Recently I engaged in my first practice of “forest bathing” or, shinrin-yoku as it is sometimes known in Japan, which could be considered a form of ecotherapy or mindfulness activity. Led by a Zen meditation teacher, five of us Zen practitioners engaged the forest of the Susquehanna State Park in Maryland. Walking slowly, we paid close attention to how each of our senses experienced parts of the forest. How nice it was to have a group mindfulness exercise away from our zoom screens and out of home offices.

As a mindfulness exercise, I found myself taking time to see, listen, and smell more closely and to feel more pointedly different sensations of air, temperature, pressure, and body movement. We would pause on occasion and share our experiences with other group members. When we sat together to eat the lunches we each brought, I noticed how I brought more of my senses to the experience of biting, chewing, tasting, smelling, and swallowing of my apple and sandwich. It was also a wonderful experience of fellowship as we got to know a little bit more about each other.

For me, mindfulness practice includes a great deal of silent sitting, and I am grateful for how the pandemic has led me to meditate more. It has also opened up for me meditation practices in different Zen traditions and contributed to expanding my reading in Zen and much more.

I will be interested to see how my shinrin-yoku experience will influence how I approach my next hiking experience.