Hanging out at camp, watching a deer eat a wild mushroom.
I plop down at the camp site after a quick setup. My vision swirls. The computer, Zoom calls, social platforms, reading on Kindle. Screen time swirls and draws me in continuously. How often I slow and not consume is rare. Even my yoga practice comes from a video most days. Five days with little cell service forces me to unplug. Five days to reset with runs, hikes, writing and watching the deer.
The deer show wild and free. So close but no fear. Just each about their business. I read a book, and a doe wanders up close finding leaves to munch. A reminder of living in the moment while not carrying a load of self imposed anxiety.
Monte Sano State Park offers trails, cabins, camping and little else. It’s a hiker, runner and biker playground. Pull into any parking lot and hit a trailhead within a few feet. Trails range from easy to most difficult.
A local running club hosts a 50k every January for the past 31 years. One of the oldest ultras in the southeast. The course covers almost every trail in the park plus many trails nearby owned by a Land Trust. The course features technical terrain from start to finish. The park makes for a great training ground for local trail runners all year.
The park features a Japanese garden with easy walking trails lined with bamboo. The trails are made from fine gravel and meander through plants that originated from Japan. There is a gentleness to the gardens that features a natural hut and a bright red bridge over a creek. After an easy walk through this area, my nervous system downshifts. My vision no longer swirls from the digital world. My senses come alive with the surroundings.
One of the park’s overlooks shows off the vastness of mountain ranges. This unspoiled land offers miles of trails up, down and around. I stand in awe of the vastness of green but the real treat for me is venturing down below into the forest. An oasis right in the middle of a city bustle.
My weekend was filled with deer sightings. Early morning runs find the deer forging on top of the mountain. Mid-day they find places to rest and digest. Then late afternoon they often meander through the wooded areas around the campsites. Tails down indicates they feel safe and unaffected.
At dusk, cicadas come in to full chorus. Their rhythm pulses through my body, their song is deafening. Sounds of summer deep in the woods beats city traffic any day. Even midafternoon in the dark shadows their chorus takeover.
Days on the mountain feel easy. So easy it feels indulgent. I need more days like this.
Yoga practice after a run. Video below offers a very short but beneficial hip openers. A quick check in with your body after a run, hike or walk.
Once on the mat, if time allows keep flowing through more poses. Then end the practice with a twenty minute savasana for a true reset of the body and mind. Twenty minutes does wonders for an internal rest or reset.
Happy Trails and Practice!
Jill
All photos by the author or family collections.
This sounds dreamy. Most of us could use some time like this!