Awaken Experience
A gentle invitation to slow down, awaken your senses and rediscover the wonder around you.
You have spent a lifetime doing, organising, caring and thinking about everyone else.
Perhaps now you're craving something different.
A little more calm.
A little more clarity.
A chance to step away from the noise and simply notice what is right in front of you.
What if you gave yourself 2.5 hours with nowhere else to be?
The Awaken Experience is a 2.5-hour guided Forest Therapy experience created for women who want to slow down, reconnect with themselves and experience nature in a completely different way.
Set among the beautiful surroundings of Coolart Wetlands and Homestead, this is not a hike, fitness walk or race to reach a destination.
There is nowhere to get to.
Instead, you'll be gently guided to slow down and experience nature through your senses.
You might listen to birdsong, notice changing light through the trees, explore the tiny details of the natural world or simply sit quietly beneath the canopy.
Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, sometimes known as Forest Bathing, Forest Therapy is an invitation to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of nature.
And while the experience is gentle, you may find yourself noticing the difference long after you leave.
You may arrive feeling busy, distracted or overwhelmed — and leave feeling calmer, clearer and more connected to the world around you.
Come for the nature. Leave with something more.
YOUR 2.5-HOUR PAUSE
Slow down. Notice more. Come back to yourself.
You'll be guided through a series of gentle invitations designed to help you slow down and engage with the natural world in new ways.
A gentle invitation to slow down, awaken your senses and rediscover the wonder around you.
Awaken Experience
A gentle invitation to slow down, awaken your senses and rediscover the wonder around you.
You have spent a lifetime doing, organising, caring and thinking about everyone else.
Perhaps now you're craving something different.
A little more calm.
A little more clarity.
A chance to step away from the noise and simply notice what is right in front of you.
What if you gave yourself 2.5 hours with nowhere else to be?
The Awaken Experience is a 2.5-hour guided Forest Therapy experience created for women who want to slow down, reconnect with themselves and experience nature in a completely different way.
Set among the beautiful surroundings of Coolart Wetlands and Homestead, this is not a hike, fitness walk or race to reach a destination.
There is nowhere to get to.
Instead, you'll be gently guided to slow down and experience nature through your senses.
You might listen to birdsong, notice changing light through the trees, explore the tiny details of the natural world or simply sit quietly beneath the canopy.
Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, sometimes known as Forest Bathing, Forest Therapy is an invitation to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of nature.
And while the experience is gentle, you may find yourself noticing the difference long after you leave.
You may arrive feeling busy, distracted or overwhelmed — and leave feeling calmer, clearer and more connected to the world around you.
Come for the nature. Leave with something more.
YOUR 2.5-HOUR PAUSE
Slow down. Notice more. Come back to yourself.
You'll be guided through a series of gentle invitations designed to help you slow down and engage with the natural world in new ways.
A gentle invitation to slow down, awaken your senses and rediscover the wonder around you.
Your experience may include:
Gentle, slow-paced walking
Sensory activities involving sight, sound, smell and touch
Moments of quiet reflection and stillness
Opportunities to explore the small details of nature
Simple creative and nature-connection activities
Gentle conversation and shared reflection
A beautiful botanical tea ceremony
Light, healthy morning tea
There is no right or wrong way to experience Forest Therapy.
You don't need to know anything about nature.
You simply need to arrive with curiosity.
This isn’t a walk you have to keep up with
Forest Therapy isn't about distance, speed or fitness.
There is no finish line.
No step count.
No performance.
We'll move slowly, pause often and make plenty of time to sit, notice and take things in.
The walking distance is approximately 1–1.5 km, at a very gentle pace.
You can expect opportunities to stop and rest throughout the experience.
What you’ll experience
Life feels a little too busy or noisy
You'd like to slow down but aren't quite sure how
You want to spend more meaningful time in nature
You're curious about trying something different
You'd love to meet thoughtful, like-minded women
You want more moments of calm, curiosity and connection in your life
You're ready to make a little more room for yourself
You want to feel more present and engaged with the world around you
You don't need to be “good at” mindfulness.
You don't need to be particularly outdoorsy.
And you certainly don't need to know anything about Forest Therapy.
Just bring yourself.
About Forest therapy & Shinrin-yoku
Forest Therapy is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, which translates as “forest bathing.”
Don't worry — there's no actual bathing involved. 😊
It simply means immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the forest and engaging your senses.
Unlike hiking, Forest Therapy isn't about distance, speed or fitness.
It's about slowing down enough to notice.
Research into time spent in natural environments and forest-based interventions has explored benefits including reduced stress, improved mood, attention and overall wellbeing.
The goal of the Awaken Experience, however, isn't to treat or cure a medical condition.
It's to create the conditions for you to pause, restore and reconnect.
What you’ll experience
🌿 Slow down - Step away from the noise and give yourself permission to move at a different pace.
👀 Awaken your senses - Listen, look, smell, touch and notice the details you might normally rush past.
