Follow Me Tours | Guided by Shinrin-Yoku, Blue Mind & Dark Nature Practices

At Follow Me Tours, ecotherapy is not an add-on; it is the foundation of every experience. Every group tour, private session, special event, and The Quiet Catch cards are informed by it.

These experiences are led by Elissa Jenkins, a trainee ecotherapy practitioner studying a Certificate IV in Ecotherapy. Elissa is also currently undertaking further specialist training from Japan in Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing) practice.

As a professional performing artist with a Master of Arts in Social Science, Elissa’s work at Follow Me Tours sits at the intersection of evidence-based ecotherapy, sensory immersion, and place-based storytelling, translating emerging research in nature therapy and worlding into memorable, thought-provoking, and joyful experiences on Bribie Island.

Ecotherapy is an evidence-informed approach to wellbeing that uses connection with nature to support physical, emotional, cognitive, and nervous system regulation. It draws from environmental psychology, health sciences, and long-established cultural practices that recognise nature as an active participant in human wellbeing.

Research consistently shows that time in natural environments can reduce stress hormones, lower blood pressure, improve mood, and support attention and emotional regulation. Even short exposure to natural settings can create measurable shifts in wellbeing and nervous system state.

Elissa is the guide in these experiences, with nature as the teacher and healer. While the experiences may support healing, wellbeing, and relaxation, they are not a substitute for counselling, psychological, or medical care.

What Ecotherapy Means

Ecotherapy (sometimes called nature therapy or green therapy) refers to structured and unstructured practices that use the natural world as a setting for restoration, reflection, and reconnection.

At Follow Me Tours, ecotherapy is not theoretical. It is applied through your own lived experience on the Island, guided by Elissa’s training, observation, and facilitation of sensory engagement with place.

With Elissa as your guide, it can include:

• Slow, guided Island immersion walks and sits
• Sensory-based mindfulness in natural environments
• Forest bathing practices adapted for island ecosystems (among trees and mangroves)
• Blue mind engagement (water, waves, tides, horizons, shoreline awareness)
• Nature-based reflection and creative noticing practices using art (e.g. drawing, writing)
• Quiet, night-based “dark nature” experiences such as moonlight meditations and star gazing

The Practices That Shape This Work

Elissa’s practice is informed by three interconnected frameworks of ecotherapy:

Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing)

Shinrin-Yoku is the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in a forest atmosphere through slow, sensory awareness. Elissa is currently undertaking specialist training in this modality, adapting its principles into Bribie Island environments — where forest, mangrove, wetland, and coastal ecosystems meet. This practice supports nervous system regulation, reduced stress response, and heightened sensory awareness. Discover more about Shinrin-Yoku here.

Blue Mind Therapy

Blue Mind theory describes the mildly meditative state associated with being near, in, or on water. On Bribie Island, this becomes central to the work specifically shoreline walking, tidal observation, horizon gazing, and water-based attention practices that support calm, clarity, and emotional settling. Discover more about Blue Mind Therapy.

Dark Nature Experiences

Dark nature work explores twilight, dusk, night environments, and sensory reduction. Rather than focusing on fear or discomfort, this practice supports:

• Moonlight meditations and stargazing
• Nervous system down-regulation (calming the stress response)
• Deep listening and non-visual awareness
• Emotional processing through stillness
• Reconnection with natural circadian rhythms

It is where attention shifts from seeing to sensing.

How Ecotherapy Shapes Every Experience

Under Elissa’s facilitation, ecotherapy informs all offerings at Follow Me Tours:

Guided Tours

Every tour is designed as a slow, sensory-led immersion experience, shaped by ecological awareness, attention practices, and guided reflection.

Private Sessions

One-on-one or small group experiences tailored to nervous system needs — grounding, reflection, creativity, or reconnection.

Special Events

Seasonal gatherings aligned with tides, light, ecology, and cultural storytelling, designed to deepen relationship with place.

The Quiet Catch Cards

A tactile extension of ecotherapy practice — offering invitations to pause, notice, and re-engage with the natural world beyond the tour experience.

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Why This Work Matters

Ecotherapy is increasingly recognised in research fields including environmental psychology and public health as a legitimate approach to supporting wellbeing.

Studies show consistent links between nature exposure and:

• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Improved mood and emotional regulation
• Lower physiological arousal
• Enhanced attention and cognitive restoration

Elissa’s work sits within this growing evidence base — translating research into lived, sensory experience that is accessible, grounded, and place-specific.

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This Is Not Escape

It Is Reconnection

Follow Me Tours offers immersive nature, art, and culture experiences grounded in ecotherapy principles — where slowing down is intentional, attention is guided, and the environment is an active part of the experience.

Led by Elissa Jenkins, this work brings together training, practice, and place into a single approach:

Not observing nature from a distance — but entering into relationship with it.

Bribie Island is not the backdrop.

It is the collaborator.