It’s been a tough day. There is too much going on and your emotions feel frayed. At this moment, you would like nothing better than to get away from it all. However, you only have a few minutes to decompress. So you decide to revisit your favorite place without leaving your current space.
A Peace of the Forest
Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes and settle yourself comfortably in your chair. Your feet are planted on the floor and you can feel the connection to the earth.
Taking another deep breath, you visualize walking through the entrance to your favorite park. There is a brick and metal arch that you walk through, pausing to feel the texture of the brick that has been in this place for over 100 years. The bricks feel warm to the touch and you feel the sun warming the back of your hand.
As you pass through the arch, the sun becomes filtered by the branches of the old growth trees that fill the park. The sidewalk comes to an end and you find yourself on a well groomed path covered in bark chips. You slow and take a deep breath, savoring the smell of the pines.
Your feet are quiet, there is barely a rustle to be heard as you walk along.
Soon you reach a place where the trail splits into four directions and you pause to choose which way to go.
You take a deep breath as you consider which of the four paths to take.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
You feel calm and the peace that being in nature brings and you make your decision easily.
As you begin moving forward, you feel confident in your choice.
The path narrows and winds through a heavily wooded area. Scents of pine and damp earth fill your senses. You can hear squirrels and chipmunks running through the branches of the trees and birds calling back and forth to each other.
As you approach a bend in the path, a new sound begins to tease your ears. A soft trickle. The sound of water.
Around the corner, the forest opens up to a small creek which whispers quietly as it passes over rocks in the river bed.
A large flat rock sits on the edge of the stream and you climb up. As you sit, you can feel the warmth of the sun on your face and the solid warmth of the rock underneath.
Breathing deeply, you imagine breathing in the peace from this moment in time and breathing out any worries that you have carried with you into the forest.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
Breath in, breath out.
After a time, the sun begins to fade and you stand and begin your journey back. As you pass through the woods and to the intersection of the paths and then to the metal and brick arch that frames the entrance to the park, you notice that you still carry with you the sense of peace that you found on your journey.