🌱 Look closer - Discover the tiny, fascinating world happening all around you.
💬 Connect - Share the experience with a small group of women who are also making space for themselves.
🍵 Pause and receive - Finish with a beautiful botanical tea ceremony and light morning tea.
What’s included
Your Awaken Experience includes:
🌿 A professionally guided 2.5-hour Forest Therapy experience
🌿 Gentle nature-connection and sensory activities
🌿 Time for quiet reflection and shared connection
🌿 A mindful botanical tea ceremony
🌿 Light, healthy morning tea
🌿 A small-group experience in the beautiful surroundings of Coolart Wetlands and Homestead
What to wear & bring
Please dress comfortably for spending time outdoors.
Wear:
Comfortable clothing suitable for the weather
Enclosed, comfortable walking shoes
Layers that you can add or remove as needed
Bring:
Water bottle
Hat
Sunscreen
Warm layer
Rain jacket if rain is forecast
Any personal medication you may need
A small cushion or something comfortable to sit on, if you wish
Australian weather can be wonderfully unpredictable, so layers are your friend.
Good to know
A note about the weather
Forest Therapy is an outdoor experience, and part of the beauty is experiencing nature as it is.
The experience will generally go ahead in light rain, so please come prepared.
For safety, however, the experience may need to be postponed or cancelled in the event of severe weather, extreme heat, storms, strong winds, flooding or other conditions that make the experience unsafe.
If Brigette needs to cancel due to weather or other safety concerns, you'll be offered:
A transfer to another Awaken date or a full refund.
You will be contacted as early as possible if weather conditions affect the experience
Accessibility & Mobility
Awaken is designed to be gentle rather than physically demanding.
The experience includes approximately 1–1.5 km of very slow walking, along with periods of standing, sitting and moving between locations.
Some areas may include uneven natural surfaces.
If you have a mobility concern, injury, medical condition or accessibility question, please contact Brigette before booking so we can discuss whether the experience is suitable for you and what adjustments may be possible.
Please don't feel you need to “push through” something to participate.
The aim is connection, not endurance.
Food & Allergies
Morning tea and a botanical tea ceremony are included.
Please let us know about any food allergies, intolerances or dietary requirements when booking.
Where possible, reasonable dietary adjustments will be made.
Ready to give youself 2.5 hours?
Places are intentionally limited to keep the experience small, personal and welcoming.
A gentle invitation to slow down, awaken your senses and rediscover the wonder around you.
Your booking isn’t just a ticket
Once you've booked, you'll receive a confirmation email with everything you need to know before the day, including:
Exact meeting point and arrival instructions
Parking information
What to bring
What to wear
Weather information
Contact details
What to expect when you arrive
You don't need to prepare anything complicated.
Just dress for the weather, bring your water bottle and come ready to notice.
Cancellation & transfer policy
Because places are limited and each experience requires preparation, the following cancellation policy applies:
More than 7 days before the experience
You may request a full refund or transfer your booking to another available Awaken date.
3–7 days before the experience
You may transfer your booking to another available date, subject to availability.
Less than 72 hours before the experience
Bookings are non-refundable and non-transferable unless your place can be filled by another participant.
If you're unwell
Please don't attend if you are unwell or experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness.
Contact us as soon as possible. Where practical, your booking may be transferred to another date.
If Focus on Living cancels
If the experience is cancelled by Focus on Living because of severe weather, safety concerns or circumstances outside our reasonable control, you'll be offered a transfer to another date or a full refund.
Please ensure this policy is reviewed against your payment platform and Australian consumer-law obligations before publishing.
Frequently asked questions
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No.
Awaken is deliberately slow and gentle. It isn't a fitness walk or hike.
You should, however, be comfortable participating in approximately 1–1.5 km of slow walking and moving between sitting and standing.
If you're unsure whether it's suitable for you, contact Brigette before booking.
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Absolutely not.
There is nothing to study and nothing to get right.
You'll simply be offered gentle invitations to notice, explore and experience the natural environment.
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That's perfectly okay.
The group is intentionally small, and connection is part of the experience.
You can arrive on your own and simply see what unfolds.
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A little rain doesn't necessarily stop us.
Come prepared with appropriate clothing and we'll embrace the experience.
If weather conditions become unsafe, the experience will be postponed or cancelled and you'll be offered a transfer or refund.
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Please let Brigette know before the experience begins if you have any time constraints.
If you need to leave unexpectedly during the experience, you can do so, but please let Brigette know so she can ensure everyone remains safe.
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Please do.
You don't need to be a bushwalker, gardener or nature expert.
You simply need to be curious.
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Please contact Brigette before booking.
The experience takes place in a natural outdoor environment and some surfaces may be uneven. We'll discuss your needs and whether reasonable adjustments are possible.
A quick note about photography
Photos may be taken during the experience so we can share what Awaken is like with other women considering joining us. If you’re not comfortable being photographed, please let us know when booking.