The Gift of Time

This is the trail I walked yesterday under the pine trees.
The photo was taken last summer.

Yesterday, I had a meeting that let out early. There was about an hour or so of daylight left and it was unseasonably warm for January; temps in the 50's. I had a lot to do at home- check email, prepare for upcoming client sessions, organize upcoming Reiki class material, prepare for tax time, organize and clean the piles of paper that continuously grow in my home office, etc.- all the usual stuff that occupies my "free" time.

Instead of doing any of my routine tasks I went for a walk in the conservation land woods near my house. And I'm so glad I did. As I entered the pine grove at the entrance of the trail a quiet hush came over me. The tall pines have a way of blanketing a person and making them feel small as they step under them. The pine scent was sharp and invigorating under my nose. As I walked my mind began to slow down. My thoughts became less about the day I just had and the 10,000 things I had to do.

Unconsciously I followed the trails winding deeper into the woods until I came to a small pond. It was frozen over but because of the warm weather it had a layer of unfrozen water on top. I could hear trickling water coming into the pond from across the way. I listened to the gentle breeze swaying through the tops of the trees. I looked up.

For several minutes I just stood there, looking up. I found my hand leaning on one of the pine trunks. I drifted into an eyes-open meditative state and noticed the tree energy pulsing into my arm. It felt strong and ancient and a bit surprised that I had noticed it. I also became aware of wolf energy around me, although we do not have wolves in New England in the wild anymore. It too was strong and ancient.

These minutes passed by with me growing more peaceful and deeply relaxed. I became aware that I needed to head back to the trail head if I was going to walk in day light, so I said thank you to the nature energy around me and took my leave.

It was a great way to spend my gift of time. I hope you too can find a peaceful retreat of some kind this week in your busy schedule. Namaste.