Agreements, Acknowledgements, and Hold Harmless

While in any Common Ring Space:

We agree to personal conduct that supports safety and respect for all. This includes honoring boundaries, refraining from harmful or discriminatory language or behavior, and following group guidelines. If conduct causes harm or disrupts the safety of the group, the guide may intervene and, if needed, ask a participant to step out of the session to protect the well-being of the circle.

We agree to practice community care. This means tending not only to our own needs, but also moving with awareness of how our presence and actions affect others and the shared space.

We agree to put relationship first; with ourselves, with one another, and with the living world around us. We move at the pace of care rather than urgency, and we choose connection over performance.

We agree to hold awareness of privilege and difference. We recognize that we arrive with different histories, access, identities, and experiences, and we commit to humility, listening, and care around power and impact.

We agree that all truths are welcome. We honor a diversity of lived experiences, emotions, and ways of knowing, and we listen without trying to fix, debate, or diminish one another’s experience.

We agree to practice kindness. This includes kindness toward ourselves, toward others, and toward the land. We choose gentleness over judgment, curiosity over assumption.

We agree to arrive with a learning mindset. We understand that growth includes making mistakes, receiving feedback, and staying open to being changed by what we encounter; within ourselves, within the group, and within the forest.

We agree to follow Leave No Trace principles. We move through the land with care, minimizing our impact and leaving the place as we found it, or better.

We acknowledge that forest therapy / shinrin-yoku draws from nature-based wisdom traditions and relational practices found in cultures across the globe, many of which long predate modern wellness movements. We approach this work with respect and humility.

We acknowledge that we gather on stolen land, and we honor Indigenous peoples as the original stewards of these places. We recognize the ongoing presence and struggles of Native communities today, and we hold this awareness as part of how we move with respect on the land.

We agree to practice presence. We commit to being here, now; arriving with our attention, our bodies, and our senses as best we can, and allowing the moment to be what it is.

By clicking below, I acknowledge that our time together takes place outdoors in natural environments. I understand that weather, terrain, and other environmental factors are part of the experience, and that conditions may change in ways that are outside the guide’s control.

I acknowledge that each session is unique and shaped by the land, the season, the group, and my own inner state. I understand that there is no guaranteed outcome and that my experience may be different from others’.

I acknowledge that these sessions are guided nature and forest-connection experiences, and are not a substitute for clinical mental health care, medical care, or crisis support. I understand that the guide is not acting as a licensed therapist or medical provider in this context.

I acknowledge that I am responsible for attending to my own physical, emotional, and psychological well-being during the session. I agree to care for my own needs, communicate boundaries, and step back from any invitation that does not feel supportive for me in the moment.

I acknowledge that participation involves some inherent risks associated with being outdoors, including uneven ground, weather exposure, insects, plants, and other natural elements. I agree to take reasonable responsibility for my own safety and to follow guidance offered to support group care and safety.

We make every effort to create welcoming, accessible experiences and to accommodate a wide range of needs. Because our sessions take place outdoors in natural environments, there are inherent limitations related to terrain, weather, and setting. Some outings may not be accessible for participants with mobility needs unless specifically noted in the outing description. At this time, we’re unable to provide dedicated resources for participants who are blind or have low vision, or who are Deaf or hard of hearing. You are warmly welcome to bring a personal support person or an interpreter at no additional charge, as space allows. If you require the use of a service animal, please reach out to us so that we can make proper arrangements. If you have access needs or questions about a specific outing, we invite you to reach out in advance so we can share what to expect and help you decide whether a particular session will be a good fit.

By signing below and participating in any session, walk, gathering, or experience facilitated by Common Ring Collective (the “Session”), I acknowledge and agree to the following:

I understand that these Sessions take place outdoors in natural environments and involve inherent risks, including but not limited to uneven terrain, roots, rocks, weather conditions, exposure to heat, cold, rain, insects, wildlife, plants, and other natural hazards. I voluntarily choose to participate with full awareness of these risks.

I acknowledge that participation is voluntary and that I am responsible for my own physical, emotional, and psychological well-being during and after the Session. I agree to listen to my body, honor my limits, and opt out of any activity or invitation that does not feel safe or appropriate for me.

I understand that these Sessions are not clinical mental health care, medical treatment, or therapy, and that the guide is not acting as a licensed mental health provider or medical professional in this context. I agree that I am solely responsible for seeking professional care when needed.

I agree to assume full responsibility for any risk of injury, illness, loss, or damage to person or property that may occur as a result of my participation, whether caused by environmental conditions, my own actions, or the actions of others.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, I hereby release, waive, discharge, and hold harmless Common Ring Collective, its facilitators, guides, staff, volunteers, contractors, and land partners from any and all claims, demands, actions, or causes of action arising out of or related to my participation in the Session, including but not limited to claims arising from negligence.

I agree to indemnify and hold harmless Common Ring Collective and its representatives from any claims brought by third parties as a result of my actions during the Session.

I understand that in the event of injury, illness, or emergency, the guide may offer basic assistance or call for emergency services, but is not obligated to provide medical care. I consent to receive emergency medical treatment if deemed necessary, and I accept responsibility for any associated costs.

I acknowledge that photographs, audio, or video may be taken during Sessions for documentation or promotional purposes unless I explicitly opt out in writing. I grant permission for the use of my image or likeness unless otherwise stated.

I confirm that I am physically and emotionally able to participate in outdoor group experiences and that I have disclosed any relevant conditions or needs that may affect my participation.