An Interview with Jeannie Nairn, Woodlands Breathing

Woodlands Breathing supports the wellbeing of participants and the land during a forest bathing experience. Working in partnership with the land, your Guide awakens your senses and offers space and time to connect with nature and yourself.  

Where in rural Scotland are you based and what do you love about living and working there?

I am based in a village in West Lothian, west of Edinburgh, and my office is often in the woods.

It's great that I can walk from the house to the woods and be with tree friends, my business partners, or I can get to other woodlands and green spaces around central Scotland to facilitate forest bathing walks on behalf of the land manager.

When did you set up your rural business, and what inspired you to start it?

I set up my business about a year ago after new opportunities arose to enable me to re-train as a Forest Therapy Guide (certified by the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy, a global network in around 65 countries and with a handful of guides in Scotland). I have been actively trading for around 6 months.

I was fortunate to live in Japan for a few years in the 1990s and enjoyed some great hikes around the mountains and forests during my free time. More recently, a book on shinrin yoku found me in The Watermill Bookshop in Aberfeldy. When the opportunity to change direction came my way a few months later, I was encouraged to become a wellbeing practitioner supporting others in their connection with nature and themselves.

What is the biggest challenge you face or have faced running your business in rural Scotland?

Once I got over being visible, a challenge has been working out the most appropriate technology for the business—it's a still a work in progress!

What’s been your biggest achievement so far?

Being able to facilitate walks for participants, whether in person—e.g. at Cowden Japanese Garden near Dollar, or Binning Wood near Tyninghame village in East Lothian, —or online, connecting participants across different time zones or enabling social connection for people living with Long Covid (as part of a research project).

How do you look after your own health and wellbeing while running your business, and why do you think this is so important?

I look after my own health and wellbeing by maintaining my own practice of forest bathing, sometimes when I am walking the dog or on my own. I also walk for general fitness. I try to eat healthily, drink lots of water and get a good night's sleep. 

These days, I have a few tools to support myself and, depending on the day, that might include breathwork, journaling, meditation or yoga.  It could also be time for being creative, in whatever form that takes on a particular day! 

It is important to look after my own wellbeing so that I can welcome others to my business and support those around me. 

How do you feel about the support you’ve received from GrowBiz and REDS so far?

While working and living in a rural community, it's very helpful to have the support of GrowBiz through their offering of online webinars and access to the REDS directory.  It's great to connect with other business owners in rural areas and share experiences.