Chasing Where the Water Flows

After days and days of social distancing my husband and I took a couple of hours this afternoon to get out of the house. We decided to head up to Minnewaska State Park Preserve. Only about 20 minutes from where we live, Minnewaska is a breathtakingly beautiful park with 20,000+ acres of dense forest, hiking trails, natural waterfalls and crystal clear lakes. Hundreds of thousands of people visit this spectacular park throughout the year to enjoy hiking, camping and various outdoor activities.

We were there to switch it up. Social distancing gets old fast and we decided it was time to get some fresh air. Something we all need these days. As you can see from my pictures it was a beautiful sunny day. We didn’t go too far into the park today it was probably only a couple of miles but enough to begin to enjoy the hike and to breathe. I was able to breathe in fresh air and fresh thoughts. 

Just a few minutes into our walk I could feel myself relax and the tension I didn’t even realize I was carrying in my neck and shoulders slowly left my body. The air was crisp and the sun was warm. I noticed I was walking and staring at the ground. I decided to lift my eyes and my head to look around and really be present to take it all in. Looking up and around at my surroundings I was mesmerized with how simple and beautiful our path was. I thought of how true that was of life. How often we keep our heads down on our journey and forget to pick up our eyes and look around. We miss so much of the beauty around us when we only keep our eyes focused on the small steps we take in front of us.

If we lack vision we can’t determine where our path will lead us. Vision is the act or power which gives a direction to our life to make our goals and dreams a reality. As we continued on our walk my vision opened and I could see but not just with my eyes but with all of senses. Suddenly I could hear the sounds of water moving, the birds chirping, the wind rustling around me. The sunlight was warm as it peeked through the trees and the ground snapped and crackled under foot with each step. These natural sights and sounds made me feel awake and at peace all at the same time.

It felt so good to be outdoors. There’s something about connecting with nature and really seeing the beauty of what God has created. The earth is a beautiful place and while there are so many far away and exotic places I hope to visit; it‘s clear we don’t have to go very far from home to be taken away on a beautiful journey of mind, body and spirit.

We walked along the path and the small stream of water to my right grew larger and became more and more present. As my gaze went further into the distance I could see the waterfall ahead of me. It was beautiful and strong with water cascading over and over into a serene pool below.

The majesty and magnitude of a place like Minnewaska was therapeutic and it reminded me that the universe is always here to support us. The time I spent outdoors today did so much more for me than provide some fresh air and exercise. It opened me up spiritually and energetically. It reset me and gave me pause. The stillness was an opportunity to connect with the earth. I was able to stop. Sit. Look. Breathe in and breathe deep. Exhale. And somewhere on that path I was able to leave some of my stress behind.

Eventually, we turned around to begin the walk back towards the entrance of the path. We continued our journey along the same route heading in the opposite direction when a funny thought occurred to me. I am looking at the same area of the park but from another vantage point. The same trees and rocks and water suddenly looked different. I was looking at it from a different perspective. The lighting was different. The angles were different. My sensory interpretation was different but it was the same place I had passed before so why was it like I was looking at it for the first time? It’s because when we change the way we look at things the things we look at change.  

We can all benefit from a different perspective from time to time. Changing the way we see and interpret things can open up unimaginable opportunities. 

We all know that hiking can do wonders to clear the mind and reduce stress. It has a calming effect that exercise alone does not provide. Being in nature today really gave me a boost emotionally and mentally.

Spending time outdoors in any national park, local park or even your own backyard is available to you whenever you want. The experience can be as simple or as profound as you choose to have it. Getting outside to connect to and receive from nature will provide endless health benefits no matter who you are or where you come from.

And that’s regardless of any circumstance or event happening in our world. Peace.