Living the Dream

To entice others to come outside where they experience their connection with Earth and Heaven is my passion and my mission. I get so excited when I get to deliver on that! At these moments, Hiking Lifestyle lives!

This past Saturday, 5 people walked with me at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve. There they were, listening. Listening to Nature, enfolded by the fragrant pine forest, securely and softly supported by the firm ground cushioned with pine needles, smiles crept over their faces. A couple of minutes went by before I dared to add my voice to the symphony of subtle sounds bathing our ears. I whispered, "How was that?"

"Reverent." "Surprisingly rich with sounds I don't hear in the city." "We usually forget to listen. Thanks for bringing us out here to witness God's magnificent and diverse creation."

We continued on our path, awakening all our senses and noticing how many spiritual lessons were written there in the trees. Each walker "met" his or her own tree by being led with eyes closed to a tree, exploring it with touch, then finding it again. "Each tree is unique, just like each of us."

Later in the day, we painted, letting the pure colors of yellow, blue, and red have conversations with each other on the paper. The conversations, mingling the essences of each color, created more colors. Painters breathed easier while they painted, feeling the mood of each color move something in our own bodies. Creating was safe, exciting, satisfying. "I love my painting."

When I can contribute to the experience of others with activities that promote self acceptance, connection with Nature and the Divine in and around us, my purpose is fulfilled. I am blessed with opportunity and grateful for my community.

When are YOU sharing what you love?

In joy,

Regina

Sensory Awakening Walk

Seven Easy Steps to Energize your Day

Step One: Start out on a 10-minute walk in Nature. Feel your feet connecting to the Earth.

Step Two: Awaken your sense of hearing. Stop for a minute and LISTEN. Close your eyes and count the sounds you hear. Note that some sounds come from sources hidden from your sight. Consider that new insights sometimes come from invisible realms as well.

Step Three: Open your eyes to a color bath! Look around you and find all the colors of the rainbow in view. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. Sometimes it's a challenge to find each one, but in the searching, your vision wakes up and you start to notice colors as surprise gifts of delight. The world seems more vibrant and wondrous.

Step Four: Scoop up a handful of Earth and smell it. The sense of smell is one we often miss. Notice that the earth beneath your feet has different scents in various places. The sense of smell most links us to our memories. Create a new sensory memory today!

Step Five: With the handful of Earth in your hand, feel the textures of the soil, the leaves, the twigs. Take a minute to poke around with your fingertips and wake them up. Feel the textural bath that Nature provides: smooth, rough, prickly, soft, bumpy. What a joy to feel the variety that's missing from our daily life at keyboards!

Step Six: Taste is a sense we rarely use outdoors, but give it a try! Touch your tongue to a leaf, or tree bark, or even a stone. Explore the earth in this way and don't be shy.

Step Seven: With your senses awakened, continue walking for a few more minutes, breathing in the air, connecting yourself with the Earth, with your humanness! Go back into your day with heightened awareness of the subtle features of your landscape. You may find that your thinking and your ability to create solutions to problems is keener as well.

Blessings on your day!

Let me know what you discovered by awakening your senses.

In joy,

Regina