As summer draws on, Patty Somlo’s poignant image of hiking, mental health, and meditation reminds us that the movement of our bodies and the stillness of our minds are ongoing, imperfect, and beautiful practices of living.
Patty Somlo
Walking to infinity
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What happens in a plodding, mechanical way indoors, unfolds almost magically on a trail. The rhythm of my booted feet moving me forward, sometimes on soft earth strewn with dried, dead pine needles, and at other times, carefully picking my way over rocks, clears my brain like a drug. Even after I’ve given myself a break from meditation and let my mind wander wherever it cares to go, a miracle occurs. Instead of chewing over the same old disappointments or worries about anticipated crises that will amount to nothing, my thinking turns down a more hopeful path. I don’t have to force it in that direction. Being on the trail automatically transports me there.
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