Entering the forest...

Healing Nature Trail

Welcome to my trail

Luncanilor Plateau, Târsa. A journey toward yourself, guided by the gentle rhythm of nature

POTECA VINDECĂTOARE

O călătorie spre tine

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About me

My name is Oana, I am a mother of two “free range” boys, ages 7 and 10, and for over 20 years I have been dancing with the energy of entrepreneurship.

The motto that accompanied me every step along the way has always been the same: "Don't go where the path may lead, go where there is no path and leave a trail"

And that's what I did. I left trails in areas that 'the world' said were impossible or crazy - the first hemp seed processing factory in Europe, cultivation and processing of hemp fibers for the automotive industry, houses made of hemp and lime, a kindergarten in the forest, a democratic free school.

Tourism, real estate, food industry, alternative education, natural constructions, each experience generated a new trail. And only now, after 20 years, have I realised that all these trails actually form a single one, my life.

Today, I want to share everything I have lived and learned, as a certified Healing Nature Guide during gently guided forest bathing sessions in Târsa as well as a facilitator for labyrinth meditations, forest bathing sessions or forest school activities with children at various retreats, festivals or nature oriented team events organised by corporations.

The trail is actually me.

Kids playing in the forest on the Poteca Vindecătoare

Walden Healing Nature Trail

A journey toward yourself

The Healing Trail is more than a path through nature, it is a living metaphor for the inner journey.

Its design is based on interdisciplinary studies, every step on the trail becomes an invitation toward deep connection with yourself through nature. Grounding through the direct contact of your soles with the earth, the experience of touching and listening to flowing water, breathing exercises in the silence of the forest, spaces designed for reflection and introspection.

And at the decision forks, the trail offers you the choice of unmarked paths, a symbol of adventure, of embracing the unknown, of fresh new perspectives.

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Healing spaces along the trail

Zen Untangle

A place for untangling thoughts, where the mind grows quiet and the tangled threads of the day come undone in silence.

Tree of Life Labyrinth

A walking meditation you follow the winding path and let yourself guided towards inner peace and clarity.

Zen Garden

The contemplative garden, a space of deep stillness where you draw your story and nature becomes a mirror.

Bridges & Crossings

Symbols of transition, each crossing brings you closer to your inner self.

Your guides on the trail Oana şi Cosmin

We work as a team. For groups or a guided experience in masculine energy, the father of the Walden trail, Cosmin, is also with us.

Colorful wildflowers collected on the Healing Trail

SHINRIN-YOKU TRANSYLVANIA

The science behind the forest

Forest bathing (Shinrin-Yoku) is not just a beautiful Japanese tradition — it is supported by rigorous scientific research. Here's what happens when you step into the forest:

Physical health

Lowers blood pressure, improves metabolism and cardiovascular function.

Stronger Immune System

NK (natural killer) cells, which fight viral infections and cancer cells, increase up to 50% after a session in the forest

Mental and emotional health

Reduces cortisol levels, anger, anxiety, and depression — measurable effects from the very first visit.

Sleep quality

Terpenes from conifers calm the mind and help combat insomnia naturally.

Clarity and focus

Just 15 minutes spent in nature significantly improve mental clarity and the ability to concentrate.

A walking meditation

The Labyrinth

The healing walk along a single winding path

The labyrinth by candlelight

An ancient sacred tool

What is a labyrinth?

„There are many forms of labyrinths all over the world. Some people use them as a tool for prayer, meditation or healing. It is a place where you can gain clarity about your life.”
— The Labyrinth Society

A wellness labyrinth is a single winding path that leads, unfailingly, to the centre and back again. No dead ends, no wrong turns. You cannot get lost.

Labyrinth

A single path. A sure way to the centre and back.

Maze

Many paths, dead ends and the risk of getting lost.

An ancient practice

The labyrinth has been used for over 4,000 years, appearing in many cultures and on every continent.

The Cretan pattern
A single path forming seven concentric circuits around the centre — the best-known form being the labyrinth of Knossos.
The Chartres pattern
Eleven circuits, made famous by the French cathedral of Chartres. In the Middle Ages, nearly 25% of cathedrals had a labyrinth.
Nordic stone labyrinths
Built along the shores of the Baltic Sea, using natural stones set into the ground.
Tohono O’odham
“Man in the Maze” — a sacred pattern from Native American tribal art.

Why walk a labyrinth?

