Relaxation // Current

100 Illustrated Relaxation Exercises for Your Mind, Body, and Soul

To help you squeeze in a little relaxation time so that you can de-stress wherever you are, this article has compiled this list of... more

sunnyspeaks
added this

2 responses

13 days ago

PhotoJournal: Snapshots - A Walk in the Sierras

Meditation: A Song and A Prayer for Our Forests - The Sacred Places Series
A slide presentation, with music by Patrick Leonard - A Journey Through The Sierras

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, California

Snapshots from a two day wander through Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, California ~ A condensed magical journey through the forest, mountains and waterways.

John Muir described the mighty Sequoia as “nature’s masterpiece”, “the greatest of living things”, a “king tree”, and “the very god of the woods”. There is indeed something otherworldly about sequoia groves along with their companion pines finding their own space and light beneath the shadow of the giant trees!

It is difficult to determine the exact age of the Sequoia, the majestic Grant and Sherman Trees are estimated to be around 3,000 to 3,500 years old. The Grant Tree has the largest known diameter, 28.9 feet at breast height, and about 267 feet tall. The Sherman Tree measured approximately 275 feet tall, 25.1 feet in diameter, a ground perimeter of 102.6 feet, is considered to be the largest living Sequoia, about 10 percent larger volume wise than the Washington Tree, followed by the Grant Tree. Many of the giants are 1,500 to 2,000 years old. The Sequoia’s natural habitat is only in a relatively small area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a collective total of around 36,000 to 38,000 acres.

The Music
Patrick Leonard’s exquisite piano improvisations.

The Photography
Snapshots... documenting a moment for the sheer joy and sake of it - one camera, one lens for the most part and taking each moment for what it is, no matter the time of day, light, the situation perfect or imperfect. Remembering magical moments as I appreciate the world I live in, and appreciate our wise ancestors who have left us these legacies of ancient, sacred, mysterious and beautiful places. May future generations also experience the benefit and beauty of our unique, magnificent, and much needed forests.

Sacred Places
to me “sacred place” can be any space that elevates one’s being or awareness to a level beyond that of everyday life. Sacred places can be rendered from forests and waterways, desert rock formations, intentional architectural forms such as the legacies of ancient Egypt constructed by masters of harmony and form, or something more personal that holds significance to the individual.

Meditation: A Song and A Prayer for Our Forests - The Sacred Places Series A slide presentation, with music by Patrick... more