I was kayaking leisurely and quietly on a holiday weekend when suddenly, just a few meters away from where I had been, a tree suddenly fell out of nowhere.
yes.
My husband and I both stopped paddling and just watched in silence. I thought that must be one of those moments when you think deeply about fate. But nothing really came to mind. We just watched the waves around us slowly disappear. My husband shrugged and said, “The tree is going to fall.” I nodded. We turned around and started rowing.
If a tree falls in the forest (in this case water)…perhaps the question is not about the sound it makes in the air, but about the sound it makes in our minds. If this were me paddling mid-week with my mind full of checklists and to-dos, I probably would have freaked out when I heard that tree. I might have screamed when the sound of that tree fell into the midst of my thoughts. Your heart skips a beat, your stomach drops, and you feel the effects the entire time you paddle. Or were we arguing down the river, angry, hurt, and mean about nothing/everything? The sound of those trees could have felt like ice-cold waves shaking your senses. The tingling and trembling will keep you tense for the rest of the trip.
But this was a leisurely holiday weekend paddle, so the sound of this tree only echoed in my empty, calm mind for a few moments. Like waves, the sound passed through it and moved on. There was a space created by a quiet, mindful paddle that functioned like a cushion for a large, heaving heart.
A tree falls. Stupid things happen in life. And the next time it happens, I’ll try to keep my mental cushion firmly in place.
Until next time,
Laura
Want to learn more about this topic?
Frontloading: Techniques to Strengthen Your Mental Health (Yoga Trail Talk)
Gathering Peace – But Not for the Reasons You Think (Yoga Trail Story)
