I think self-care is very imporant. Especially right now. So i thought i would share a post of my self-care routine. This is something [weather permitting] that I do when I feel overwhelmed, by work, by life, by depression and anxiety. I head to one of my favorite trails in the national forest that surrounds me. I am blessed to live in such a beautiful place, such a natural place. I slowly walk the trail, barefoot. Focusing on the beauty of the land around me, the feeling of the earth beneath my feet. I clear my mind of anything else. I allow the sounds and smells of the forest to fill me. The scent of pine and cedar, the rustle of leaves from the towering oaks, the songs of birds, chattering of squirrels. The sounds of a rushing brook in the distance. I focus on the beauty of this land, the lush green fir trees, the lighter green (or yellows and reds depending on season) of the deciduous trees. The twisting and climbing of the various vines that intertwine among them. Nothing and no one exists except this place and me. Breath comes easier the farther I walk into this place that has remained unchanged by anything other that Mother Nature’s hand. I feel lighter, brighter. This is my true home. This is where my heart is at peace. This place, these sounds, these smells, they are healing salve to the wounds of my soul.