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To Have My Senses Put in Order

To Have My Senses Put in Order

Welcome to the Bella Grace / Grace Notes Blog Hop! I hope you’ll take some time, grab a cuppa, and relax into some musings straight from the heart and mind of, well, me! Settle in while I reveal what keeps my senses in balance in this high-speed world.
bella grace grace notes blog hop senses

To have my senses put in order

The path winds through thick forests and over rocky paths before it gently opens to a green pool of water. At first glance, I feel the tension in my shoulders subside, and a long exhale releases all the stresses of the week from my body. I am here. I have reached the source of all my understanding at the edge of this water, where I have sat in contemplation too many times to count. It is the place where the greens of nature meet the soothing waters of the earth, and blend in perfect harmony to sing directly to my soul. My senses come alive here, and my heart is known.

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. — John Burroughs

lost valley bluff creek grotto
The creek has pushed its way through the rock and cascades into a large pool I call ‘the grotto.’

This soothing pool of mountain waters knows all my secrets. When facing my worst troubles, I return here, like a child to its mother, and feel all the parts of me come back into balance. My senses are heightened and gently caressed by the cool air dancing off the creek flowing from the bluff. The bedrock where I take my seat is my foundation, firm and unmoved, while the trees provide a filtered canopy above to shelter me just enough to feel comfort, but allow enough healing light to gently drift downward and land softly on my skin.

creek lost valley
The creek twists and turns around the rocks, carving a path through its life.

I feel alive here, in this most natural surrounding, unobstructed by the outside world, unadulterated by modernity, unaltered by anything but the wind and water that call this place home. The bluff where I rest has not changed in thousands of years. The trees enveloping me have grown and transformed and been reborn in this same place for centuries. There is a stability here, a rhythm that is lost in the outside world. It is dependable, incredibly strong and yet exquisitely fragile.

lost valley flower
A tiny burst of color springs from the forest floor.

When the noise of the world becomes too loud, I hear the woods calling. When the pressure to compete in the every day overwhelms, the cool waters beckon me closer. When the movements of my life are twisted and pushed into an unrecognizable identity, the bluffs know me by name, and the wind seems to whisper, “Rest now. You are safe here.”

tree story lost valley
The trees have stories they are aching to tell.

It is here where I understand the full depth of the term Mother Earth. It is here, in the soft green of nature, where I come back to myself. A walk in these woods is the most powerful medicine I know, and a place where my senses come alive. Here, in the embrace of this uncluttered setting, all the noise of the outside world falls away and I hear only what is truly important.

lost valley creek nature
The flow of the gentle waters are nature’s beautiful song.

To enjoy dozens of wonderful examples of savoring each moment of life, check out the participants of the Grace Notes Blog Hop (click here).

Ebella gracenter to Win: It’s a Giveaway!

To celebrate the Grace Notes Blog Hop, I’m giving away one of the beautiful issues of Bella Grace magazine (Issue 7, Spring 2016), courtesy of Grace Notes.

To enter, add a comment below about how you find the beauty in everyday life. (Contest open to U.S. residents only. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. CDT on Friday, April 22, 2016. Winner will be selected by drawing, likely including the random choice of my trusty Schnauzers, George and Stella, who love everyone equally. Winner will be contacted by email.)

Rita Herrmann lives in the Ozark Mountains with her two dogs and Netflix subscription. A lifelong writer, she's learned to draw deep thoughts from the simplest of observations. Through her work on She Wears Red Shoes, she inspires others to be the best version of themselves, even though she often eats too much chocolate. A good road trip with a great playlist is how she rolls. Her core beliefs include dancing spontaneously, singing randomly, laughing often, living simply, and learning to forgive.

25 thoughts on “To Have My Senses Put in Order

  1. Mother Earth … Nature restores my health physically and emotionally. Hiking
    with my husband and dog puts me in a heaven & earth place. Others fly off
    to Hawaii to unwind. I prefer to slip on my hiking boots and head for the
    woods. The peace gives me Zen.

