Back to Nature

I had intended for this post to be a bit more music/oboe oriented, but I’ve had some wonderful experiences in the last 5 days or so, I decided to shift gears a bit.

Nature is my happy place. When I can take a walk or hike in the woods, or sit by a stream/river/lake, witness a beautiful waterfall – those things are incredibly restorative for me. I feel like I can truly breathe again. When I say that out loud, I have to laugh, as I am constantly thinking about my breathing. Playing oboe, teaching yoga, swimming, it’s all about the breath. But there is something different about how I breathe when I can step away from all of the things. When I can look at the beauty surrounding me (and I get that there is beauty all around us, always, but this is different for me), take time to really see, the colors, the light, listen to the sounds (or lack thereof).

I had the opportunity to spend several days hiking in the mountains of Georgia recently. Like I’ve already said, nature is very healing for me but there is also the physical exertion. I like pushing my body, exercising, feeling like I’m working and getting stronger, breathing heavy, feeling my lungs and muscles work. I realize this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s mine. I do encourage you to find your own ‘cup of tea’. Find your happy place. Find the thing/space the recharges your batteries. When our lives are at their craziest, don’t let these things fall to the bottom of the list of priorities.

Make yourself a priority. You are important. You are worth it!

-Dr. T