There's something about spending time in a deep, foggy, forest that really energizes me. I can't pinpoint what it is; maybe it's the solitude, maybe it's the peace and quiet. What I do know for a fact, is that it's definitely beautiful!
We all know that spending time in nature comes with many benefits for the mind, body and soul but I feel it best when I'm tucked in deep into the woods and away from others. For me, this is where I prefer to practice my forest therapy, where possible. Having said that, I try to slow down on my walks about once a week instead of going out to keep my body moving and being active. These walks typically occur in the city but on most mornings, some trails I take in popular parks, are often uncrowded and totally peaceful. I value those times.
What I also value in the forest is taking my time to find the tiny things; mushrooms and moss mostly. Being able to locate the cutest little mushroom gives me a sense of awe. I often think of how those mushrooms turn out in photographs, which is way bigger than what they appeared to be in person. Sometimes these mushrooms are so dainty, they are truly hard to find so it's important to start by taking a nice deep breathe and being prepared to be patient and open to finding other beautiful sights to photograph along the way.
This is how this walk went. I was focusing on different things than mushrooms for a while but then my son spotted one. I was very excited for these fungi feelings that I immediately assumed there would be plenty nearby. I started getting frustrated at the lack of options feeling that if there is one mushroom, there must be more.
Deep breath in.
Looking around at the landscape and watching my family frolicking in the open field we found ourselves in (coupled with that recently taken deep breath) I find myself a bit more relaxed and less tense about finding the right thing. We certainly shouldn't stress in these scenarios because there is often more beauty to capture and mushrooms will always be around somewhere on Vancouver Island. The main things is to let go and have fun!
Here are a few mushroom photos I captured on this walk. Not as many as I hoped for but in the end, it was all about the journey and not the destination.
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