  2. Finding beauty in my every day life is simply a matter of looking out my window. I’ve planted a large golden bamboo in a half whiskey barrel and it’s grown so tall that it blocks the views of my neighbors. My bird feeders are around that bamboo, so every day I have bird song, hummingbirds perching on the leaves and if there is a slight breeze I can hear the bamboo whispering. It’s peaceful and joyful all at the same time!!

    1. That sounds beautiful, Kris. I am making note of the bamboo in a half barrel so I can gain some privacy :-). Good luck in the giveaway !! I’m so glad you stopped by to read and share your words. 🙂

      1. Congratulations, Kris! Your name was chosen in the drawing, and I’ll get your brand new copy of Bella Grace Issue 7 in the mail to you. Let me know if your address has changed, otherwise, I’ll put it in Monday’s mail. Thanks for participating!!!

  3. Rita, thank you for
    taking readers to your
    healing spot. I think if
    more people spent time
    each day in nature, just
    be-ing for a few minutes,
    the world would be a
    softer place. (I’m a fellow
    writer in the BG blog-hop–
    April 22–so no need to enter
    my name.)

    xo Suzanne

  4. I love to sit in a boat in the middle of the lake early in the morning. The sun is still rising, the birds are waking and starting to chirp, and the water is calm. It is so calm and peaceful and a great way to relax. This is one of the reasons my husband loves to go to the lake after a stressful day or week. The lake will bring both of us to our ‘own’ calm spot.

  5. Hi Rita! I”m also a blog hopper. 🙂 Your words and photos are beautiful. I also find beauty and connect with my soul in nature. I sometimes forget as I get busy in the world and then when I start to feel depleted I remember that I need to get outside and touch and feel all the mother nature has to give me.

  6. Hi Rita! I’m a fellow Bella Grace blog hopper. I love your connection with nature! I feel the same. When I begin to feel depleted I know it’s time to escape to the arms of mother nature.

  7. Finding the beauty in everyday life is seeing all the positives of the people around you and seeing the beauty of the nature that surrounds us. For me, it is those I come in contact with at work and seeing our beautiful flowers at home and being with my hubby.

    1. Leigh! So glad you are here!! Love your words and you are so right about finding the beauty in everyday life. It’s the key, isn’t it?!? (And you and Ryan are just so cute about each other ) :-). Good luck in the giveaway ! I’ll be drawing on April 22 🙂

    2. Congratulations, Leigh! Your name was chosen in the drawing, and I’ll get your brand new copy of Bella Grace Issue 7 to you Monday. Thanks for participating!!!

  8. Hello Rita! The seashore is where I have tucked my secrets~ The ebb n’ flow of life and the ocean drumming a soothing tune-calm me every time~

    I do think our attitude helps grace arrive~ When I need a hug-nature nurtures me the most~

  9. Hi Rita, your words and photos are so very soothing. You have a magnificent place to retreat to when you need to get back to nature – that water – so beautiful. I would have to say that I go to nature as well. A simple walk in the forest surrounding our home, noticing lichens, birds, mushrooms, etc. is usually all I need (a close second only to a nap of course ;)) I’m also on the blog hop, so no need to enter my name in the contest.

  10. Sadly I’m too far away to enter and the postage… eek! But oh my, oh Rita, just reading how you describe this magical place and the effect it has upon you creates a virtual ripple in which I felt myself being drawn so I could sit silently beside you on that bedrock. And I cannot help but ask… do you realise you have captured a Tree Being in that tree photo?!!! Some people may think I’m wacky but I can see that forest creature clear as day! Incredible!!!

  11. Congratulations to our winners — yes, TWO winners — in the giveaway. I had two issues to giveaway, and thought I might do two separate contests, but this was so fun, we just selected TWO names from the entries. Kris and Leigh — I’ll get your copies to you right way.

    Thank you to all who participated, visited, read, and who find their version of beauty in the world every single day. xoxo

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"It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson