As a child, I remember being in the great outdoors, often times lost in a state of imagination and wonderment. As I would traverse my path, I'd pretend to be a Native American princess, reading the land for signs to guide me on my journey. Sometimes I'd be a great Greek Goddess, exploring the woods in search of mystical creatures and looking at the earth with new, magical eyes that would transcend the everyday appearance of the land. It was with this fresh eyesight that the magic in the natural world was made evident to me.


Perhaps my own imaginative play in my youth was not so frivolous after all. In a world that is constantly bombarding us with ideas on what to believe, what to support, what is true and just, what to buy, where to shop, and what is worthy of our time, immersing myself in nature is one of the few things that brings me back to grace.


When I walk outside, nature speaks to me. Like a storybook, slowly exposing her pages to my soul, I feel refreshed, clear, and strong in my own state of knowingness. With her soft breath against my ear, the wind speaks reminders to me, telling me of her beauty, reminding me of my own. The colors of the landscape change every day and with every step of the journey, and in these subtle changes, Mother Nature pulls at my emotions, subtly shifting my consciousness as I walk.


The scent of eucalyptus trees, blooming dogwoods, chaparral flowers, poppies and lupines have a way of reaching into my soul, with each bringing to the surface different memories, associations, and feelings that color and shape my experience as I walk. The tall Italian cypress trees stand starkly in the distance, reminding me of my own light and power, striving to reach the heavens. The joyous dancing of the tall grasses greets me, lining my path and remind me to remain flexible, to ebb and flow with the very breath of life itself. The starlings beautiful display of symmetry and coordinated movement flying above remind me that we are all one, that we can and do work in balance as a dazzling display of life.


Open yourself experience the beauty and spirit of the natural world. Let your imagination soar and take flight outdoors. You will not regret it. Let Mother Nature reach into your soul, clean off the cobwebs, and bring forth beauty, power and weakness from within. To know nature is to know and learn the story of the world, the story of yourself.