I am almost sixty years old. The idea of that number seriously blows my mind – you know that delusional mind which still thinks I’m in my thirties, until I take a really close look at myself in my 10x magnified mirror. Woah! Talk about a reality check.
Now here is the crazy thing. After that many revolutions around the sun, I am just now really getting in touch with my authentic self and coming to understand what truly feeds my soul – the great outdoors!
Over the last few years I’ve realized I have a deep, abiding craving for nature. Breathing and moving outside is my number one “must have” to be truly happy in my own skin – and it’s free!
Water! Not the kind you pour in a glass, which of course we all need to survive, but bodies of water. I now know without a doubt, I must have access to water, a pond, a lake, the bay . . . doesn’t really matter. Perhaps I have hidden gills I’m not aware of, but at this point in the journey being near water makes me feel so alive.
Sun! Nothing turns me on more than a spirit arousing sunrise at the ocean’s edge or a mind-calming crimson infused sunset drenching the horizon. Not only does my skin need the occasional vitamin D to maintain a healthy glow, my heart needs to see the sun as often as possible to maintain a healthy perspective.
Trees! Hiking in the desert, trekking through Muir Woods or riding my bike with my hubby on the nearest nature trail is my soul’s oxygen. Can trees be a spirit animal? Pretty sure if you check my DNA there is some branch that leads to my live oak ancestry.
I have no idea why it took me so long to find my personal brand of soul food – but every day I am so grateful I never stopped searching until I did.
My new mantra? Nature, no matter what . . . “Get Your Vitamin “N” In!” And please, don’t wait as long as I did to find what feeds you!
The Zen Den
Hello and welcome to The Zen Den. My name is Alison and while I am passionate about many things, my most inspiring driving force is human connection. Blogger, content writer, orthopedic exercise specialist, motivational speaker, international yoga pro, published songwriter, avid poker player, mom and wife are just a few of my titles. But when I do my job at NASA, I am known simply as “The Fairy Zenmother” a role I deeply love because people invite me into their space to help them find their center, relax and stretch their muscles and destress their mind. Here in the blogosphere version of The Zen Den, I invite you into my world where I will explore ideas for creating a better tomorrow and a kinder today. And hopefully, with insight, authenticity and humor; my words, observations and experiences will help you feel calm, centered, intellectually challenged and spiritually enlightened. Alternatively, if you have something you would like to see covered in The Zen Den, just let me know. Your feedback is welcome and valuable to the success of this blog. Finally, my heart is filled with gratitude to have this opportunity to share with all of you.
