I like breathing and walking in a certain tempo and rhythm. I put down my feet fully but lightly on the ground as one with nature, focusing fully on being present. Bare feet on sand, cushioned in the forest with my sneakers on, or enjoying the sound of gravel on horseback, I have had nature as my healer since I was a teenager.

When I am warm enough and can walk as a dancer, I dance with Earth. It’s me and the ocean, me and the trees and me and the grassy hills. Other people may be around but I let them blend into the background. Sometimes I stop and notice the beauty of a seashell or a pine seed, scenting the air, letting it fill my lungs while my thoughts float away on the surface of the water. It’s a living meditation with a chosen presence.

I pick up the seashells with thankfulness and curiousity and go back inside.