Forest Bathing at Point Traverse: A Wellness Guide to Restoring Energy Through Nature in Prince Edward County

The Most unique activity in Prince Edward County

Prince Edward County is known for wineries, restaurants, art trails and beautiful beaches. Travelers come here for restoration, but few often think that forests hold the real magic. Beyond wine tastings and sunsets, the County offers you the ability to slow down, breathe more deeply and reconnect to nature.

This is where forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku comes in.

Forest bathing originates from Japan in the 1980s by the Forest Agency and is not about exercise or hiking, instead it is the art of intentional presence in nature. Research from Japan’s Forest Agency and multiple studies in Frontiers in Psychology and Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine show that spending just two hours in a forest:

• Lowers cortisol

• Improves immune function by increasing natural killer cells

• Supports circadian rhythm regulation

• Boosts mood and focus

Forest Bathing is a biohack for your mind, hormones and your energy.

The Science of Slowing Down

Our modern life overstimulate the nervous system, and specifically the “fight or flight” mode. Forest bathing activates the parasympathetic or “rest and digest” system. The difference will be felt almost immediately. The heart rates slows, breath deepens and your brainwaves shift toward calm.

Trees release organic compounds called phytonicides, which have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Inhaling them can boost your immune system and lower anxiety. Add in gentle movement, natural light, and rhythmic breathing, and this is a nervous system reset.

This is why at Brava Braun Wellness, I view forest bathing as a soft travel ritual, a way to restore energy and presence before, during or after travel.

At Point Traverse at the Edge of the lake and edge of the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, this secluded trail borders the migratory bird sanctuary.

How to Practice Forest Bathing

1. Choose the right forest
Quiet, biodiverse areas, with hardwood trees, birds, and filtered light. Point Traverse was a perfect destination because the eastern red cedar that presents itself in the drought resistant forest in Point Traverse is known to produce high levels of phytoncides.

2. Set an intention

Ask yourself: What does my body need from this walk and visit in nature?

3. Walk Slowly

This is not a workout. Its time to breathe in the forest air, and let you body absorb all the natural chemicals.

4. Engage your Senses

You will notice that your senses will become sharper, you will smell the smells of the forest, and feel the temperature clearer.

5. Pause often

Sit on a log, observe patters, breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, out for a count of 6.

6. Close with gratitude

Thank the forest either silently or outloud. This anchors the emotional memory, so you can carry the calm back into daily life.

Forest Bathing Meets Soft Travel

Soft travel is the Brava Braun Wellness approach to moving through the world with intention, and rhythm. It’s about choosing restoration over rush. When you combine soft travel with forest bathing, you transform a simple walk into a vitality ritual.

This practice doesn’t require a plane ticket or an itinerary, and its available every weekend, even in a small travel moment and with your family. Whether your staying at the Merrill House for are reflective retreat, visiting a winery like Hinterland after your walk, or simply pausing beneath the trees on County Road 13, forest bathing turns ordinary travel into an energy - aligned experience.

Planning Your Forest Bathing Day in the County

Morning:
Have a beautiful breakfast at Merrill House or a local cafe like the Bean Counter Cafe.
Take a slow drive to Point Traverse and spend 90 leisurely minutes walking the path slowly and breathing in the forest air.

Afternoon:
Journal or take a nap.
Visit Hinterland Winery for a sparkling toast to stillness.

Evening:
Watch the sun lower over across the lake at Little Bluff.
Set an intention for what peace you’ll bring home.

This is soft travel in action. No rush, no agenda.

Before You Go

Forest bathing is free, accessible and transformative. You don’t need special equipment or training only presence. In Prince Edward County, nature isn’t scenery, its medicine. If you would like to learn more about travel rituals that support energy and hormone health, sign up for my Vital Voyage Newsletter.