Tea as a Winter Forest Therapy Ritual

January is a season of listening. In Ohio, winter slows the forest and softens our pace, inviting rest, patience, and deeper attention. At Buds in Bloom, winter forest therapy is not about doing less, but about noticing more. The quieter landscape invites us into the present moment, asking us to be with what is here rather than move toward what is next. One of the ways I stay in relationship with this season is through tea. A warm cup becomes a ritual of arrival, a pause before movement, and a reminder that forest therapy begins in the now.

Forest therapy is rooted in direct experience through the five senses. Before choosing a tea, I often pause for a brief full body scan. It takes only seconds. I notice breath, temperature, energy, and sensation, and quietly ask, What do I need right now? Forest therapy is experienced through the whole body, through breath, sensation, and presence in each moment. This awareness helps guide how we care for ourselves in relationship with the land and with the season.

Many forest therapy walks include foraging for tea. Leaves, needles, berries, and roots gathered with intention become part of the shared experience. Winter is the season to return to those herbs dried earlier in the year. Using what was gathered during warmer months strengthens our relationship with seasonal cycles and reminds us that the forest provides across time, not only in moments of visible growth.

If you did not dry herbs, or if foraging is not available to you, thoughtfully chosen teas can still support the practice. The invitation remains the same. Pause. Listen. Respond.

Warm tea offers more than comfort. The heat of the cup, the rising steam, the act of slowing down all work together to support the nervous system. As we sip, breath naturally softens and the body begins to settle. Before we analyze or name what we feel, the body already knows it is being cared for.

Why Warm Tea Calms the Nervous System

Warm tea supports the nervous system through the body, not the mind. Heat stimulates receptors in the mouth and belly that signal safety through the vagus nerve. Aroma rises with the steam, engaging the limbic system, where emotion and memory live. Slow sipping naturally lengthens the breath, inviting the body into rest and regulation.

Sometimes the body asks for calm. Chamomile has long been a gentle companion for rest and easing. Its soft floral warmth pairs naturally with winter’s quieter rhythm. At other times, the body asks for warmth. Fresh ginger with a cinnamon stick brings heat and grounding. Preparing it slowly, slicing the ginger and allowing it to steep, becomes part of the ritual. Waiting is part of winter’s teaching.

Listening may also reveal a desire for cooling or refreshment, even in winter. Mint offers this beautifully. I often brew mint tea and allow it to cool, enjoying it at room temperature or chilled. Forest therapy does not ask us to override the body’s needs to match the season, but to stay attentive to what is present.

Immune support and resilience often come into awareness during colder months. One blend I return to is Old Mr. Bailiwick’s Shield Decoction. Its flavor and scent are intoxicating—warm, rich, and enveloping, like a cup of care itself—and its ingredients deepen the experience: astragalus root, elderberry, cordyceps mushroom, goji berry, cinnamon bark, and ginger root. Preparing a decoction takes time. Roots and berries are simmered slowly, releasing their aroma and warmth into the space. The process itself becomes a practice of patience and attentiveness, echoing the way the forest conserves energy and teaches stillness through winter.

These teas are not prescriptions. They are invitations. Forest therapy is not about fixing or optimizing, but about relationship. Tea becomes a way of relating to the body with curiosity, respect, and sensory awareness. The act of choosing, preparing, and drinking is as meaningful as the herbs themselves.

This ritual travels easily. Even when I am not walking familiar Ohio trails, the practice remains rooted in the season. Winter continues to guide the pace, reminding us to slow down, warm up, and listen more closely.

Winter continues to teach, even when I am far from Ohio woods.

Herbal teas are shared here as part of a reflective forest therapy practice and not as medical advice; individuals are encouraged to listen to their bodies and consult a qualified professional if they have specific health concerns.

If you feel called to try this practice, begin simply. Choose one tea. Prepare it with presence. Sit near a window, a tree, or a quiet space. Notice the warmth of the cup in your hands. Notice scent, taste, and the way your body responds. Let this be an entry point into deeper listening.

Winter continues to teach, even when I am far from Ohio woods.