Over the weekend I walked with my greyhound, Dreamy in The Leg of Mutton. It’s a small walk with a steep roadway down into the dried lake. This is just one of the volcanic lakes in the area in which I live. It was once a nursery for introduced species of trees and still has many deciduous trees growing around its banks. It is a beautiful place to walk.
The walk down to the lake is meditative. And I find myself letting go of my burdens with each step. Once the lake is reached, I feel stillness surrounding me. Only the subdued sound of cars passing by on the road and the occasional voice from above can be heard.
A few birds tweet in the bare tree branches and as the trees sway in the wind their remaining orange leaves fall to the ground. The path is mottled with the yellow, orange, and red of fallen leaves. It is a lovely sight. There is something about being washed and cleansed in nature which is healing.
I find myself surrounded by peace with Dreamy by my side, waiting patiently. I listen to the silence around me, then I sink into my own heart, my place of peace. In this place there is a part of myself which cannot be found in the daily grind of life. And as my own thoughts become still, I realise everything is okay and all is good. I know who I am and my personal integrity. My thoughts become clearer, and I have come home to myself.
Why am I sharing this with you? Because I have found this type of stillness to be a vital part of my life. It is a place of sanity in a crazy and demanding world. We are surrounded by others who want something of us. Sometimes it’s good to find a place where these voices can be stilled so we can hear ourselves.
Do you have a place where you find peace? Gardening and the beach are other places for me. Perhaps it’s having a massage, taking a bath, sitting in the sunshine with a coffee or wine. Whatever takes you to this place, do it. Go there, often.
In love,
Jenny
