Join me in an active forest stretch-and-strength hike, chakra flow or an earth walk.
Classes are offered throughout the week. See the event calendar for dates and times, or book a private Forest Fitness hike/Earth walk or Chakra Flow Class for yourself, or your family, friends, workplace or organization.
Functional Forest Fitness Stretch-and-Strength Hike
With nature as our backdrop, and trees as our support, we’ll loop our exercise resistance bands (which I provide) around trunks and limbs and build up our bodies to have the strength, balance, mobility and flexibility we need to do functional, everyday activities with ease and grace, and avoid injuries and painful joints as we age.
It’s guided exercise in nature with a healthy dose of forest medicine. It’s geared for all ages and fitness levels. Modifications are offered so you’re always in a safe, supportive environment.
Your body will love it, your immune system will thank you for it, and your mind and spirit will be uplifted.
It’s called the biophilia effect.
Spend an hour in the forest, and you’ve just lowered your stress hormone cortisol levels, lowered blood pressure, boosted your happy hormones, inhaled wonderful anticancer terpenes that the trees release in the forest, and increased the number of natural killer cells (white blood cells that recognize and kill viruses, bacteria and cancer cells, and help to eliminate cancer cells) in your body.
Throughout our active forest hike, we’ll do conscious whole body breathing to draw in as much terpenes as possible, to oxygenate our cells and heal our bodies, and then we’ll wrap up our class with gentle yoga stretch and functional flexibility – guaranteed to leave you feeling great!
Chakra Flow/Yoga Flow Class
This class is all about activating & balancing chakras through simple, guided embodied movement that awakens your soul, and strengthens your spirit, blended with easy yoga postures and full body breathwork. The music is soulful. The mood is playful. Nature is our muse. This is a fun class for anyone who wants to feel more energized and enlivened, while moving the body. There is no skill level required.
Earth Walk
This guided nature walk combines gentle body movement and breathwork which helps us attune our senses, deepening our connection to Mother Earth, and to the art of SLOW. It is a wonderful way to de-stress, and experience a sense of peace and serenity, helping heal body and mind. This is a quiet, peaceful walk. Everyone is welcome to join in.
Classes are ongoing. Join in at any time! Functional Forest Fitness and Earth Walk is offered year-round along The Laughing Forest trails. Chakra flow classes transition indoors during the winter months.
After your class you are welcome to spend the day exploring the trails at your own leisure at no extra cost. Ages 17 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
If you are coming out to walk the trails, and would like to experience a functional forest fitness session, chakra flow or earth walk during your visit, or plan a group outing please reach out to me, Sari Huhtala, at 705-662-1469 or by email to friends@thelaughingforest.ca.
About Me
I fell in love with fitness at age 14 – doing the 20-minute workout every day at 6 a.m. before school. Growing up I studied ballet, tap and jazz dance for a number of years, then went on to study again for another seven years until my early 50s. Movement has always been medicine for me. In the 90s I started teaching fitness classes as a certified instructor at the YMCA, as well as ballroom dance classes. I was a ballroom dancer for 25 years. In 2005, as a certified personal trainer, I created Cheer Factor – a fitness and wellness business – and launched daily 5:30 a.m. outdoor fitness bootcamps for women in Sudbury. In 2007 I studied Level 1 yoga teacher training. From 2008 to 2020, as a volunteer, I developed and ran a free weekly winter indoor community fitness and walking program at the local school in my then hometown of Capreol. Over 50 people, ranging from 10-year-olds with their moms to 90-year-old men, came out every winter to enjoy the stretch-and-strength class.