Meet the Rabbi passionate about seeing the woods for the trees
Jewish News spends an afternoon with Dov Cowan, an advocate for the power of nature and wilderness therapy as a spiritual detox
A rabbi and educator from Hertfordshire is inviting the community to immerse themselves in nature in spiritual preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this year.
45-year old father of five Dov Cowan, “born in and bred in Borehamwood and Elstree”, is a meditation teacher and therapist, passionate about the benefits of wilderness therapy.
As part of his interest in outdoor education, Cowan, who works for the Jewish Learning Exchange, attended an intensive and transformational three day nature awareness training in the summer of 2018 in the middle of a Devonshire forest.
He says he witnessed “the profound impact that nature awareness can have on calming the nervous system and overcoming anxiety” adding that “as Covid hit, we saw how suddenly everyone was going outdoors for walks and meet-ups but I realised that instead of actually experiencing the natural environment, most of us were busy listening to podcasts or music with big headphones, or catching up with friends.”
It was then that Cowan considered incorporating the wilderness therapy course, his training in mindfulness, and the Jewish meditation and Hitbonenut (spiritual contemplation) techniques that he had been teaching, into a three hour mini-retreat.
He decided that it would “offer the chance for anyone to come and have a profound experience of self-discovery in nature whilst building up a sense of wholesome community.”
The prototype sessions were held in a park in Elstree in 2021 and the feedback was “overwhelmingly positive”.
The sessions have now seen countless people of all ages and stages coming together for a unique Sunday afternoon experience that totally changes the way they approach the week ahead.
Cowan adds: “One participant phoned me on Wednesday to say that he was still smiling from the happy feelings that he had unlocked from that Sunday’s experience.”
To test the theory of nature as a spiritual detox, Jewish News took part in a Sunday afternoon ‘Soul Forest’ session, in a shaded woodland area in the heart of Hampstead Garden Suburbs. Willingly handing over your mobile phone for three hours straight isn’t something that comes naturally, even more so when you are in the middle of indistinguishable trees, bushes and shrubbery, with only the sounds of wild birds and random squirrel-hunting spaniels chased by an exasperated owner to break the silence.
“Tell my children I love them very much,” I half joked, already trying to mentally retrace my steps back to the safety of my car, spraying myself liberally with mosquito repellant and sincerely regretting watching ‘A Quiet Place’ the night before.
Our group was small, our backgrounds varied, our curiosity collective. Dressed down in comfortable clothing, regulation “sensible shoes” and each bringing either a yoga mat or fold-away chair, we dropped our phones into Dov’s rucksack and waited for instructions.
I’m not going to spoil the experience for those who are considering it, but suffice to say that after three hours, we all had a greater appreciation of our natural surroundings, our breath, the power of mindfulness, the beauty of silence and a new found affinity for balancing pebble stones. For some of our group, the afternoon was profound, cathartic and soul-baring, comforted by the reassurance of knowing we were in a safe, respectful and supportive space.
As one member of the group later said: “Afterwards I was more aware of my surroundings than usual, even more appreciative about about the nature at my door step and all around me. I learnt more about myself which is a positive emotion for anyone. To trust a process is so rewarding, especially nowadays when we are faced with challenging times
Another said: “It felt like as a group we are able to reconnect with our uninhibited, younger selves and have that openness to experience nature again.”
Rabbi Cowan, who is spending the high holy days with the community of Bushey United synagogue, says: “There is no question that the current events in Israel and the streets of the UK have exacerbated the feelings of stress, sadness and in many cases isolation, for so many of us in the community. This is all added onto the general burnout so many of us are experiencing due to technology, social media addiction and the cost of living beyond how we are physically, biologically and emotionally wired to live.
“Instead of taking selfies and experiencing the world through the glass screens of our phones, the experience of being with the trees, animals, flowers and plants of the woods all remind us that there is a natural rhythm and synchronicity to life that we have lost track of and that we so desperately need.”
Soul Forest experiences is running a session this Sunday 15th September at 4pm in Bigwood, and a pre-Rosh Hashanah spiritual detox retreat on Sunday September 29th in Hertfordshire.
For more information, click here.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
