It's so important to find practices that encourage us to "unplug" from the illusion of our lives - all the details we so easily get caught up in... It's so important to "plug into" what's real, what's present, right in front of us. Life is so much more rich and sweet when you experience connection. Connection with your body, breath, the present moment, and maybe even something greater.

Since I returned from Costa Rica, I have incorporated some new practices into my life to help me "plug into" that connection I felt there. One of these practices is a daily walk outside in nature... No matter what the weather, I go out and just walk. I'm not walking for exercise, I'm walking for peace. It is a meditation for me, I let go of everything on my mind and just experience those 15 minutes as they are, whatever they are. I wrote the following after my walk yesterday:

My heels touch the ground. One, then the other. Steady rhythm.
Bird souls sing in the trees.
Quiet.
My feet upon the earth...the sound, the sensation. Experience.
My gaze meets the sky... be it clear blue, with clouds, dusty gray, or a blanket of black, dotted with sparkling diamonds.
I gaze all the same.
The cold, the snow, the wind, the rain, the sun, the warmth, the clarity.
I just walk.
Only my feet tapping the earth, only Ram (sun) shining in the sky, only The breath wind - cool - to support my Awakening.
...Feet tapping, birds singing, leaves rustling, breath flowing, wind blowing.
We are One.