Do a silent hike in nature

“At first, my mind looped TV tunes and ’90s R&B, but after several hours of downpour against my poncho, something changed. My mind went quiet, blank even. I could observe my pace and the glistening greenery around me, taking it in without adding internal commentary. I saw muskrats and beavers swimming in the canal; white-tailed deer foraging trailside; sleeping geese that didn’t stir when I walked past. Released from speech, I became just another forest species.”

“While walking in silence along a beach, I notice that the white noise of human machines gives way to the pink noise of ocean waves rolling on the shore. Wind and waves blend gently with the cries of gulls, warming my heart. I sink into the sand and connect with the earth, the tension in my body melts. I feel the earth holding me in her lap. I close my eyes and still take in this beauty through my ears.”