It was 1996, and one of my many nicknames was “Caffeine,” except spelled with a K to mimic my name, Kathleen. I had to admit it was pretty funny and accurate. It was a nod to my natural pace. Simply put, slow was not my mode. 

As a fledgling researcher and newbie to the rainforest of Panama, my first few encounters with this new landscape was as if I had blinders on. I heard amazing stories from the locals of all that resided within the canopy and forest floor, but I didn’t see or experience any of it. My speedy pace of hiking about, setting up malaise traps for parasitic wasp research and looking out for snakes, kept hidden the rainforest’s treasures.
 

Fortunately, a Panamanian elder offered to help me see. I gratefully took him up on his offer. The first thing he taught me was how to slow down. During those two hours, we might have exchanged ten words. We communicated with body language and our eyes. His love of the forest emanated through him. He demonstrated how to move through the rainforest slowly, with intention, and curiosity; a new world was revealed to me. 

I could now see the anteater, agouti, coati, and tapir, that were there all along. I shared in his sense of play and delight. After overflowing with gratitude to the elder who guided me through the forest, and helped me have eyes to see, a calm settled over me that remained for days.   

I  had not heard of forest bathing at the time, but looking back, this was my introduction to this life-changing practice. The Panamanian elder and his ancestors delighted in, or “soaked in”, the wonders of the rainforest long before the term forest bathing existed. 

The art and science of forest bathing, or Shinrin Yuko, loosely translates into soaking in the forest atmosphere. It’s the practice of immersing yourself in a natural setting, not just the forest, where you engage all your senses with curiosity and openness.   

Through the support of our senses and the natural world:

• We are guided into the present moment.
• We intentionally leave behind our todo list and worldly stressors.
• We allow our nervous system to unfurl and be at ease as we are aware and connect with our breath, our body, and the natural world around us.
• We remember how to delight and find joy in simplicity. 

The numerous health benefits of forest bathing have been quantified by research, which has resulted in another name for this therapeutic practice: Forest Medicine.    

Forest bathing is different from a hike. There is no destination. We move slow, stop, delight, and take everything in through our multitude of senses, just as the Panamanian elder taught me.