The forest is waking up. Everything is turning green, turning into a blossoming carpet of hellebores, primroses, snowdrops and crocuses. The forest invites us to relax in its green embrace.

A walk through the forest will help you escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and fill your lungs with fresh air. The team of the Local Tourist Organisation Laufar Cerkno used this concept to create the very first selfness programme, entirely conducted in nature – forest selfness in the Cerkno forests. This is not a typical wellness programme, as it requires a person’s conscious decision to take care of their health and happiness. The wonderful forest experience is complemented with a variety of activities using natural materials from local suppliers, such as wood, hay, clay, herbs and linen. Since the programme’s quality and development are inextricably linked to the local environment, culture and tradition, the authors of the forest selfness programme cooperate with other local providers of tourist services, producers and craftsmen.

The Forest Selfness project won the 2014 Snovalec award for the most innovative idea in Slovenian tourism given by SPIRIT Slovenia (Public Agency for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Development, Investment and Tourism).

Let go and enjoy forest selfness
“Visitors will enjoy a very special forest experience, a deep relaxation practice to balance body, mind and soul and a great learning opportunity,” said Minca Slakonja, a member of the highly committed and creative forest selfness team. Experts in meditation, personal and spiritual growth, reflexotherapy and cuisine will take you for an hour-and-half’s walk on an easy trail, stopping at thematic posts to relax and experience the healing power of nature. “Our visitors are impressed by the wonderful views of the picturesque Cerkno landscape. Walking barefoot on spruce needles as part of our natural reflexotherapy, tasting local and regional dishes served on hay placemats, learning the basics of reflexotherapy and clay foot massage, as well as pampering of tired feet in a hay flower soak, are only some of the unforgettable experiences,” added Mrs Slakonja. Meditation exercises in the beech forest and a nice rest in a hammock during guided natural sound therapy will help you “switch off” and reach a deep state of relaxation.

Guests can choose between this short programme, or one that lasts six hours, and learn how to cope with stress and boost their health and vitality. But what is most important, by using all their senses, they experience an entirely new dimension of forests and nature.

All the visitors so far, whether from Slovenia or abroad, have loved the experience. Forest selfness is increasingly popular among foreign tourists, especially British and American travellers. Giacomo from Arizona, USA, commended our programme, saying: “A very good and relaxing programme which exposes you to other things than what others offer you. What I liked most was the food, which looked very special and tasted delicious, besides that it was healthy and suitable for vegetarians. I think that the programme is healthy for body, mind and soul.” Although Erika from Izola, Slovenia, has often had the chance to admire the natural beauty of the Slovenian landscape, she found the programme excellent. What she liked best was walking on spruce needles, the sound therapy in the hammock and red clay massage.

Nature heals us and we heal nature
Only natural materials are used for the forest selfness programmes that leave nature intact. ”Our mission is not only to raise awareness about the healing power of nature and its positive effects on a person’s health and feelings, but to promote environment protection and life in harmony with nature,” explained the members of the forest selfness team. Their motto is: “Nature gives what we give nature. Nature heals us and we heal nature.” Describing their work, Mrs Slakonja said: “We help people recognise that forests enrich us, which is why we appreciate a visitor’s comment that the programme made her see the forest from a different perspective. It means that we were successful.”

They plan to organise forest selfness workshops and training courses in other locations across Slovenia. A shorter version of the programme for relaxation in the embrace of magnificent trees will be available in spring. Business collaboration with various partners, including Garden Village Bled, is in the pipeline, and a special version of forest selfness for children is being developed in cooperation with Cerkno Primary School. The first ever Selfness Week will be organised in Slovenia at the beginning of June and will include presentations and workshops about selfness and nature.

Danila Golob, SINFO