I enjoy looking for opportunities that provide a moment for mindfulness. While mindfulness can be practiced pretty much anytime and anywhere, it is moments like those portrayed in this photo that I find the most beneficial. When I come across a scene like this, yes, I am taking some time to survey the scene and set up my tripod to make some photographs. But I am also taking time to just sit and "be" with everything around me.
Once my tripod and camera are set up, I typically will sit or lay on the ground for several minutes and just listen to everything that is going on around me. On this particular evening, I could hear red-winged blackbirds, pileated woodpeckers and a variety of songbirds off in the distance. Across the pond I could hear a beaver chewing on a piece of wood. At one point I heard but did not see a pair of sandhill cranes calling as they flew high overhead. I could also feel the breath of the calmest of breezes occasionally drift across my face. I could feel the light touch of the tiny black gnats as they danced across the surface of my exposed arms. I also noticed the intoxicating aromas of the forest, the rich scents of pine and spruce, the intense fragrance of the rainfall that had passed by just moments before and the humidity of the waters that surrounded me.
Taking the time to notice each of these things helps you appreciate each of them in their own way (yes, even the bugs!). Keeping an open mind and recognizing that each of these elements all have their place and purpose in nature helps me come away with a deeper sense of the necessity of all of these things. Not just for their place in nature but also for our own well-being. I can't always pull off a peaceful mindfulness experience but when I can the experience is that much more meaningful and makes its mark in the banks of my memory.
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