A certain sense of peace
THERE IS A certain sense of peace that comes over one when tracking wild creatures through the woods or on the frozen river. A feeling of knowing, understanding, even bonding-with and feeling connected-to. The white tailed deer, the red fox, the gray squirrel and the little red, the cottontail. Even Petey the ‘possum who lives under the deck.
All leave the marks of their lives through the cold and difficult winter. And in tracking, you can sense that difficulty, but also their courage and their strength, the indomitable spirit of carrying on. And, in the silence, a bit of it seems to rub off on, or seep into, the tracker.
There is no nonsense or stupidity, no dishonesty or ignorance. The fact that all of that is gone, doesn’t even seem to belong on the same planet, is no doubt the reason for the feeling of peace. Here is Life stripped to its essence, with nothing obscured or encumbered
I lead retreats and workshops on ‘forest therapy,’ wonderful deep dives into the restorative powers of Nature, and time spent in the woods. But sometimes, just stopping, looking, examining the track of a fox, an opossum or a squirrel, and breathing in the silence, can take you where you need to go.