Walk Therapy

One of my greatest pleasures is the quietness of nature. I learned to develop a love of this when I was a child and would play in the woods all day. The snap of the twig, the chirping of the birds, hearing the winds blow through the weeds in an open field on a hot, dry day. For me, the quietness and unassuming quality of nature is so tranquil that it allows my mind to feel meditative and almost spiritual.

Last spring, I enjoyed a few months where I took walks at the lake in the morning after the morning school bus ritual. This not only gave me the benefits of weekly exercise, but it also gave me some time for my spirit. Most of the time I would listen to nature and allow my mind to wander. As a mom, there are very few times in a week where you enjoy enough silence to organize your own thoughts. This time served as a "spring cleaning" for my brain as I organized my goals, relationships and how I feel about being here. I also used this time to listen to some spiritual podcasts which helped me feel a greater connection to God. Some people enjoy Talk Therapy, but last Spring I had a big ol' session of Walk Therapy.

One wet morning I decided to enjoy an extra-long walk at the lake. I knew my therapy schedule was going to be altered soon with the ending of school and the beginning of summer. Summer is such a busy time for our family and solitude will be scarce. I walked about 5-6 miles that morning, really appreciating every aspect. The wet, wormy smell of the earth... the big buoyant ducks, diving their heads underwater for a minnow... the hypnotic timing of my feet as they slapped the pavement. All of these sights, sounds and smells seemed like a rare treasure to me that day as my mind kept fighting to drift forward to the busyness of summer.

Much to my surprise, I found 4 hearts on my walk that day! This puddle heart was the most unique since it could only be seen by looking at it from a certain angle. I also like the fact it was created by a hole/dent in the pavement which reminded me of the "void" between heaven and earth that is referenced in the Tao Te Ching. In it, Lao Tzu said, "We fire clay and make vessels; it is precisely where there's no substance, that we find the usefulness of clay pots" (the hole in the middle). I like meditating on this thought. Very often holes are thought of as losses in our lives. Losing a job, needing a friend to talk to, saying good-bye are all ways we experience voids or holes. Yet sometimes it is that same void that leaves us open to experience new things like embarking on a new career, meeting new people or exploring parts of our spirit. If our lives are in a constant state of overflowing, how will we ever enjoy the pleasure of being filled up?

So today I embrace the holes in my life and choose to see them from a certain angle; not as a loss, but as an opportunity. "Thus, while existence has advantages, It is the emptiness that makes it useful.”