When I first moved to Montreal, I felt trapped in concrete-- I had never lived in an urban centre before. Walks in the forest on Mount Royal have saved me. The longer I walk, the more present and connected to the forest I feel. I look for birds and small mammals and listen for birdsong. I make an effort to notice details on plants. I also observe the light, shade, and unique spaces in the forest, how they interact with my imagination, and how they make me feel. I hear streams and stop to watch them.
A couple weeks ago during a long walk in Summit Woods I entered a beautiful open space that was full of light and beautiful sounds of birdsong. I pondered how the land supports me both physically and spiritually. Even though I don’t always feel like I belong to or am understood by people around me in the way I would like, there is a sense in which I feel loved by the earth itself supporting me beneath my feet. Much of this for me personally has to do with faith in a creator that loves all life, and that my life has purpose and meaning that connects me to God and the earth, wherever it is that I live.
When I saw the scene photographed above a few days ago, I felt invited into a safe enclave where I could find peace and rest. Anxiety and fear shake up my life and inner sensations and sense of self frequently, but the forest offers me moments of grounding and spiritual release and relief.
I hope that all of you enjoy spiritual grounding in your experiences with nature this summer, as well as in all your spiritual practices—whether art, prayer, mediation, yoga, religious worship, or other practices that are important to you.
