Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Krystle Willmore. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Krystle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I was into my own healing process, dealing with childhood abuse and trauma, and it seemed like everything I did was helping but it wasn’t quite enough. I used to say “logically I understand, but emotionally I don’t” because everything my therapist said made sense in my brain, but I couldn’t feel it into my body. I found something called a Forest Therapy Walk and even though I took my 3 children on weekly hikes, it appealed to me and I decided to sign up. The walk itself wasn’t miraculous, but I realized that I felt great and that a month later I was still thinking about it. So I decided to find out why and read the book Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li. Reading this book I realized that I needed to get trained on how to facilitate Forest Bathing/Therapy to continue feeling good and to help my family. During my training with the Association of Nature and Forest therapy (ANFT) I realized this was something everyone needed. That was the moment I knew I needed to grow this into a business. A year after I finished my training I was ready to finish my talk therapy. My therapist said to me, “Krystle, what you have accomplished in 2 years takes most people 10 years to do and I think that has everything to do with your nature therapy.” So now not only am I still a homeschool mom, which I love tremendously, I am a Nature Therapy Guide.

Krystle, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a big believer in meeting people where they are at. Not everyone wants to walk through the forest for 2 hours for Forest Therapy. So I decided to spread out my services to try and reach different interests. I got my yoga certification and created a program Elemental Yoga. Which is Yin Yoga and Nature Therapy combined. Each class is themed on one fo the 5 Chinese elements: earth, wood, fire, water, and metal. The yoga moves are based upon certain meridian lines that are aligned with the corresponding element. We open up the body by stretching the fascia and typically classes are held outside although when it’s too cold I offer an inside location. Another thing most people don’t realize is that we aren’t supposed to have the same exact daily routines all year long. Emotionally we change like the seasons do, which prompted me to create my Seasonal Rhythms Workshop. One workshop each season includes yoga, herbs, meditation and journaling. I created booklets so that when you go home from the workshop, you can continue to establish a healthy seasonal rhythm. There is no beginning or end, you can start the workshop at any season! There are several Nature Therapy Guides who also have Yoga certifications, but I do not keep these separate, I combine these as much as I can and in different ways too. I also offer Forest Tea Parties, Maidens of the Moon (A Mother/Daughter circle), Kid’s Moon Club, and more. I am an herbalist in training as well. All of these things can aid in healing in ways that talk therapy cannot. Emotional regulation comes from connection with the earth and opening up our energy to receive it.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Every single person who has worked with me is looking for healing. I went through the depths of pain and came out the other end happy, healed, and healing. I also was vocal about my struggle with abuse which helped others to feel comfortable because I get it. I may not have experienced exactly what they have, but I have experienced pain and all pain relates.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

At the beginning I was involved with a non-profit that mainly focused on nature camps for kids. I love working there and was doing a lot of my own services there as well. I realized one summer that I had done so much for this non-profit and neglected my own business. The whole point of me starting with this non-profit was to gain experience and build my business. I wasn’t doing both, so I reevaluated and made a shift of my focus. I still do some work there, but I have set stronger boundaries on my time with them. Since pivoting I have seen a huge growth in business, social media following, networking, and my own personal motivation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.onthegreenmeadows.com
• Instagram: @onthegreenmeadows
• Facebook: On the Green Meadows

Image Credits
Bridgette Nelson, Irene Gallegos