A STUNNING mindfulness trail set in nature is due to open at Colin Glen Forest Park in the coming weeks, welcoming in the brighter days.
The trail will be specific for mindfulness and is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a beautiful tranquil walk and reconnect with nature as it begins to bloom.
“The idea of the trail was an introduction to mindfulness and it’s going to be for everyone,” said Alanna McDonnell, Education, Events and Activity Duty Manager at Colin Glen.
“If you don’t know much about mindfulness, it’s a way that you can go out there, learn a bit about it and learn about yourself through connecting with the forest. Nature is such a powerful tool to improve mental health.”
Colin Glen is a heavenly green space in an urban setting. Within moments you can be completely transported into a beautiful, scenic woodland.
“We’re going to have six designed boards around the trail and they’re going to follow really closely with shinrin-yoku which is the Japanese forest bathing movement. It will include seeing nature quotes that can help you ground yourself and improve your connectiveness to nature," Alanna added.
“We’re going to have six designated boards throughout the trail so as you are walking on the trail you’re going to come across a little board and it’s going to have a lovely nature quote on it from different people and we’ve got a mindfulness activity on each board.”
Alanna said that with the mental health crisis impacting communities that this was something Colin Glen wanted to do “as studies show how nature can improve mental health".
The £10,000 trail funded by the National Lottery Community Fund will take you on an exploration of a new part of the park.
“The first entrance into it is a boardwalk and then where the first board is there is going to be a sitting area and a little fire pit there,” Alanna said.
“You then walk around and there will be bathing benches to take a moment. We’re also going to have a gratitude tree so you can bring the kids and they can write something they’re grateful for and hang that up.
Colin Glen Forest Park on the Stewartstown Road
“For families, if you want to walk the trail with your kids there are activities for kids as well to learn about their feelings and to connect with nature.
“Belfast Hills kindly donated a lovely willow tree to us and you can read those things written by kids or other adults and it can bring a smile to your face.”
The mindfulness trail will begin as a broadwalk and become a natural trail as you continue further on your journey.
“We wanted to follow really closely with the river. You’ll have all the lovely sounds from the river and the sounds of the birds singing and the leaves rustling.”
The Mindfulness Nature trail is set to open within weeks, just in time for the warmer and longer days.
