Our Team

Vivian spent years in the world of economics, studying economic geography and environmental economics and ending a 10-year administrative career at the London School of Economics as the manager of a research centre in financial markets. At that point, she embarked on a Masters in Ecological Design Thinking to shift her life towards her deep passion for nature. Vivian speaks English, German, French, Portuguese and rusty Spanish. Since 2016, she has been training in Somatic practices (Body Mind Centering, Sensory Awareness and Elsa Gindler’s “Arbeit am Menschen”). In her business, Joy in Movement, Vivian guides sensory movement meditations to help entrepreneurs find relief from stress, and to find focus, clarity, and creativity through gaining a deeper connection with nature, starting with their own bodies. She is passionate about the need for people to take regular breaks as part of an essential regime of self-care. In her view and experience, rest is an essential element of being productive at and fulfilled by work. As a child Vivian started writing a book about the forest and taking photographs of trees with her first camera. She has had a lifelong intimate connection with wood and trees, so it was only natural to add the FTHub’s formal forest bathing guide certification to her toolkit. She enjoys exploring the intertwining of Forest Bathing with a more intimate knowledge of one’s unique human body through Somatics and the inner wisdom, release and joy that emanates from such practices.

Pietro is a freelance professional working in the fields of Language Coaching, Forest Bathing and Group Dynamics. Following his early childhood years in Africa, he moved to the Italian Alps and has always lived in rural areas; a true extension of his comfort zone, this environment helps him build nature-based learning experiences for kids and adults. He works with schools, banks, incentive travel agencies, professionals and families and has recently been assigned two teaching positions at a vocational high school operating in challenging contexts. During summertime he is usually involved in leading residential summer camps in the Alps, study vacations abroad, hiking trips, or enjoying free time to explore new pathways and spending time outdoors. Pietro has successfully organised and coordinated volunteer-based trail clean-ups in the Cervo Valley as a way of promoting physical, psychological and social health, to encourage interaction, and reduce isolation. His engineering background hasn’t stopped him from exploring psychology, sociology and the human condition in general. His Forest Bathing approach relies on his intense and variegated lifestyle and his experience with people and is aimed at improving healthy relationships by healing and reinforcing self-esteem, empathy, hence reciprocity. His goal is to coach individuals, groups and organisations into learning and using their interpersonal skills to create a healthier and happier society for us humans and the natural environment we all depend on.

Pedro holds an MSc in Landscape Architecture from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Oporto, in addition to training in sustainable and naturalistic landscape design. He speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish. Pedro has guided countless Forest Bathing walks in Portugal and has given numerous lectures on Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy. He has developed his own method of integrating nature connection practices with contemporary lifestyles, The Nature De-Stress System, so that the connection with the natural world is strong and serves as a basis for anyone who wants to improve their health and wellbeing, as well as their way of life. He is passionate about showing participants that regardless of the type of natural environment, the season of the year, or the weather, each Forest Bathing is a unique sensory experience in itself.

She has graduated in Civil Engineering from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Interested in self-development, personal growth, spirituality and wellbeing areas, she moved from construction structures to Human structures, which is also real engineering. She is a Portuguese native speaker and has a proficiency level in English, Spanish and Italian. She is a Holistic Therapist, Yoga teacher for adults and children and at Citizenship Circles Trainer Project for children in elementary schools.

Rocío is a journalist, writer and singer-songwriter. As a BA in Communication, she has worked in national-wide media for 25 years in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as a radio producer, writer and general editor in news sites, a writer in news magazines and blogs, and producer of some of the most viewed television news programmes of Argentina. She is a Spanish native speaker and has a proficiency level in English and Portuguese. She has trained producers and journalistic writers and has been a teacher of Narrative Journalism, Online Journalism, Practices of Journalistic Discourse and other subjects in different national universities. She has travelled all over her country since she can remember. Later, for longer journeys, she chose the Córdoba’s hills and streams of La Cumbrecita, and the beaches and pine forests of the Atlantic Coast of Buenos Aires, where she also guides some of the Forest Bathing walks as a Certified Forest Bathing Guide.

Manuela is a holistic practitioner who has studied Naturopathy, Spagyric Medicine and Ecopsychology. She is also an Ayurveda practitioner and Mindfulness facilitator. She speaks Italian, Spanish and English. Having grown up in an environment of mountain tourism, linked to nature, sustainability and the value of the land, she decides to dedicate her time to the wellbeing of people and the environment. In fact, she loves nature in all its forms, and she never misses an opportunity to try to convey this love to the people she knows. She creates events in support of environmental education, outdoor wellness activities, holistic paths and treatments aimed at awakening a love for nature. In addition to accompanying people in wellness programmes, for some years she has been teaching in various holistic schools in Italy.