Come together for a walk on the labyrinth at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, with the intention of healing through connection, as individuals and community. The event begins with a call to awareness and open-hearted presence. We will then consider what we wish to discard and/or to call forth in our life journeys. Slowly we walk the sacred path of the labyrinth in silence, followed by an option to attend the Celtic Service at 5:00 pm.

Free of Charge

In collaboration with non-profit Wild Alabama, we begin a shift to Forest Bathing based on the lunar cycle. On the Vernal Equinox, we come together a day-long opening of the senses in a narrow canyon in the Bankhead National Forest, featuring a creek, a stunning rock shelter, and a gorgeous community of eastern hemlocks, tulip poplars, wild magnolia, and so much more.

The hike in is about 1/4 mile - steep downhill going in and uphill coming out, but not too tough really. Forest Bathing guide Anne Markham Bailey and Wild Alabama Outreach and Education Coordinator Janice Barrett offer a series of exploratory invitations that allow participants to open and connect to the stones, water, plants and trees, sky, and more-than-human inhabitants of this ancient place. We will meet in person. The session includes solitary exploration as well as group sharing.

After registration, Janice Barrett will send detailed information about the session.

No charge to participate, but donations to Wild Alabama are accepted gratefully.

In collaboration with non-profit Wild Alabama, we begin a shift to Forest Bathing based on the lunar cycle. On the cyle of the Wolf Moon, we come together a day-long opening of the senses in a narrow canyon in the Bankhead National Forest, featuring a creek, a stunning rock shelter, and a gorgeous community of eastern hemlocks, tulip poplars, wild magnolia, and so much more.

The hike in is about 1/4 mile - steep downhill going in and uphill coming out, but not too tough really. Forest Bathing guide Anne Markham Bailey and Wild Alabama Outreach and Education Coordinator Janice Barrett offer a series of exploratory invitations that allow participants to open and connect to the stones, water, plants and trees, sky, and more-than-human inhabitants of this ancient place. We will meet in person. The session includes solitary exploration as well as group sharing.

After registration, Janice Barrett will send detailed information about the session.

No charge to participate, but donations to Wild Alabama are accepted gratefully.

Join us for a monthly poetry reading featuring the work of The Quorum Poets, a group of dynamic working poets, followed by a Poetry Open Mic. We gather at True Story Brewing and begin at 6:30 pm.

The Quorum Poets include Bob Collins, Jerri Beck, Maria Koors, Anne Markham Bailey, Brent Stauffer, Beth Stewart, and Robert Boliek. All are members of a poetry workshop that has been meeting weekly for over ten years.

For more information or to sign up for the Open Mic, contact Anne Markham Bailey at hello@markhambailey.com

In collaboration with non-profit Wild Alabama, this Winter Solstice Forest Bathing immersion is a day-long session in a little canyon in the Bankhead National Forest that offers a creek, a stunning rock shelter, and a gorgeous community of eastern hemlocks, tulip poplars, wild magnolia, and so much more. The hike in is about 1/4 mile - steep downhill going in and uphill coming out, but not too tough really. Forest Bathing guide Anne Markham Bailey and Wild Alabama Outreach and Education Coordinator Janice Barrett offer a series of exploratory invitations that allow participants to open and connect to the stones, water, plants and trees, sky, and more-than-human inhabitants of this ancient place. We will meet in person. The session includes solitary exploration as well as group sharing.

After registration, Janice Barrett will send detailed information about the session.

No charge to participate, but donations to Wild Alabama are accepted gratefully.

No book reading required, discussion group only. Join us as Anne Markham Bailey describes the practice of Forest Bathing which is the process of immersing yourself in nature in a mindful way, using your senses to derive a whole range of benefits for your physical, mental, emotional, and social health. It is also known as Shinrin-yoku. ‘Shinrin’ means “forest” and ‘Yoku’ stands for “bathing”.

Forest Bathing in nature allows the stressed portions of your brain to relax. Positive hormones are released in the body. You feel less sad, angry and anxious. It helps to avoid stress and burnout, and aids in fighting depression and anxiety. A forest bath is known to boost immunity and leads to lesser days of illness as well as faster recovery from injury or surgery. Nature has a positive effect on our mind as well as body. It improves heart and lung health, and is known to increases focus, concentration and memory.  

Join us for this dynamic workshop that explores effective, evidence-based tools which support the process of recovery.

Session Description:

This dynamic workshop explores effective, evidence-based tools to support the process of recovery. Participants will learn the basics of a mindfulness awareness practice that can apply to each person’s life experience. We’ll explore the limitation of mental ruts and how to move beyond, and into the benefits of mindfulness awareness. Participants are invited to explore body awareness as a means of grounding in order to move away from patterns that dominate. Invitations for exploration are combined with group sharing circles. This is not a religious practice. No experience necessary.

