Hi. My name is Monica. I am the lead guide and founder of Society of Trees.
I migrated to Canada in 2019 suffering from generalized anxiety, mild depression and climate grief.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, I lost my job and found myself awash in a continual state of overwhelm, panic, and anxiety.
Thankfully, I still had access to the forests outside my home in Whistler, and long, slow walks in the woods became my lifeline.
During these slow ambles through the forest, my ADHD mind became tranquil and focused easily on the flourishing of life around me. I always returned feeling completely renewed and invigorated.
This led me on a journey to discover the incredible healing benefits of the forest.
Both my own experience and the scientific literature confirm that engaging with nature with mindful awareness yields significant benefits to our physical and mental health.
Connecting to nature is also crucial in our efforts to make this planet habitable for generations to come.
For this reason, I became certified as a Forest Therapy Guide with the Global Institute of Forest Therapy, and have since joined this organization as a Mentor and Instructor to train new Guides.
It is my mission and passion to share the wonder, magic and awe to be found in Nature. I hope the experiences offered by Society of Trees open a space for everybody to slow down, and find the peace and tranquility that is our true nature.
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Embodied relationship with the land (connecting to nature through all our senses) has long been exemplified by the Indigenous peoples that have cared for this land since time immemorial. I honor and pay my respects to the Skwxwú7mesh + Líl̓wat (peoples of the Squamish and Líl̓wat Nations), the traditional stewards of the land on which I guide.
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