Mudita Salus CIC

20/08/2026

As our 18-month Connect3 programme draws to a close this month, we wanted to share some of the data that's stayed with us most, not attendance figures, but how people actually felt.💚

At the start of every walk, we invite people to choose a ribbon that matches their mood: red for low or difficult, amber for neutral or in-between, and green for positive or good. We ask again at the end. It's simple, anonymous, and over 18 months it's told us something remarkable.

At the start of a walk:
🔴 Red (low mood): 18%
🟠 Amber (neutral): 61%
🟢 Green (positive): 21%

By the end of a walk:
🔴 Red: down to just 1%
🟠 Amber: 20%
🟢 Green: up to 80%

Across 358 mood check-ins over 63 walks, low mood dropped by 97% by the end of a session - and in 1 out of every 3 walks, everyone in the group left feeling green.

We always believed time in nature, together, could shift how people feel - but seeing it in the data, walk after walk, still gives us goosebumps.

Thank you to every single person who picked up a ribbon and gave us this picture of what Connect3 has really meant.

11/08/2026

After 18 months, over 100 walkers, and every season in between - Connect3 comes to an end. 🌱

On Monday 17th August, we're gathering at Winscombe & Sandford for our final ever Connect3 walk. This is it, the very last one.

This month's theme is Seeds of the Future: a chance to reflect on everything that's grown over the last 18 months, and what we'll each carry forward from here. It feels only right to end where we began, in nature, together.

Whether you've walked with us since the very first session or have never joined us before, this is your invitation. Come and be part of how we close this chapter.

📍 Winscombe & Sandford Award Land, Quarry Road, Sandford
🕟 Monday 17th August, 4:30pm–6pm
💚 Free, booking essential

👉 Book your free place: https://www.muditasalus.co.uk/events/connect3-walk-winscombe-sandford-aug26

Thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund, and to every single person who has walked, talked, laughed and reflected with us along the way. Connect3 has been shaped entirely by this community - and we can't wait to celebrate that, one last time.

Bring a friend. Bring yourself. Just bring your walking boots.

04/08/2026

As our final Weston-super-Mare Connect3 walk came to a close, one of our walkers, Sue, gave us something we won't forget, a wonderful handmade cyanotype card, with a poem she'd written by hand, tucked inside.

She's given us permission to share it with you:

The world is an overwhelming place
That sometimes feels too much
It's more than spinning all the plates at once
It's like you have been run over by a bus

You want the noise to go away
The pressure to slow or stop
Your body to unwind
To feel calmness and peace in the mind

What helped me when I felt like this
Was an invitation by a friend
To walk in nature in the woods
Seeing beauty all around

Smelling the dampness
Feeling the earth beneath my feet
Laughing, walking, talking, sharing
Hearing the birds sing

My eyes wide open to colour
Feeling calm and inspired
Warm and cosy in friendship
Safe and held in time

Tasting the best hot chocolate
Warm and cosy like a big hug
Thankful for the lovely people that made this happen - Lee + Kim
--------

Thank you, Sue, for putting into words what so many of us have felt on these walks. And thank you to every single person who has walked with us, talked with us, and made Connect3 what it has been.

One last walk remaining to close off the programme: https://www.muditasalus.co.uk/events/connect3-walk-winscombe-sandford-aug26

💚 Lee and Kim

01/08/2026

This is it - one last walk together in Weston Woods. 🌳

On Monday 3rd August, we're gathering at Weston Woods for one of our final Connect3 walks, and we'd love nothing more than to see you there.

Over the last 18 months, Connect3 has taken us through every season - grounding meditations, mindful moments, new friendships and a community that shows up for each other. As our National Lottery funding comes to an end, we want to celebrate that in style, with one final gathering in the woods.

Whether you've walked with us from the very start or have never joined us before, this is your invitation. Come and be part of it.

📍 Weston Woods, Weston-super-Mare
🕟 Monday 3rd August, 4:30pm–6pm
💚 Free, booking helps us manage refreshments

👉 Book your free place: https://www.muditasalus.co.uk/events/connect3-walk-weston-woods-aug26

Bring a friend. Bring yourself. Just bring your walking boots.

