This morning I spent some time out in the woods. It was a cool, crisp morning with mild cloud cover diffusing the low, wintery southern sky sun.  I saw no other humans during the hike but knew I was not alone and shared the trail with many other creatures who own the forest ‘home’. I am only a visitor in their sacred space. Hiking along I noted occasional remnants of patchy snow from a few days back dotting the northern slope of hill sides.

The feel of the chilly air on my face mingled in contrast with an occasional ray of sun breaking through the gray cover overhead.

Looking down at the rocky earth—careful to avoid the cacti lacing the semi-arid landscape—the unmistakable footprints of wild turkey dotted the sandy surface.

As I rounded a stand of tall, orange trunked ponderosas, the smell of dried out, soon-to-be-shed leaves from a blanketing of scrub oaks, still holding on to the branches at the late stage of autumn—alerted my olfactory sense.

A bit further along the path, I noticed a mild chirping noise which became louder and more frantically aggressive as I approached an umbrella of pinion pine. I sensed an awareness this unidentifiable critter was nervously warning me I was too close for comfort. I attempted to make myself smaller as I continued along the path with the forest surroundings returning to silence, a threat no more.

Taking time to practice mindfulness involves an awareness of what’s going on around us and within us at the present moment. Being fully tuned in to your surroundings fosters improved concentration and mental clarity. Additional benefits of mindfulness include an increase in self-control, objectivity, enhanced emotional intelligence and the ability to relate to others and one’s self with kindness, acceptance, and compassion.  

When was the last time you experienced the sense of wellbeing found in the present moment? You don’t need a majestic mountain top or a cliff towering above a sandy beach to experience the inner peace of the practice of mindfulness. I challenge you to simply start in your own back yard, neighborhood, a nearby park, or city scape block. Just get outside. Heighten your senses. You will thank yourself!