“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” John Muir
What is your favorite sound? Is it laughter or music or singing? A loved one's voice, a guitar, an “I love you”?
A few years ago, I went for a walk and found a sound I love.
My husband and I were in North Carolina for a retreat near the charming small town of Black Mountain. We rented a cottage in a pretty neighborhood called Cheshire tucked at the bottom of the mountains.
The weather that afternoon was sunny, windy, and beautiful so I took a walk. The neighborhood, which was small and new, was quiet except for a few people going into the coffee shop. I resisted the urge to follow them inside and kept walking.
Along one of the main streets was a small stream in a wooded area. The stream curved and wound through the trees, past mountain laurel shrubs, and under a little wooden bridge that connected two parts of the neighborhood. I stopped on the bridge and looked down at the water, dappled with sunlight filtering through the trees. As it rushed over the rocks below, it made a lovely sound, louder than I would have thought for such a shallow stream.
With the water at my feet and the wind in the trees, I couldn’t hear much else. No one else was around, so I let my mind wander. Pretty soon I was lost in thought, remembering how an old friend of ours had encouraged me over lunch, what he had said, and how much we enjoyed seeing him.
A few minutes later, my thoughts came back to the present, my eyes still focused on the stream.
It’s no wonder we’re drawn to the sound of water, is it? It’s easy to listen to, a natural soundtrack of relaxation. When we slow down, the music of the water encourages our thoughts to wander like that little stream wandered through the woods.
Before turning to go, I recorded the sound so I could take it home with me. It’s playing right now, as a matter of fact, reminding me of those relaxing moments with beauty.
What sounds relax you? Do you listen to any recorded nature sounds? If so, what do you like to hear?
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