Beauty in Solitude

On a recent road trip, I found this amazing place... I sat on that bench for a good hour, meditating among the flowers and plants at an incredible botanical garden.

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become."

Buddha

Meditation is a practice that has been used for thousands of years to promote inner peace, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular in Western cultures as more people recognize its many benefits.

One of the main benefits of meditation is its ability to reduce stress and promote relaxation. When we meditate, we enter a state of deep relaxation that can help us let go of our worries and concerns. This can be especially helpful for people who struggle with anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions.

Another benefit of meditation is its ability to improve focus and concentration. By training our minds to focus on a specific object or mantra, we can improve our ability to concentrate on other tasks in our daily lives. This can be especially helpful for people who work in high-stress environments or who have busy schedules.

Meditation has also been shown to have physical health benefits. Studies have found that regular meditation can lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation in the body, and even improve immune function. This can help us stay healthy and prevent chronic diseases.

Perhaps one of the most powerful benefits of meditation is its ability to help us cultivate a sense of inner peace and well-being. When we meditate, we connect with a deeper part of ourselves that is calm, peaceful, and centered. This can help us navigate the challenges of life with greater ease and resilience.

In conclusion, meditation is a powerful practice that can help us improve our physical and mental health, reduce stress, and cultivate a sense of inner peace and well-being. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced meditator, incorporating meditation into your daily routine can be a great way to enhance your life and improve your overall sense of well-being.

Stargazing

A philosopher once asked,

"Are we human because we gaze at the stars,

"or do we gaze at them because we are human?"

Pointless, really-

Do the stars gaze back?

Now, that's a question.

-Stardust, Neil Gaiman

Mushrooms!

Nature never ceases to amaze me.... Especially in the ways it can feed us and heal us, if we know what we're looking for. These are golden oyster mushrooms and they are delicious!

In the past few years, I've been doing a lot of studying on foraging - for food, for medicines, and just for study. It was during this research I came across these mushrooms and knew that I had seen them on one of my many forays into the woods. Next time I went out, I found them everywhere! I brought some home and tried cooking them in every method possible. I have had them pan fried in butter, deep fried in batter, cooked into beef stroganoff, cream of mushroom soup and dehydrated a bunch of them to last me through winter.

Remember, if you go foraging, know what you're looking for, don't take anything that is questionable, and always harvest sustainably!

Resources on Foraging:

Foraging for Beginners

Identify that Plant

You've seen it before, but never like this...

Space.

All around us, a cosmic contemplation of our own existence.

And now we can see it, in all of it's glory. Thank you, James Webb telescope and NASA. It's so breathtakingly beautiful.