Outcomes:

• Feeling of calm

• Feeling of increased connection

• Increased optimism

• Lower heart rate

• Confidence in an evidence-based tool

About the Facilitator:

Anne Markham Bailey is passionate about supporting people in their journey of recovery. A poet, writer, experienced meditation instructor, mindfulness awareness practitioner, certified Forest Bathing guide, labyrinth facilitator, and yoga instructor. Anne has worked with Pam and Steve Moore as a yoga and awareness instructor for five years, facilitated yoga sessions with St Mary’s Group home, offer online classes in creative awareness, and the author of “The Practice of Being,” a guide to mindfulness awareness practice. Anne regularly offer classes, workshops, and public talks.

In collaboration with non-profit Wild Alabama, this Forest Bathing immersion is a day-long session in an amazing rock shelter in the Bankhead National Forest. The hike in is about 1/4 mile - steep downhill going in and uphill coming out, but not too tough really. Forest Bathing guide Anne Markham Bailey and Wild Alabama Outreach and Education Coordinator Janice Barrett offer a series of exploratory invitations that allow participants to open and connect to the stones, water, plants and trees, sky, and more-than-human inhabitants of this ancient place. We will meet in-person. The session includes solitary exploration as well as group sharing.

After registration, Janice Barrett will send the detailed information about the session.

No charge to participate, but donations to Wild Alabama are accepted gratefully.

Join me at the Trussville Public Library for this Forest Bathing immersion. The term “forest bathing” is a direct translation of the Japanese term “shinrin yoku,” and is a guided immersion in nature with a trained guide. Forest Bathing is also called Nature Therapy. I will offer a 3-hour workshop that explains the origins of Forest Bathing, its benefits, and then explores the practice. We’ll also do some creative writing from simple prompts, so bring your journal or notebook!

In collaboration with Wild Alabama - Join us for a day of immersion in an ancient canyon in the Bankhead National Forest with a special focus on the power and vitality of Eastern Hemlock forests. We’ll be writing generative poetry emerging from immersive invitations and writing prompts. Some of this work will become part of an exhibition by Alabama Artists and Poets inspired by the beauty and importance of the Eastern Hemlock forest ecosystem, and the threat that these forests face.

The project culminates in a show of paintings and poetry at Lowe Mill Arts in Huntsville October 4 - November 19, 2023.

To learn more about saving Alabama’s Hemlocks https://www.wildal.org/save-alabamas-hemlocks.html

In collaboration with non-profit Wild Alabama, this Forest Bathing immersion is a day-long session in an amazing rock shelter in the Bankhead National Forest. The hike in is about 1/4 mile - steep downhill going in and uphill coming out, but not too tough really. Forest Bathing guide Anne Markham Bailey and Wild Alabama Outreach and Education Coordinator Janice Barrett offer a series of exploratory invitations that allow participants to open and connect to the stones, water, plants and trees, sky, and more-than-human inhabitants of this ancient place. We will meet in-person. The session includes solitary exploration as well as group sharing.

No charge to participate, but donations to Wild Alabama are accepted gratefully.

In collaboration with Janice Barrett of Wild Alabama, this Forest Bathing session, is a day-long immersion in an amazing rock shelter in the Bankhead National Forest. The hike in is about 1/4 mile - steep downhill going in and uphill coming out. Forest Bathing guide Anne Markham Bailey and Wild Alabama Outreach and Education Coordinator Janice Barrett offer a series of exploratory invitations that allow participants to open and connect to the stones, water, plants and trees, sky, and more-than-human inhabitants of this ancient place. We will meet in-person. The session includes solitary exploration as well as group sharing.

No charge to participate, but donations to Wild Alabama are accepted gratefully.

Come together for a walk on the labyrinth at CityWalk Bham, with the intention of healing through connection, as individuals and community. The event begins with a call to awareness and open-hearted presence. We will then consider what we wish to discard and/or to call forth in our life journeys. Slowly we walk the sacred path of the labyrinth in silence, as the traffic of the highway reverberates overhead and the skateboarders ride close by. In this gorgeous cityscape, we can join together in healing practice. We end with an optional sharing circle.

Free of Charge

Park in the CityWalk parking lot that is behind the Alabama School of Fine Arts driveway. Drive down to the end that is closer to the skate park and park there.

I was informed today (05/11) that due to the event policy at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, I will not be able to offer this small-group Forest Bathing immersion. All registration will be refunded. Enjoy your Mother’s Day!!

Amidst the towering Mother Trees, we will come together to experience the benefits of awareness and connection in this Forest Bathing immersion at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. We will join together at the front gates at 9 a.m., and will then walk into the Japanese Gardens for a guided session of awareness invitations that support deep healing and well-being. Each invitation is followed by a group sharing circle. The session ends with a tea ceremony.

Cost: $25/person

Want to learn more about Forest Bathing? Check out my short Forest Bathing video.

Do you tell yourself and others that you are not creative? Are you a creative stuck in the muck?

Learn three simple techniques to access the power of creativity in your life! Let go of labels that limit you, and stretch!

Join me on Thursday May 11 at 6:30-7:30 for a FREE online webinar. We’ll explore the techniques that can allow you to move into your own exploration of your creative process and power. We will interact with questions and comments to support the process of creative discovery.

Creativity empowers your work, relationships, dreams, and plans. Start now!

REGISTER to receive the Zoom link.

