It’s enough to pay attention to the little things. The steam rising off that first cup of coffee. Sunlight coming through the window. There’s no right answer for what is going to make you happy. There are only these little things that add up to how you spend your days and it can take a long time to see it’s as simple as that.

from Flying Edna

Chosen and read by Nancy L.

I encourage you to make time each day to be outside. One of the ways to do this is to go on a contemplative walk with an intentional and reverential heart.

There is something about getting our bodies out into the world, in close contact with trees, bushes, flowers, squirrels, pigeons, and crows, that can invigorate us and offer us a new perspective on life. In the book of Jeremiah, God asks, “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24) These walks are times to really experience that truth.

Contemplative walking does not necessarily mean walking slowly, although at its heart it is not a rushed activity. When we walk contemplatively, we give ourselves over to the experience. This is not walking for fitness. It is walking to immerse ourselves in an encounter with whatever is calling us in the moment.

As you begin a contemplative walk, allow a few moments simply to breathe and connect to your heart. Set an intention for this time to be as present as you can to what is happening both within and without. Begin walking, but see if you can release any expectations or destination. As you walk, imagine that with each step your feet are both blessing the ground and being blessed by it. Let your breath be long and slow. Bring you awareness to the earth monastery all around you.

Notice what draws your attention. Look for what shimmers or what the Japanese poet Basho called “a glimpse of the under glimmer.” Listen for the sounds of life around you. Even if you are walking through a city, pay attention to the rustle of the breeze, the caw of crows, or any subtle elements of creation singing their song.

Pause regularly simply to receive this gift. Breathe it in. Let it have some space in your heart. Then continue on until something else causes you to stop.

This is the whole of the practice: simply moving, listening and pausing. We practice presence so that we might cultivate our ability to really hear the voice of nature speaking to us. This sounds simple, and yet we so rarely make the time to develop this skill.

Richard Rohr– Chosen and read by Amy W.

I am the vastness

bellows of bluegreen ocean

breathing in beyond.

I am the closeness

caresses of forest paths

whispering me home.

Photos and haikus by Amy W.

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It’s enough to pay attention to the little things. I have always loved the many, many shades of green that emerge in the spring. Inspired by the opening reading, I began breathing in all the hues and intricacies of the new growth of this season of renewal and rebirth. My heart was full of joy!

Photos and reflection by Nancy L.