I’m Jess, a forest bathing guide, meditation teacher, and a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance, as well as a YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider). Before this work, I was a lawyer—part of a world that values intensity, precision, and endurance. Over time, that way of living led me into burnout, into pushing past my own limits, and eventually into a deeper questioning of what it means to be well.

.I also moved through cancer, an experience that stripped everything down to what was real. In that space, something began to shift. I realized the chronic feeling of rushing had embedded itself beyond my work, and into my being. As I leaned more deeply into my meditation practices and spent more time in nature, I was able to begin slowing down. The constant striving started to fall away, and what remained was quieter, steadier—something I couldn’t force, but could begin to listen to and soften around. Today, things are by no means perfect, yet through these practices I can enjoy the present moment, and find gratitude and satisfaction in every day life. I am able to access blissful peace despite chronic pain and stress caused by the cruel realities of our modern world. 

My partner, Colton, served in the military, and his path carried its own weight and intensity. Watching that, and living alongside it, deepened my understanding of how differently burnout can take shape—and how necessary it is to have spaces where nothing is required of you.

What we found helpful, again and again, was the natural world. We were drawn back to it—not for adventure or escape, but for something much simpler. The forest doesn’t ask anything of you. It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t measure. It just holds.

After Colton exited service, we settled where the forest meets the sea along the Puget Sound, a place that reflects that same balance—movement and stillness, depth and openness. Over time, it became clear that this was the work I am meant to offer.

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is supported by a growing body of peer-reviewed research, including the work of Dr. Qing Li, showing its ability to reduce stress, regulate the nervous system, and support overall well-being. But beyond the science, it offers something more essential—a way to slow down enough to remember who you are underneath everything else.

Through guided forest bathing, meditation, and yoga experiences, I create space for that remembering. There’s no pressure to perform or achieve. Just an invitation to soften, to pay attention, and to reconnect—with the land, with your breath, and with yourself.

This work was born out of intensity, shaped by experience, and grounded in a deep respect for stillness and the natural world. It’s not about becoming something new. It’s about returning to what has always been there. Thank you for visiting our page!