In collaboration with Janice Barrett of Wild Alabama, this Forest Bathing session, is a day-long immersion in an amazing rock shelter in the Bankhead National Forest. The hike in is about 1/4 mile - steep downhill going in and uphill coming out. Forest Bathing guide Anne Markham Bailey and Wild Alabama Outreach and Education Coordinator Janice Barrett offer a series of exploratory invitations that allow participants to open and connect to the stones, water, plants and trees, sky, and more-than-human inhabitants of this ancient place. We will meet in-person. The session includes solitary exploration as well as group sharing.

No charge to participate, but donations to Wild Alabama are accepted gratefully.

Come together for a walk on the labyrinth at CityWalk Bham, with the intention of healing through connection, as individuals and community. The event begins with a call to awareness and open-hearted presence. We will then consider what we wish to discard and/or to call forth in our life journeys. Slowly we walk the sacred path of the labyrinth in silence, as the traffic of the highway reverberates overhead and the skateboarders ride close by. In this gorgeous cityscape, we can join together in healing practice. We end with an optional sharing circle.

Free of Charge

Park in the CityWalk parking lot that is behind the Alabama School of Fine Arts driveway. Drive down to the end that is closer to the skate park and park there.

Come together as community and support the Friends of Avondale Park in this Forest Bathing immersion at Avondale Park. We will join together at the Rose Garden at 9 a.m., and will then walk into the forest area of the park for a guided session of awareness invitations that support deep healing and well-being. Each invitation is followed by a group sharing circle, and we finish with a hot tea ceremony.

Cost: $15/person - All proceeds of this program go to Friends of Avondale Park. To learn more, Friends of Avondale Park

Want to learn more about Forest Bathing? Check out my short Forest Bathing video.

Come together for a walk on the labyrinth at City Walk Bham, with the intention of healing through connection as individuals in community. The event begins with a call to awareness and open-hearted presence. We will then consider what we wish to discard and/or to call forth in our life journeys. Slowly we walk the sacred path of the labyrinth in silence, as the traffic of the highway reverberates overhead and the skateboarders ride close by. In this gorgeous cityscape, we can join together in healing practice. We end with an optional sharing circle.

Free of Charge

Park in the CityWalk parking lot that is behind the Alabama School of Fine Arts driveway. Drive down to the end that is closer to the skate park and park there.

Come together for a walk on the labyrinth at City Walk Bham, with an intention for healing and well-being as individuals and community. The event begins with a call to awareness and open-hearted presence. We will then consider what we wish to discard and to call forth in our life journeys. Slowly we walk the sacred path of the labyrinth in silence, as the traffic of the highway reverberates overhead and the skateboarders ride close by. In this gorgeous cityscape, we can join together in healing practice.

Free of Charge

Park behind the Alabama School of Fine Arts.

Want to increase your happiness, decrease anxiety, boost your immune system, and feel more optimistic?

Join me in a FREE online session to learn about the origins, scientific research, and benefits of Forest Bathing. I’ll offer information on how you can get started, and why you don’t need a forest to begin!

Wednesday, March 29, 6:00-7:30 pm. on ZOOM. Register to receive the link.

In collaboration with Janice Barrett of Wild Alabama in this Forest Bathing session, a day-long immersion in an amazing rock shelter in the Bankhead National Forest. This hike in is about 2 miles total - no trail - somewhat steep downhill going in and uphill coming out. Nature Therapy guide Anne Markham Bailey and Wild Alabama Outreach and Education Coordinator Janice Barrett offer a series of exploratory invitations that allow participants to open and connect to the stones, water, plants and trees, sky, and more-than-human inhabitants of this ancient place. We will meet in-person. The session includes solitary exploration as well as group sharing.

No charge to participate, but donations to Wild Alabama are accepted gratefully.

Come together for a walk on the labyrinth at City Walk Bham, with an intention for healing and well-being as individuals and community. The event begins with a call to awareness and open-hearted presence. We will then consider what we wish to discard and to call forth in our life journeys. Slowly we walk the sacred path of the labyrinth in silence, as the traffic of the highway reverberates overhead and the skateboarders ride close by. In this gorgeous cityscape, we can join together in healing practice.

Free of Charge

Park behind the Alabama School of Fine Arts.

On the sacred geometry of the labyrinth, we join as an interfaith community to share aspirations for the coming year, and to release what no longer serves us. The labyrinth offers a single path, unlike a maze. As we enter the path, we may hold an aspiration or question for the journey to the center. At the center, we open and release. As we follow the path from the center, we can re-integrate and emerge with a deepened understanding.

The underlying possibility of this New Year’s Eve walk is peace and healing for ourselves, our community, and our planet. Together we can come together for our shared well-being and benefit. The labyrinth is an ancient tool in our shared human wisdom tradition, and have been discovered across the globe. I trained as a labyrinth facilitator because of the power of the labyrinth as a path of healing and insight.

The labyrinth at CityWalk Bham is located behind the Alabama School of Fine Arts. A parking area is located there.

We’ll meet at 5:30. Questions? hello@markhambailey.com