General Programming
Brookside Gardens offers a variety of Health & Wellness programs for adults, including:
- Weekly yoga and tai-chi classes designed to strengthen muscles, improve balance, and increase flexibility
- Half-day mindfulness retreats
- Shinrin-yoku (Japanese “forest bathing”) to help with stress reduction
- Guided mindfulness walks with integrative therapist Tania Lanning to help you connect with your inner self and with the natural world around you
To learn more and to register online, please visit the Online Cultivate Guide magazine.
Garden Mindfulness at Home
You may have seen the “Garden Mindfulness” signs along the Heart Smart Trail in the Gude Garden reminding you to pause and tune into the present moment. Use this PDF document as a guide to practice mindful awareness(pdf) in your own backyard or local park!
Strolls for Well-Being at Brookside Gardens
“I feel brighter and lighter.” —Participant, spring 2022
Strolls for Well-Being is an evidence-based program that promotes emotional healing through connection to nature. Drawing on psychological principles such as mindfulness as well as practices like forest bathing, this 8-week program is a balm for anyone struggling with stress, grief or trauma, or simply seeking greater peace and fulfillment.
Strolls for Well-Being Program
The 8-week course consists of:
- 3 facilitated group meetings at the beginning, middle and end of the program;
- In the first meeting, participants receive an introduction to the program, and the beautiful 110-page guided journal that will guide them on their strolls (journals are available in English or Spanish).
- In the second and third meetings, participants will share insights and learn about each other’s experiences.
- 12 solo strolls through different sections of Brookside Gardens;
- Strolls are done individually on one’s own time between meetings. Typically, 6 strolls in the first 4 weeks and 6 strolls in the final 4 weeks.
- Each stroll has its own theme, reflected in the journal with readings and writing prompts.
Season after season participants finish the program with a sense of renewal and an appreciation for the healing power of nature!
Strolling Benefits
Survey data using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS) shows that participants in the Strolls for Well-Being at Brookside Gardens finish the program with:
- More positive emotions and fewer negative emotions than before
- Increased motivation to grow and change in their lives.
How to Enroll in Strolls for Well-Being
Enrollment for Spring and Summer 2026 opens on Tuesday, February 17! Visit ActiveMONTGOMERY to register.
Collaboration & Sponsorships
If you are a therapist, health care provider, or organization working to address health outcomes and disparities, and you are interested in offering the Strolls for Well-Being to your clients or employees, Brookside Gardens would like to collaborate with you! Please contact Colleen.Dolak@montgomeryparks.org for more information. Similarly, Brookside Gardens is open to sponsorships to make its programming more accessible to underserved populations.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Strolls for Well-Being program was originally created for people experiencing depression, stress, exhaustion, or life transitions. Today, the program can benefit any adult who wishes to spend time reflecting in nature. Individuals experiencing grief, illness, and other types of difficult life changes have expressed a particular appreciation for the program.
The Strolls are for emotional wellness rather than exercise or fitness. Participants with varying levels of mobility are welcome. Brookside Gardens includes gravel and paved pathways, and participants may choose their own routes within each garden area. Benches are located throughout.
At your first meeting, you will meet fellow participants and receive your copy of the guided journal – the program’s “treasure” – that will lead you through twelve different walks. Each walk has its own theme and collection of quotes, poems, and reflection prompts related to that theme. You will complete one or two walks per week at Brookside Gardens, on your own schedule and at your own pace, meeting a second time with your fellow participants midway through the program and a third time at its end.
At your first meeting, your facilitator will show you the different garden areas where you will be taking your walks. Then, over the next eight weeks, you will complete the walks on your own.
Feel free to contact gabrielle.gilliam@montgomeryparks.org with questions!