Nature's Bounty...

March 25, 2022

“Into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”

~ John Muir ~

As the fog rolls in, the ridgeline of Harriman State Park vanishes in the distance. The stillness of Lake Tiorati reflects the morning tranquility while the sound of silence permeates the landscape.

In short… it’s a glorious Spring morning.

The hustle & flow of life can often cloud our daily vision. Rushing to get somewhere often equates to getting nowhere. When you’re in the woods though, nowhere is often the perfect place to be. When is the last time you silently sat by a lake in the middle of nowhere and gathered your thoughts?

My father and I use to walk in the woods when I was a child and he’d ask, “Son, do you hear that?” Naturally, I’d respond, “No” and he’d proceed to tell me, “It’s the blissful sound of silence.” Huh? I’d shake my head and think he was making a funny as he use to call it. It took me years to realize, he was sharing the simplicity of nature… and perhaps life. Sometimes we have to turn off the noise and dial into nature. It takes some practice, but If you do it correctly, there’s plenty to hear.

John Muir once said, “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” How profound a statesman was he? We’re all connected in one universal manner.

In Buddhism, trees are recognized as living things worthy of recognition & protection. I’ll admit to not knowing a great deal about the religion, but I tend to agree with this philosophy.

So, the next time you venture into the woods, take the time to absorb everything before you. It’s not easy to change your workday pace to the serene rhythm of nature. It may take a while and perhaps a few deep breaths will be in order. However, once you get in the zone, it’s a heavenly existence where you can hear nothing and everything at the same time.

Until next time…

Cheers.