24/07/2026

As our National Lottery-funded Connect3 walks come to an end, we're inviting everyone who has joined us on a walk over the last 18 months to share their story.

We've created a short questionnaire to help us capture what Connect3 has meant to you - there's no pressure to answer everything (you can skip questions), just share what feels comfortable:
🔗 https://forms.gle/XrQmiM8QNq24TbSKA

Feedback like this makes a real difference for small organisations like ours. It helps us show funders the impact of this kind of work, and supports us in bringing similar projects to more people in future.

Thank you to everyone who has walked with us - however briefly or however long. 💚

20/07/2026

This afternoon we facilitated our monthly Connect3 nature walk in Winscombe and we came home feeling full in the quiet way that only time outside can do.

July's theme was contact.
Sensing.
Really being in nature rather than just moving through it.

Our activity invited us to look at light and shadow. When you actually stop and look, really look, it's extraordinary what you notice. The way light falls through leaves. The shape a shadow makes on a path. Things that are there every single day that we walk straight past.

Slowing down enough to sense the world around you has a way of bringing you back to yourself.

14/07/2026

Last night's Connect3 Longer Walk reminded us that some of the best adventures can be found right on our doorstep.

Together we explored the beautiful countryside around Cadbury Hill and Udley, enjoying a warm summer evening and discovering hidden gems along the way. One of the highlights was stumbling across a beautiful little weir and wild swimming spot – the sort of place you might never know existed unless you took the time to wander.

There was plenty of laughter too, including an impromptu game of Pooh Sticks, a well-earned ice cream stop, and we finished the walk bathed in the most beautiful golden evening light.

It's amazing what can happen when we slow down, take a different path, and simply notice what's around us.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. 💚

06/07/2026

The forest is healing ❤️‍🩹
This is why we do what we do 💚🌳🌲🌴

Dr. Qing Li, a Japanese-based immunologist originally from China, dedicated over two decades to scientifically validating the healing power of nature through the practice of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”. His pioneering research focused on phytoncides, which are natural antimicrobial compounds and essential oils released by trees like cedars and pines to protect themselves from insects and disease. Through rigorous clinical studies, Dr. Li demonstrated that when humans inhale these airborne chemicals during a walk in the woods, the compounds enter the bloodstream and trigger profound physiological changes. His work effectively bridged the gap between ancient intuitive wisdom and modern biological science, proving that the forest acts as a natural medicine cabinet.

Dr. Li’s breakthrough findings revealed that these plant chemicals actively hunt down and reduce stress hormones while simultaneously supercharging the human immune system. His testing showed that exposure to phytoncides significantly decreases levels of cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline in the body. More importantly, his 20 years of research proved that breathing in the forest air dramatically boosts the activity and number of natural killer (NK) cells, a type of white blood cell vital for fighting off viruses and tumor cells. Remarkably, Dr. Li discovered that a single two-day trip to a forest could enhance NK cell activity for up to 30 days, providing conclusive evidence that trees physically alter our blood chemistry to fight stress and disease.

See PMID: 19568839, 17903349 & 29662662 for studies related to forest bathing 🙌🏻

05/07/2026

A stunning longer Connect3 walk is in the pipeline! Who’s interested?

03/07/2026

🌿 After 18 months, Connect3 is coming to an end... 🌿

It's hard to believe that our National Lottery-funded Connect3 Wellbeing Walks project will come to an end this August as our funding draws to a close.

Over the past 18 months we've walked through every season, shared countless conversations, discovered beautiful places, and built a truly special community. Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey – whether you joined us once or became a regular face, you've helped make Connect3 what it is.

There are now just four regular Connect3 walks remaining:

🌿 Monday 6th July – Weston-super-Mare
🌿 Monday 20th July – Winscombe & Sandford
🌿 Monday 3rd August – Weston-super-Mare
🌿 Monday 17th August – Winscombe & Sandford

We'll also be announcing a few longer walks very soon.

If you've been thinking about joining us, or you'd like to walk with us one more time, we'd love to see you.

Thank you for walking this journey with us. 💚

🔗 Book your free place via the link: www.muditasalus.co.uk/events