„The labyrinth is a safe path in uncertain times.”
— Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, founder of Veriditas

Walking a labyrinth is a meditation in motion. The pattern holds you while the mind quiets down. Body and breath fall into the same rhythm, and attention gently returns to the present.

The healing power of walking

86%

more relaxed

83%

more at peace

80%

more reflective

78%

more centred

71%

less stressed

70%

less anxious

Effects reported in a survey of 1,250 people who walked a labyrinth.

„The labyrinth teaches us to accept the path and its obstacles, to be in flow with all that is.”
— Sydney Labyrinth

What happens in body and mind

In the body

Slower breathing and heart rate
Lower blood pressure
Reduced cortisol (the stress hormone)
Eased muscle tension and chronic pain

In the mind

A calm, meditative state
Less anxiety and rumination
Greater clarity, creativity and focus
Self-compassion, connection, meaning

How to walk a labyrinth

Three simple stages, no experience needed.

Release
Enter slowly. Let thoughts and expectations go with each step. Follow the turns without hurrying.
Receive
Pause at the centre. Breathe. Stay as long as you like — it is a place for listening.
Return
Walk back along the same path, carrying with you the calm and any insights that have emerged.

For those who find it hard to sit still

„Many people, like me, have “failed” at sitting meditation. A walking meditation produces the same inner awareness.”
— Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, Veriditas

A body in motion gives a restless mind something to do. Attention settles on the path, the breath, the steps — and the meditative state arises on its own.

The mobile labyrinth, brought to retreats and team-building events

Where we can build a labyrinth

Labyrinths can be built in town squares, parks, office buildings, urban gardens and quiet corners of the forest.

Wild and quiet

In the forest

A perfect companion for forest bathing and time spent in nature.

City spaces

Urban spaces

A quiet way to pause and recentre yourself in the midst of a busy life.

Your own patch of land

Garden labyrinths

Marked out with stones, string or simply mown into the grass.

Inner courtyards

The Chartres pattern

The medieval design, still walked as a mini-pilgrimage at the cathedral near Paris.

Finger labyrinths for meditation at home

The same winding path in miniature: trace it with a finger, eyes closed. If you would like one, get in touch.

Invitation

Let’s build labyrinths

In public spaces

Accessible to all

For wellbeing, relaxation, reflection and creativity

Contact: Oana Suciu · oana@poteca.io · +40 722 246 178

Sources: BBC Travel, The Labyrinth Society, WebMD, St. Joseph’s Health Care. Data: Labyrinth Walk Questionnaire (Rhodes, 2019).

A 21-day journal

Sit Spot Journal

The Practice of Returning

What if, for 21 days, you had a date with yourself?

Not with your phone.

Not with the rush.

Not with everything you “have” to do.

Just you, a spot in nature, and a few minutes to observe, breathe, feel, and write.

“Sit Spot or The Practice of Returning” is more than just a journal. It is an invitation for the one who feels that, amidst all errands run for others, it might be time to take a journey one toward oneself.

For 21 days, you return to the same spot with a bit of nature – under a tree, in a corner of a garden, along a path – and begin to notice things you may have passed by hundreds of times before without ever seeing. You write. You sketch. You wonder. Sometimes, perhaps, you write nothing at all. And that is perfectly fine.

Because the goal is not to fill up pages.

The goal is simply to be there.

This journal was born from a desire to bring a bit of the forest’s tranquility into the city – into everyone’s own backyard – so that you might experience a return to nature, to simplicity, to presence, and, perhaps most importantly, a return to yourself.

Because sometimes, we don’t need yet another answer. We need a little bit of stillness to hear the answer that was already within us.

SERVICES

How we can work together

Every person and every place has its own rhythm. Tell us what you have in mind and we will build it together.

Individual

1-on-1 forest bathing

1-on-1 forest bathing sessions — either on the Walden Trail in Târsa or at another mutually agreed-upon location.

Groups

Group facilitation

Group facilitation for retreats, team-building events or parent-child camps organized by partners; I bring a pop-up labyrinth for meditative walks, along with nature-inspired group activities for both adults and children (such as creating “journey sticks,” “find my tree” exercise and many more).

Consultancy

Trails and labyrinths for you

Consultancy for designing your own healing nature trail tailored to your specific forest, creating a private labyrinth for your garden, developing community labyrinths or implementing any other initiative that brings the experience of nature closer to people.

Events

Speaker at events

Speaking at events focused on alternative education, nature-based education, rural communities, building with hemp and shinrin-yoku, healing in nature.

GALLERY