text: Health and Wellness - Montgomery Parks
  Strolls for Well-Being at Brookside Gardens
  Brookside Gardens offers a variety of Health & Wellness programs for adults including weekly yoga and tai-chi classes designed to strengthen muscles, improve balance, and increase flexibility. Half-day mindfulness retreats are offered to help with stress reduction in addition to guided nature experiences like shinrin-yoku (Japanese "forest bathing"). To learn more and to register online, please visit the online Cultivate magazine.
  Garden Mindfulness at Home
  You may have seen the "Garden Mindfulness" signs along the Heart Smart Trail in the Gude Garden reminding you to pause and tune into the present moment. Use this PDF document as a guide to practice mindful awareness in your own backyard or local park!
  "I feel brighter and lighter." —Participant, spring 2022
  Strolls for Well-Being is an evidence based program that promotes emotional healing through connection to nature. Drawing on psychological principles such as mindfulness as well as practices like forest bathing, this 8-week program is a balm for anyone struggling with difficult questions, suffering from stress or trauma, or seeking greater peace and fulfillment.
  Over the course of 8 weeks, participants:
  Participate in a facilitated group meeting, where they receive an introduction to the program as well as the beautiful full-color, 110-page guided journal that will guide them on their emotional journey (journals are available in English or Spanish);
  Complete 12 walks individually in various areas of Brookside Gardens, with their journal and on their own schedule. Each stroll has its own theme, reflected in the journal with readings and writing prompts;
  Meet again with their group at the middle and end of the program to share insights and learn about others' experiences;
  Finish the program with a sense of renewal and an appreciation for the healing power of nature!
  Survey data using the PANAS and PGIS scales shows that participants in the Strolls for Well-Being at Brookside Gardens finish the program with:
  More positive emotions and fewer negative emotions than before
  Increased motivation to grow and change in their lives
  *Enrollment for fall 2022 will begin on August 15!* To be notified when registration opens, e-mail Jessica.Laigle@montgomeryparks.org.
  To register online starting 8/15, visit ActiveMONTGOMERY.org
  Call 301-962-1451 for instructions on enrolling by phone or mail
  Cost is $75 (unless referred by a community partner)
  Before registering, please choose from one of three meeting groups and be sure you can commit to attending all three of your group's sessions.
  Wednesday Morning Group: Meets at 11 am on September 14, October 12, and November 9
  Wednesday Evening Group: Meets *online* at 6 pm on September 14, October 12, and November 9
  Saturday Morning Group: Meets at 10 am on September 24, October 22, and November 19
  If you are a therapist, health care provider, or organization working to address health outcomes and disparities, and you are interested in offering the Strolls for Well-Being to your clients or employees, Brookside Gardens would like to collaborate with you! Please contact Jessica.Laigle@montgomeryparks.org for more information. Similarly, Brookside Gardens is open to sponsorships to make its programming more accessible to underserved populations.
  Is the Strolls for Well-Being program for me?
  The Strolls for Well-Being program was originally created for people experiencing depression, stress, exhaustion, or life transitions. Today, the program can benefit any adult who wishes to spend time reflecting in nature. Individuals experiencing grief, illness, and other types of difficult life changes have expressed a particular appreciation for the program.
  The Strolls are for emotional wellness rather than exercise or fitness. Participants with varying levels of mobility are welcome. Brookside Gardens includes gravel and paved pathways, and participants may choose their own routes within each garden area. Benches are located throughout.
  At your first meeting, you will meet fellow participants and receive your copy of the guided journal – the program's "treasure" – that will lead you through twelve different walks. Each walk has its own theme and collection of quotes, poems, and reflection prompts related to that theme. You will complete one or two walks per week at Brookside Gardens, on your own schedule and at your own pace, meeting a second time with your fellow participants midway through the program and a third time at its end.
  Will I receive a tour of the gardens?
  At your first meeting, your facilitator will show you the different garden areas where you will be taking your walks. Then, over the next eight weeks, you will complete the walks on your own.