Stay Connected

If there is one piece of advice I could give everyone it would be to stay connected with your true self. Take time to turn off all electronics and remove yourself from the world of social media. I know, me writing this is kind of an oxymoron . . . but I’m telling you this because it works. These past few days in Naini Tal have truly opened the door to my spiritual side—a side of me that has been neglected the majority of my life. I have sat on my patio for hours and watched as the sun began to set and the daytime critters go into hiding while the nighttime critters make their prowl. I have taken mindful walks to truly engage with my surroundings. Just this afternoon I found a trail that lead to the woods and it was one of my favorite walks yet. I came across a beautiful fountain. Tiny birds were dancing around the tree branches and flittering about in the water. I spent a few juicy minutes soaking every sight and sound in. There were chirps from I presume to be cicadas and different tweets and hums from the birds. The babbling of the water hitting the stone from its fountain spout. The fountain spout was a bronzish color and in the shape of a cat head. There were different shades of green from the trees and brushes and a beautiful sun beam piercing its way through the tree tops. I decided to continue on the path and much to my surprise, and also poor mister lizard’s, I had startled a komodo dragon who was pleasantly sunbathing on a rock in the path. My presence was unwelcome and he quickly tour through the bushes to safety. After a few moments of laughter and apologies, I continued my walk. This path was ridden with butterflies. They ranged from different shades of ash, brown, white, and blue. Some had small spots on their wings and others had stripes. They were all equally beautiful and graceful. As I paused in my stroll to look at what was around me, I saw a tiny little peach tree. The poor thing had about as many branches and leaves as Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree, but it was still producing fruit. I believe I counted 4 peaches on the branches. Lucky for the peaches a rope of barbed wire kept them from my grasp. I walked on this path until I spotted another house. In order to respect their property and privacy, I decided it was best to turn around. On my walk back I noticed things I hadn’t before. Little coves in the hill which I imagined animals had made into quite cozy homes. Intricate spider webs with the artist sitting proudly in the middle displaying their colorful and creepy bodies. A tiny little inchworm hanging from a tree branch that I helped make it to the ground safely. But best of all, I found my spot. Back by the fountain there is a little space that the sun hits just enough to be pleasant and the trees cover just to provide enough shade. There is a small gathering of water that is home to several tadpoles. And it all looks over the mountains. While I have a mere five to six days left here in Naini Tal, I have decided to make a point to visit that spot once daily. It is where I will find my connection with self and be able to process what I have learned throughout the day.

At first I was disappointed that I didn’t take my phone with me on the walk as I didn’t have a device to take pictures, but the more thought I have put in to it, the more I have decided that it was a blessing. Without my mind being focused on taking pictures I was able to truly see what was around me and appreciate its beauty. So please, give yourself just a simple five minutes with just nature and yourself at least once a week. I promise it will make a difference.