Walking in Nature and Photography as Practice

Most of my adult life, I lived in the hustle and bustle of the big city. My work as a policy director involved research, analysis, management, and administration. I was living in my head most of the time, disconnected from my body.

After leaving my work with the Public Service, and more than a decade of working with embodied practices such as mindfulness meditation, yoga nidra (body scanning), and EMDR, my exploration of plant medicines and entheogens opened my eyes to the beauty that surrounds us, drawing me closer to nature.

I remember walking along the banks of Kaniatarowanenneh (the St. Lawrence River) after my first psychedelic ceremony. Sitting down on an outcrop of rocks, looking out across the water, I listened to the sounds of the river rushing by and the wind in the trees. I felt grounded, present in my body, and in touch with the environment. I felt intense bliss and a healing energy awakening deep inside me. That energy has remained with me and continues to weave through my creative practice and my daily life.

Since then, my connection to nature has continued to deepen. The insights I receive in contemplating nature are often heart-opening and sometimes profoundly spiritual. Walking by the river, through the trees and the bushes, among the wildflowers, reminds me of how both light and darkness coexist and create mystery and beauty all around us.

I feel gratitude for the flowers, the wildlife, the trees, and the river. I am blessed to be present with the cacophony of nature: birds singing, insects humming, leaves rustling, and the water in constant motion.

Wanting to capture these moments of beauty and bliss, I began taking photographs with my smartphone as I walked. Over time, this evolved into a practice where the process of taking photographs became a form of meditation in itself.

I no longer walk to “exercise” but to slow down. I take time to contemplate the beauty that surrounds me. I look with my eyes, and then again through my phone. With gratitude for what I see, I compose an image with the elements before me. Time stops, I feel grounded in my body, and I am present to what is right in front of me.

For me, this has become a way of slowing down, becoming grounded and present in the moment, and opening my heart in gratitude for the beauty of nature.

Note: This page shares my personal reflections and experiences. It is offered as inspiration and creative expression, not as advice or guidance.