I’m Monique Ross, a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide
I am also a writer and copy editor, and the author of This Working Life: How to Navigate Your Career in Uncertain Times. (Yes, there is a chapter on Nature Bathing!!)
I trained as a journalist and worked in digital media for 12 years. When the pandemic hit, I had a chance to slow down and take stock.
I realised that inertia had been leading me down the path for far too long, but I didn’t know how to change direction. I was burnt out and deeply exhausted, but I didn’t know how to start fixing things. Then I discovered Nature Bathing, and a deep sense of a calling rose up within me. I summoned the courage to answer it. I have rediscovered a sense of balance, the beauty of being present in the here and now, and a connection to myself. I have realised that nature is something I am part of, not just something I visit and admire.
I believe Nature Bathing is the antidote to the sense of disconnection many people feel in the modern world, and can be a reliable partner as we navigate the uncertainty, stress and chaos that is life. I also believe it can lead us towards a more sustainable future; one where we take the action that is needed to save this planet. After all, we only fight for what we love.
I am a queer woman, a proud cat mum to Juno and Mr Tuna, a gin lover, an avid hiker and a pottery novice. (And, I probably shouldn’t admit, a binge-watcher of far too many TV shows!)
My work as a guide is simple and powerful. I see my job as loving this world, and helping others do the same. While I have always been a loud and proud nature nerd, I am now building reciprocal relationships with nature on a much deeper level. I have found acceptance and belonging, inspiration and connection. I have reawakened my inner child and embraced my playful side. I have learned to see the beauty in my imperfections.
It is my honour to help other people reconnect with nature, and with parts of themselves that have laid dormant for too long.
“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
- Mary Oliver