Nature's Touchstone by Marie Galdi — The Forest Therapy School - Become a Certified Forest Therapy & Forest Bathing Guide

Nature’s Touchstone

Sample from “Whispers from the Field” by Marie Galdi

It is not my home, and I am honored to witness its vast
greatness as this inhabited plant and animal sanctuary.
When I am with you, I need no communication or
language. We just are.
I never knew just how precious this secret world beyond
the pathway was until I found the right day, the right
moment in time, to take the first step.
I leave no imprint along the path, a mere memory in the
timeworn dirt, the mycelium of all things.
What became of my wanderings as they were spun into
a gorgeous reset, a divine handful of contemplative
prayers from Earth Mother, one that holds true to my
resonance in the frequency of this pathway, the same
pathway shared by animal friends, insects, birds, and all
that crawls beneath?
There is so much unbridled, untapped beauty in the
decay, in the harvest of what turns inward, turns dark
umber, and crumbles as it falls to the earthly ground.
Nothing goes to waste, as a new blanket permeates what
lies beneath this precious earth. That which creates
richness and a felt sense that turns over and blends all
into the substrate, into a new opportunity, one of
greatness for all to witness.
Even this too shall pass, pass away, and create something
even brighter, more spectacular, more unique, one of a
kind, authentic, beyond what is even imaginable. What
calls to us is the big, bold breath with a pause in our
movements, a pause in our activeness, a presence to be.

Slow, slowly walk, slowly stop, and usher your body into
a lovely spin, ever so graceful and slow. Because what you
might not have witnessed could be that which is behind
you or even above. Like life itself, perhaps the magic
comes when we can stop and take that precious pause.

Contemplative Offerings

Who do you feel you need to ask? Who is it you require
permission from to stop, pause a precious moment in
time, to just be with yourself? Be in a space where what
you define can call to a natural world. Presently, I can
hear the cars busily traveling down the macadam just a
short distance away. I somehow don’t feel it as
disruptive; I am captivated by the glory of what occurs
around me, just above me and right below me. I invite
you, if you’re willing, to offer your soul the permission
to stop, stand next to a tree, and witness her ever-
growing greatness at any stage of life she’s in. I grant that
she will have messages for your living condition.
I am renewed. I am repaired. I am in reverence as I take
a contemplative step and witness the soul essence of a
new birthed day.
Namaste, my love.

Marie “Mahri” Galdi trained with The Forest Therapy School as part of the Guest House Cohort in 2022. She is the founder of Your Soul’s Retreat and the author of Whispers from the Field: Uncovering the Path to Your Soul’s Home, a collection of reflections, photographs, and contemplative writing inspired by her relationship with the land.

Learn more about Marie and Whispers from the Field

About Marie, in her own words:

“Hi, I’m Marie "Mahri" ~

For as long as I can remember, I've had what I lovingly call an outdoor living room. It is where I found the little girl in me come alive. The swaying trees, the grasslands, and the warmth of the sun became my habitat whenever I wanted to feel a sense of home.

What began as quiet walks through the fields and woods has grown into a way of listening to the land, to the whispers that arise when I become still, and to the deeper knowing that can surface when we give ourselves permission to simply be.

Somewhere along my path I found the Forest Therapy School. The Facilitator training provided me with a finer lens to learn the history of our Founding Fathers; The Lenape. I find great honor in acknowledging the Indigenous peoples, knowing that our homestead-the land we steward- speaks by way of nature’s living presence.

I am the founder of Your Soul's Retreat, where I walk alongside people as they remember who they are and hold space for their becoming. Much of my work happens outdoors, where a path, a tree, a changing sky, or the rhythm of our own footsteps becomes an invitation to notice what is quietly asking to be seen. I don't believe we need to go into nature to fix ourselves. I believe we can enter with curiosity and presence and allow nature to remind us of something we may have forgotten—that we are already part of something living.

Life whispers through the outdoor living room, bringing profound encounters with a simple wildflower, an elegant dragonfly or a tag-along caterpillar. And my book, 'Whispers from the Field ~ Uncovering the path to your Soul's Home,' was born from this relationship with the land. It grew from early-morning walks, contemplation, photographs, and the words that seemed to find me as I wandered. I describe myself as an open channel for what the field has to say, and the book is my invitation to others to listen for their own whispers.

I'm grateful to be part of this Forest Therapy community and excited to learn from others who recognize that sometimes the most profound healing begins when we stop trying to make something happen, and simply walk, listen, and become present to what is already here.

If the words of the field call to you, ‘Whispers from the Field’ is available for those who would like to continue the journey through its pages.”

Nature’s Touchstone