Welcome to Oak and Air. In a world that constantly demands our attention, this is a place of sanctuary. I’m Laura Waugh, a Forest Therapy Guide and Breathwork Facilitator.
My practice is simple. I trust in nature as an external anchor and the breath as an internal anchor to support you on your journey. Whether you are seeking peace and clarity, a restorative experience for your team, or a deeper connection with yourself, I am here to guide you.
“I trust in nature as an external anchor and the breath as an internal anchor to support my clients as I work as a guide for self-healing.“
“We all know how good being in nature can make us feel. We have known it for millennia. The sounds of the forest, the scent of the trees, the fresh, clean air – these are the things that give us comfort. They ease our stress and worry, help us to think more clearly.
Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us.”
Dr. Qi Ling
Oak and Air’s offerings and events are designed to offer a path back to yourself through the profound, transformative and healing powers of nature and breath. These offerings are rooted in the practices of mindful Forest Bathing and conscious Breathwork, thoughtfully created for individuals, groups, and forward-thinking businesses. Whether a professional breathwork introduction, a restorative wellbeing retreat or a 1:1 to support your personal journey, you will find a carefully held space, designed to help you connect with your inner wisdom and build lasting resilience. Explore and find the right space for you or your team to begin.
Invest in your team’s greatest asset: their wellbeing. These professional workshops use evidence-based Forest Bathing and Breathwork techniques to reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and foster genuine team cohesion. Create a more positive, resilient, and productive work environment. There are options to connect online, within your workspace or out in nature.
Join a community of like-minded people as part of seasonal group woodland retreat, or an indoor or online breathwork session. These events are a gift of time for yourself. We slow down, tune into our senses, and connect with nature and each other through guided meditation and mindful activities, nature crafts and wholesome campfire food. These experiences are deeply restorative and transformational.
For those seeking a more personal and focused path, 1:1 sessions offer a space held just for you.
These indoor or online private sessions are tailored to your specific needs, whether it’s guiding you in an introduction to breath awareness and gentle techniques through to powerful conscious connected breathwork to release trauma or stuck emotions, manage anxiety, and increase self-awareness.
I also offer Forest Therapy 1:1 sessions. This space in nature is for you to connect to your senses and tap into your inner wisdom and intuition, amongst the healing elements of the woods.
Perhaps you want to experience an indoor Breathwork workshop or Forest Bathing Northumberland Retreat as a group. This could be a birthday celebration, a rest bite for carers or a friends reunion.
Skilled at adapting these workshops to meet your needs. We are able to connect deeply and soulfully when present together with our breath and nature. With plenty of room for fun and laughter. The perfect way to spend nourishing and fulfilling time together.
The gentle, powerful practices of Forest Bathing and Breathwork offer profound and lasting benefits. They provide a toolkit for navigating modern life, helping you to build resilience, find peace, and reconnect with your own sense of wellbeing. Here are six key ways these services can support you.
These practices are a powerful antidote to chronic stress and anxiety. By consciously guiding your breath and immersing yourself in nature, you can activate your body’s “rest and digest” state, calming your nervous system. This process is scientifically shown to lower cortisol, the primary stress hormone, leading to a profound sense of peace and relaxation.
Our bodies can hold onto past experiences, trauma, and fear, which can manifest as physical or emotional dis-ease. Breathwork provides a safe and supported way to access and release these stored emotions and self-limiting beliefs. This is a deep self-healing practice that allows you to gently let go of heavy baggage that may be weighing you down.
By calming the mind and regulating the nervous system, these practices can dramatically improve your sleep patterns. One participant, an NHS Nurse, noted, “I’ve felt at peace with the world since my forest bathing session and I’ve definitely been sleeping better”. When your body is not in a constant state of high alert, it can achieve deeper, more restorative rest.
Engaging with nature has a direct impact on your physical health. Forest Bathing can stimulate the immune system by increasing the production of Natural Killer (NK) cells, which are crucial for fighting infection. At the same time, breathwork practices are proven to increase energy levels, helping you feel more vital and alive in your daily life.
These services provide the space to tune out external noise and connect with your own inner wisdom. This increased self-awareness fosters kindness, joy, and enhances mental clarity. By developing a deeper understanding of your own needs and patterns, you can make decisions with greater clarity and determination.
At the core of this work is the ability to consciously manage your own nervous system— the most powerful way we can do so is through our breath. You will learn how to move from a state of “fight or flight” to one of deep relaxation. Over time, this practice builds your resilience to stress, teaching your body how to cope in challenging situations because it has practiced in a safe and controlled space.
Forest Bathing is more than just a walk in the woods. It is a practice of slowing down, being present in the moment, and engaging with the forest environment through all of your senses. We have been evolving for millions of years with nature. Trees and plants breath out and we breathe in. Our wellbeing depends on this synchronicity. When we connect to nature mindfully through Forest Bathing, physiological changes take place. We move out of our sympathetic nervous system - fight or flight and into our parasympathetic nervous system - rest and digest. We experience many benefits such as mental clarity, regulated heart rate and blood pressure, improved sleep and a sense of peace.
Breathwork has been practised for thousands of years in Eastern cultures and is the basis of modern yoga. It can be described as an active and embodied form of meditation. When you intentionally change your breathing pattern through different techniques you can change your state of consciousness and improve physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
Breathwork can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, increase your energy levels, improve sleep patterns, and boost your immune system. It is also a powerful practice to release blocked emotions, increase self worth, let go of self limiting beliefs and release trauma and emotions that may be stored in the body.
There is a range of professional packages at Oak and Air for businesses and organisations to suit different needs and schedules. These include 1-hour online or indoor breathwork sessions for small groups and individuals, half-day Forest Bathing immersions, and full-day retreats, which include lunch and campfire settings. Explore The Air Reset, The Oak Reset, The Oak and Air Rest and the Conscious Connected Breath Reset here.
No, you don't need any prior experience. All sessions are designed to be a non-judgemental, relaxed, and supportive space for everyone. Whether you are a complete beginner or have some experience, each practice is a deep self-healing journey where you will be fully guided.
Workshops and events are based in and around the Tyne Valley, Northumberland and across the North East.
Professional services, 1:1 breathwork and group breathworks can be held online.
Conscious Connected Breathwork events are regularly held at Naturel Therapies, Warden NE46 4SH. Find out more about Events here.
These practices directly affect your nervous system. By using specific breathing techniques and mindfully connecting with nature, you can consciously shift your body from the "fight or flight" stress response to the restorative "rest and digest" state. This process is scientifically shown to lower levels of cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone.
Practises such as Conscious Connected Breathwork is an activating type of breathwork which builds resilience in our nervous system making us more able to respond positively to stressful situations.
Yes, Laura is a trauma-informed facilitator dedicated to understanding the science behind these practices. There is mounting evidence for multiple benefits. Research shows that Forest Bathing can boost immunity by increasing our Natural Killer (NK) cells, while breathwork is proven to regulate the nervous system and improve the body's oxygen efficiency through mechanisms like the BOHR effect. See The Science to find out more.
I am Laura Waugh, a Nature Therapy Guide and Breathwork Facilitator with 20 years of experience in environment and conservation with a focus on health and wellbeing. I am a fully insured practitioner with an International Diploma in Forest Bathing from Nature and Therapy, a training provider accredited by the Complimentary Medical Association (CMA). I am accredited by the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance (GPBA), ensuring the highest ethical and training standards. I am currently training to become a Breathwork Teacher with Breathing Space.
