An Old Victorian Home: A Magical Forest

Marlow’s Washington Pond Road is a peaceful stretch, flanked by cool water and spotted with picnic tables, front yard gardens, and aging barns. It winds on for a short way before a steep driveway leans to the right, a weathered sign for an old inkwell maker at its base. However, the 1830s Victorian resting at the top of the hill is no longer home to that trade. Nor is it any longer a lively tavern with quarters and cabins for local hunters to hunker down in. Instead, centuries later, its latest owner Dianne Eno, is crafting a new part of this place’s story. After nearly five years of restoration, indoors and out, the 3,200 square-foot house and its inviting grounds are about to be christened at The Satori Center for Nature and Forest Therapy with a Grand Opening on August 27. Named for the Japanese word for “enlightenment,” The Satori Center is the culmination of Eno’s lifelong dream to found an art and education center dedicated to transforming the relationship between humans and nature. She was drawn to the property just as she was completing her Ph.D. in Environmental Studies at Antioch University, New England. Eno, who also holds a degree in dance and certifications in Forest Bathing and Reiki, says, “Everything I have done in my life prior to taking on this mammoth project of creating The Satori Center here in this beautiful place has brought me to this culminating time.” Though the days are full, each task seems to inspire the next. “We are in love with this old Victorian relic and its tranquil, if not magical, surrounding forest,” she says. Through the front door, the historic house, which doubles as Eno’s residence, has two parlor rooms used as gathering spaces on either side. Ahead runs a staircase, which leads to the second floor with four bedrooms and a full bath. As the screen door closes behind, the fragrance of incense, the twinkle of soft lights, and the invitation of richly upholstered furniture create a relaxing and intriguing atmosphere. Beneath the feet of visitors are original wood floors throughout, painstakingly restored by Eno’s partner, Phillip Rein. “They were literally black with—I guess you would call it patina,” Eno says with a laugh. Now they have shine to them and a lovely honey color that warms the rooms. The stretches of the boards lead to a dining and conference area with two striking features.

In the center is a custom Satori table handcrafted by Rein with artistic knotwork around the corners, an effect skillfully created with contrasting wood stains. The accompanying benches are white oak and Brazilian cherry with wide seats that back up to a working fireplace.

The impressive cooking hearth, which still possesses the accouterments of yore, is a focal point in the stately yet comfortable space. At the far end, there’s a door opening into yet another large area with high ceilings and an original wagon-wheel light fixture overhead. This is the soon-to-be setting for Satori’s dance studio, yoga room, and art space. Lofted with a railing above are private art, meditation and Reiki rooms with names like the Owl’s Nest and off to one side is a library, which will second as a warming hut for winter forest bathing walks. The small room, which also features an ornate >

LEFT: Dianne Eno bathes in the magic of the forest at her soonto-open The Satori Center for Nature and Forest Therapy in Marlow, New Hampshire. ABOVE: The Victorian house.

floor design crafted by Rein (as many of the individual spaces do), is walled with books. Each door you open leads to yet another unexpected find, and the one leading out to the gardens is no exception. However, it has required patience. “This was just barren,” Eno says. Thanks to her touch, the garden now showcases a combination of wild and cultivated flowers arranged sweetly around erratic glacial boulders and a well-loved apple tree. This will become the site for Satori’s meditation classes, Eclectic Gardener events, nature demos, book club meetings, and informal teas. Just beyond is a breezy pavilion and crystal-clear pool where Eno sets up her Reiki table for summer sessions. “Forest bathing is like Reiki from the forest. It’s all energy healing,” says Eno, explaining how the two practices pair well together. In this outdoor retreat space, chimes sound in the background, and the lawn eases down to an open area, where Eno’s dance group, “A Company of Witches,” rehearses. The group of women dance to a European song by Peter Fox called Schüttel Deinen Speck, which translates to “Shake Your

Bacon.” “It’s a tongue-in-cheek dance, and we perform it everywhere, and people love it,” Eno says. It’s a fun scene to imagine as you make your way to the

Littlecreek Trail, which Eno plans to have certified, confirming its specialized design for forest bathing, including primarily flat ground for participants of varying fitness levels. Eno says forest bathing “is not a hike, and it’s not you putting on a bathing suit on and going into water. It’s not what you think. It’s kind of an intentionally slow-paced, meditative walk.” At the start, individuals step through a ritual threshold, leaving the mundane, everyday world and entering the forest. “The idea is that it becomes a sensorial event for them,” Eno says. Guests even put their fears and worries into little rocks, leaving them at the gateway until their return. Next, everyone gathers in a circle for a pledge of presence. Each will be given invitations throughout the woods walk, mostly in silence, to be fully in nature and then share their experience with the cohort. For many, it’s surprisingly emotional. “It bubbles up unexpectedly. I’ve had people start to weep during the walk because it’s bringing up so many issues and feelings for them,” Eno says. Since forest bathing is the English translation of shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice from which it originated, Eno incorporates other Japanese traditions into the experience. Participants visit a small stream and absorb its soothing sounds to emphasize the healing powers of water that are touted in Japanese culture. And, Eno notes, “At the end of the walk, we have a tea ceremony, and it’s made from wild foraged tea plants.” Spruce tips, packed with vitamin C, are one ingredient she loves to use, as well as winterberry and rosehips, all from the property. “We incorporate the forest physically into us,” she says. The feedback she gets from people is that forest bathing encourages them to slow down, and it changes how they experience nature. “It reminds me of when I was a kid, and I would just get lost in the woods for hours. I feel like I’m sharing that childhood joy,” Eno says. She also hopes to spread a better understanding of letting nature guide how we live instead of just relying on it as a commodity. At the August 27 Grand Opening, all will be welcome to explore The Satori Center themselves. Eno has planned a dedication of the new Zazen Garden Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, the property’s Certified Way Station for monarchs. She’s also setting the stage for newly forming programs, such as the Wildflowers Children’s Environmental Dance Theater, which she hopes will spur the creation of more monarch gardens with a dance performance to formalize each one. Children are welcome at the opening celebration, where there will be face painting, music, a gallery of the Center’s offerings, and of course, an official ribbon cutting. Find more at facebook.com/ BodyMindEarthSpirit.

Since 1993 in Walpole, NH

PHOTOS, Left: The living room and dining room at the Victorian home which is the centerpiece of The Satori Center for Nature and Forest Therapy. “We are in love with this old Victorian relic and its tranquil, if not magical, surrounding forest,” says Dianne Eno. Beneath the feet of visitors are original wood floors throughout, painstakingly restored by Eno’s partner, Phillip Rein, with details created throughout, such as this feather detail.