Into the Forest

Local artist Suzi Mitchell recently led a workshop where participants practiced forest bathing. Courtesy of Suzi Mitchell.

Written by Skylar Leeson

Long before she knew the term “forest bathing,” Steamboat Springs artist Marion Kahn knew the forest made her feel different. After hiking through evergreens, she would return feeling lighter and more grounded. At first, she thought it was simply the exercise. Over time, she realized something else was happening.

“I discovered it before I knew about it,” Marion says.

The practice she had unknowingly embraced is known as Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, a term coined in Japan in 1982. Rather than focusing on exercise or reaching a destination, forest bathing encourages people to slow down and immerse themselves in nature through all five senses. Today, researchers have linked the practice to reduced stress, improved mood, lower blood pressure and even enhanced immune function.

For Marion, the forest became especially important after the loss of her daughter in 2019.

“I would come out of the forest while still in a heavy grieving period, and I would feel better,” she says. She can't fully explain why. “There was just a certain power that came from the forest.”

Science may offer part of the answer. Studies have shown that time spent in forests can lower cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone, while helping shift the nervous system into a calmer, restorative state. Researchers have also found that nature exposure can reduce rumination and support emotional well-being.

But Marion doesn't view forest bathing as a formula. For her, it begins with paying attention. She describes a “silent exchange” with the forest, rooted in mindfulness, deep breathing and simple appreciation for beauty.

That connection eventually found its way into her artwork. Rather than painting a specific landscape, Marion paints the feeling of being immersed in nature.

“Sometimes you're expressing feelings you don't even know you have,” she says.

But when Marion steps back and looks at her artwork as a whole, one theme stands out. “The main thing I see is a lot of joy,” she says.

Another local artist, Suzi Mitchell, discovered forest bathing while studying art therapy. 

“I started doing forest bathing and creating afterward in the forest,” she says. “It felt really freeing. Everything you feel in your head and body has a space to come out. And it's not about what you create but the experience of expressing how you feel. There's no right or wrong.”

Suzi founded “Wild & Wondrous,” a four-day workshop that combines forest bathing, woodland walks and mixed-media art inspired by the natural world. The focus is on creativity, connection and the process rather than the final product.

For those curious about forest bathing, Marion's advice is simple. “The first time, just go do it,” she says. “With an intention to be open.”

For Marion, that openness led to healing, inspired a body of artwork and deepened her connection to the natural world. Years after she first noticed the feeling, she still returns to the forest – not to escape life, but to reconnect with it.

Recalling a winter day on Rabbit Ears, Marion describes snow drifting through ice-covered branches while sunlight filters through the trees. “What could be more glorious?” she asks.