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Thanks! None of these are in the book, but I hope to be able to share something from the book soon.

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Oct 20, 2023Liked by Amy Stewart

This is wonderful. I’m president of our local Reiki association in France, as part of which we issue a monthly newsletter with inspirational articles just for our members (nearly 40 at the last count). Could I have your permission to include your How to Walk in the Woods, fully attributed of course.

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Thank you! Yes, you're welcome to share it. That's very kind of you.

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Absolutely delightful! Thanks for these reminders and reinforcers!

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Glad you enjoyed it!

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Oct 20, 2023Liked by Amy Stewart

Beautiful, and well written, and it’s just like you know us! This is very timely. My sister and I will be taking a guided tour of a Japanese garden next weekend. We will be sure to notice everything about it and leave everything else behind.

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Ah yes, the perfect place to notice everything!

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Brilliant advice. I've noticed a lot more space in my brain since I stopped listening to podcasts on my morning dog walks. It's lovely to tune into something that isn't connected to the Internet!

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That makes a big difference! Although I confess that when I'm walking through my neighborhood, as opposed to in the woods, I tend to listen to some funny podcast like an interview with a comedian, because otherwise I'm just listening to the inane podcast of my brain working over the same old tired material.

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Nothing wrong with that! 😄I love funny podcasts for laundry and other mundane chores.

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Call me a tree hugger but, I would add make a friend in the forest. There’s a particular tree that I always visit in the forest. I put my hands on it and sometimes whisper to it. It’s a huge, old tree and I find my troubles feel much smaller after a therapy session with it.

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Oct 20, 2023Liked by Amy Stewart

I do the same thing! Love that you do, too

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I do this too! There are two massive Douglas firs on my regular walk that I stop and check up on (and hug, sometimes I hug them)--although now I'm realizing I should pay more attention to the smaller trees, too! The big ones get all the attention.

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Oct 20, 2023Liked by Amy Stewart

Love the tips for walking in the woods! A new trail just opened in my town, so this is a great guide for me to try it. And I’m excited for the art lesson. I’ve been interested in somehow capturing the beauty outdoors - your lesson is just what I need. Would love to see more tips on drawing the forests! Tons of woods here in NC for inspiration 😁

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Oh, that's great! OK, more woodsy art lessons coming up.

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Oct 20, 2023Liked by Amy Stewart

Lovely forest paintings with a great message. Thank you!

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I'm so glad you liked them!

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Sometimes I feel a little silly stopping to pick up a pinecone, but you're right. More pinecones, then!

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Absolutely!

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First of all, your illustrations are friggin awesome. I LOVE them and I'm probably going to upgrade my subscription even though I'm unemployed and shouldn't be affording it 😂

Second, all of this is on point. Especially the LISTEN aspect. I live on the edge of the city limits and regularly hit countryside woods for dogs walks every day. Listening to all the rustling, birds, wind between branches, etc is the best therapy you can get!

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Thanks for this one especially Amy….practising mindfulness is sometimes pretty tough for me and I am also one of those who is watching their feet so they don’t trip! I walked with your post in my mind today and was really surprised at all that I saw….same path through the woods, totally different experience!

Cheers!

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Great ideas!

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What a brilliant piece. There is so much value in this and how nature has a symbiotic relationship to us and our emotions. Thank you so much for it and the pictures. Fantastic

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Oct 21, 2023Liked by Amy Stewart

I don’t have anything spectacular to say. I just wanted to tell you I ALWAYS read your newsletter, among all the other emails I receive. I may not get to it right away, but I never delete it without reading it to the end. Your thoughts sometimes mirror mine; but other times they challenge me to think differently. You write like you are talking to me by using conversational words, not super scholarly descriptions. Your art delights me. And, you send your newsletters just often enough, but not too often. Thank you.

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Wow, thank you! This means a lot--it's the whole reason I do it!

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Love this! I also walk in the woods every day and sometimes I record it. Here’s my dog and I doing some too-literal forest-bathing.

https://youtu.be/AnzjzGiQQNM?si=KkDhzQ6c3SmSrrPm

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Walking in the forest is so relaxing and peacfull! I also like walking around a lake. Same feeling 😊 Btw beautiful artworks!

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