 30 September
17:30 - 19:00
€20
Langevelderslag, Amsterdamse Waterleiding Duinen
AUTUMN AFTERNOON IN THE DUNES
Saturday 17 October 2026
14:30 - 17:30
€49*
Huys te Warmont, Warmond
LATE AUTUMN AFTERNOON
Sunday 22 November 2026
13:00-16:00
€49
Huys te Warmont, Warmond
WELCOME TO WINTER
Friday 10 December 2026
10:00 - 13:00
€49
Langevelderslag, Amsterdamse Waterleiding Duinen
MEETING THE NEW YEAR
Sunday 10 January 2027
13:00 - 16:00
€49*
New locations and experiences coming in 2026. Sign up for the newsletter to find out more.
Locations
A forested estate, near the outskirts of Leiden, South Holland. These majestic trees invite grounding and awe.Accessibility: Flat terrain with mostly hardened-earth paths.Transport: Easily reachable by bus, bicycle or car. Free parking in small car park at Huys te Warmont or nearby streets.Meeting place: Parking lot
Wild dune landscape in the far south of the Amsterdamse Waterleiding Duinen (AWD). Wind and sand dominate the landscape. Starting from Langevelderslag, near to Noordwijkerhout, South Holland.Accessibility: Uneven, sandy terrain. (A three-hour session requires, in total, walking approximately 20 to 30 minutes. If you have any concerns about your ability to navigate this terrain please be in contact.)Transport: This entrance to the nature reserve is challenging to reach by public transport.
Metered parking available.Meeting place: Grassy patch near the entrance to the parking lot.
Experience the spaciousness of nature through sand, water, and air. Katwijk provides a wide beach, with gentle waves, and broad horizon. The perfect place for meditative, sensory exploration. Experience the beach like never before.Accessibility: Sandy terrain. Steps or slope down to the beach.Transport: Reachable by bus 50 from Leiden, by bicycle, or by car. Metered parking available along the boulevard and surrounds.Meeting place: Outside Kattukkerzandt restuarant, next to the busstop for Katwijk Boulevard Zuid.
About the guide
My name is Renée. I founded Grounded in Nature in 2025, and offer forest bathing primarily to English-speakers in the Netherlands.I come from South Africa and have been living in the Netherlands since 2020. Since I started forest bathing and training to become a guide, I have felt significantly more settled in the Netherlands, and more connected to the land and life here.Being in nature is crucial for me as I find it helps to ground me when life feels overwhelming. And as a parent of a young child I can confirm that forest bathing provides effective relief from the sensory overload that parenting often involves.I completed my training to be a forest bathing guide with the masterful Eefje Ludwig of The Forest Bathing Circle (TFBC), based in the Netherlands. I am a member of The Forest Bathing Inner Circle, a group of qualified guides engaged in furthering their practice and who offer forest bathing on behalf of TFBC. (On the bookings page you may note that I offer, and book, a number of sessions in cooperation with TFBC.)
I am also an accredited guide with the national Branchevereniging Bosbadgidsen Nederland (BBGN).
private sessions
Work teams, couples, friends, or individuals can make contact to arrange private forest bathing sessions.The guide, Renée, works primarily in English but bilingual or Dutch-only sessions are also available by arrangement. She works in the forest at Huys te Warmont near Leiden, and at Amsterdamse Waterleiding Duinen nature reserve. However, it is possible to negotiate to have a private session at another location.
contact
[email protected]
