To See the World on Foot

I love a good walk. Actually, to be more specific, a walk where I'm strolling more than walking. There is no destination, no itinerary, and no schedule to keep. I'm not in a rush, and I seem to be led by a hidden magnetism that's drawing me towards every nugget of beauty, every intriguing view, every tantalizing pattern, and shimmering glimmer that's hanging out at the far periphery of my vision.

My inner child has been awakened, and I'm alive to the wonders around me!

Relax... Settle in... Stretch out... Breathe... Aahhh! My whole being gives in to the power and presence of the moment as I feel the invisible arms of the place rise up to meet me.

This kind of walk is more of a reconnection of sorts, an invitation to peer beneath, slip through, and soar beyond the bounds of my known reality.

It's during these walks that I really become attuned to the heartbeat of a place, to the particular fragrance and frequency of the energy humming in the air, and to the tone of the living presence uniquely patterned and informed by the life force all around me.

Where exactly do I end and does the place begin?

Boundaries blur. My heart feels like it lies nestled within the meadow as the hum of the dragonflies, butterflies, and bees seem to echo the pulse within my veins.

I can feel my heartbeat in the quiet rhythmic floating of the rockweed along the shore, as my spirit soars with the osprey high overhead at the edge of the fog.

In the weight of the stillness, my solitude is reflected in the infinity of space stretching out before me as the water gives way to mist, no horizon to contain it.

Surprises abound and wonders never cease!

Walking with the intention to be present to the moment I find myself in, and to connect deeply with the place where I am, reminds me to drop down out of my mind and expand my lived experience into my body. In this way, I have the opportunity to perceive my surroundings with telescopic eyes, or whiskers, or sensory glands on my skin. Pine needles under my paws and droplets of moisture coating my feathers become my felt reality.

One of the blessings of walking in this way is that the boundaries between my perceived reality and the reality of the world around me fall away and I become intimately aware of the dynamic living world beyond the edges of my human understanding.

I can find a sense of self, of my personal place and unique connection, within the wilderness of my immediate environment that I'm walking through; and in this way become more clear about the health of a place and how I influence it. At this deep level, clarity and direction are made known to me, and inspiration and answers are discovered.

Slowing down opens me up to the power and presence of the life force. This awareness is available to us at all times. We simply need to choose it. Walking literally helps move me into a new way of being, and thus a new way of perceiving.

With every step taken a new door of perception opens!