Blog #9 My Extraordinary Trip in Japan: Lessons from Slowing Down and Listening

Lisa Bromfield
Feb 13
2 min read

In 2018, I traveled to Japan. This was truly an extraordinary trip—the culture and the scenary touched my soul.

We spent three days hiking the Kumano Kodo, one of Japan’s most revered pilgrimage trails.I naturally found myself at the front of the group. A handful of us moved at a faster pace. There was energy, laughter, conversation. We were strong. Determined. Focused on the climb.

And yet, something felt… noisy.

One morning, I made a different choice. Instead of staying at the front, I drifted back and joined the slower group.

Everything changed.

The pace softened. The chatter faded. The space between footsteps grew wider.

There was more silence.

And in that silence, I began to hear things I had missed before — the wind moving through the trees, the rhythm of my own breath, the subtle crunch of gravel beneath my boots. Even my thoughts felt less crowded.

Up front, I had been hearing.

In the back, I was listening.

The contrast was striking.

The faster pace wasn’t wrong. It was vibrant and alive in its own way. But the slower pace allowed something else to emerge — presence. Depth. A kind of quiet intimacy with the experience itself.

It made me wonder how often in life we stay at the front because it feels productive, capable, strong. How often we equate speed with progress.

And how much we miss when we don’t allow ourselves to slow down.

That hike taught me that pace changes perception.

When we slow down, we don’t lose momentum. We gain awareness.

Sometimes the greatest insights don’t come when we’re leading the charge —they come when we soften, step back, and allow ourselves to truly listen.

That day in Japan, I didn’t just change groups.

I changed perspective.