We know, deep down,
being outdoors is what we need.
We've just forgotten how to do it.
You Are
Nature
On Walking, Forest Bathing, and Coming Home to the Natural World
You Are Nature is an invitation to slow down and reconnect—with the forest and with yourself. Part memoir, part guide, this book weaves together childhood creeks and forest bathing, Sunday walks and the science of how nature brings us back home.
Adam Bouse—coach, forest therapy guide, possibilitarian—offers a grounded path back to the natural world. No lifehacks, no maximizing. Just the quiet practice of paying attention, walking your problems, and finding your place in and as part of nature.
You are not separate from the natural world. You are part of it. This book will help you remember.
Coming April 2026
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This is a book in two parts. The first is personal—essays about creeks, trees, metaphors, and the experiences that shaped my relationship with nature. The second is more practical—the science of why it is beneficial, the practice of forest bathing, and invitations to build your own rhythm of being outdoors.
Stories & ScienceShort & AccessibleNature-CenteredGrounded in OptimismWhat’s Inside
102 pages. Print or ebook. Includes practical exercises and invitations.
PERSONAL ESSAYS
From Kentucky to Yellowstone to the Prairie
A Multitude of Metaphors
I Think About Being a Tree
It Takes 20 Minutes to Walk a 20-Minute Mile
Walk Your Problems
THE SCIENCE AND THE PRACTICE OF NATURE
There is a World Beyond the Screens
The Science of Being in Nature
Shinrin-Yoku: Forest Bathing 101
No Bad Weather
Instructions for Living a Life
About the Author
Adam Bouse is a coach, writer, emotions educator, and a possibilitarian.
Before coaching, he worked in museums, tech companies, nonprofits, and communications—always drawn to helping people learn and grow.
In 2025, Adam’s family experienced the devastating loss of his wife, Stacey. As cliché as it sounds, grief has a way of making your values abundantly clear. What became clear for Adam is this: grief can live alongside purpose and possibility. And the work that matters most is showing up fully present, creating space where people feel truly heard and seen. Helping people who feel overwhelmed, burned out, and stuck find possibilities, live with intentionality, and discover fulfillment.
Adam is the founder of Optimistic Coaching. He is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) coach, a certified forest therapy guide, and a nature connection specialist. He provides traditional 1: 1 coaching and workshops, while also creating experiences that help people reconnect with themselves and the natural world. He writes regularly on Substack about nature, optimism, and resilience, and believes that a walk in the woods is a good place to start solving almost any challenge.
He’s inspired by the wisdom of Mary Oliver, Parker Palmer, Richard Rohr, and many others. When he’s not coaching, you’ll find him outdoors with his camera, hanging out with his kids, or trying to work through his ever-growing “emotional support pile of books.”
MEDIA and PRESS KIT: optimism.coach/media