A Mid-Summer Walk In The Marsh

This is a guided meditation of a walk through marshland in the Ottawa Valley, Ontario, Canada. Walk with me and pause to enjoy the sensory beauty in this healing space on a day that follows a recent rainfall, and connect with the earth element as we go. Breathe in the marsh along the way and breathe out any stress or anxiety you may be feeling today. I look forward to your company.

Transcript

Thank you for joining me today.

In this meditation we are going to go for a walk along the marshland that borders a small river whose source is just south of where I live in the Ottawa Valley,

Canada.

I walk this marshland often and I'm grateful to have you join me today.

We'll be entering the paved pathway from a busy road that we must cross to get there.

So as we wait for the traffic light to change,

Let's begin our time together with a round of three conscious breaths,

Allowing our exhale to be longer than our inhale.

So beginning to breathe with me now,

Breathing in and out and out and one more time in and slowly out and then just noticing how you're feeling throughout your body and mind now.

Taking an opportunity to adjust your position if you need to so that you're completely comfortable before we continue.

The traffic light has changed to green and the walk sign is showing,

So let's stretch our legs to cross the four lanes of roadway to the opposite side of the road and then take a step up to the sidewalk and with just a few more steps further we're leaving the busy traffic behind us and we stop to greet what seems like a different world.

We're looking across fields for as far as we can see into the distance and trees of various sizes and full foliage bordering those fields.

Fields of midsummer dressed in multi-colored greens and golds and standing alone in the distance is the outline of a century plus old barn creating a sense of continuance between then and now,

The past and the present,

Rather like a time trap in the moment that separates us completely from everything we've left behind and above this view is the timeless sky which today has low hanging clouds of varying endless shapes and deepening colors of dark bluish gray.

Seeing all of this in your mind's eye now,

Let's breathe in its beauty with a mindful awareness of its healing power for us today before we continue.

Mindfully breathing this beauty in again letting your out breath be longer breathing in and out and one more time breathing beauty in and breathing beauty out.

Imagining this healing beauty moving throughout your body and mind now here in this space at the beginning of our pathway.

From here the path takes us downhill slightly beneath the level of the road and immediately surrounded by extremely tall grasses on both sides of the path as the path takes a gentle curve to run parallel to the unseen road above and in this space traffic sounds are very muted muffled by the grasses.

Along the edge of the pathway on our right is a series of large rocks that have been intentionally laid to both outline the path and to offer a place of rest or to simply stop to enjoy the view that we've been looking at.

It's much more obvious in early springtime when the grasses aren't as high.

It's also a good place to sit cross-legged in reflection or a meditation on a beautiful morning.

Continuing on then we walk in what feels like a corridor of grass that stands at least eight to ten feet tall on either side and successfully buffering us visually as well in the world we've left behind.

The walls of grass hold the fragrance of the marsh in this place made all the more obvious and fresh by the recent rainfall which has left a few puddles on our path that we can easily walk around and immersing us in memories of past experiences we've had after a rainfall.

So let's take a moment for you to breathe and connect with this fragrance of freshness that follows the rain and the scent of any memories that may be coming to you today.

Just breathe on your own quietly and I'll be waiting for you.

With warm hearts we continue again along the corridor noticing and counting all the different types of wildflowers growing along the bases of the grasses.

Wildflowers of pink and white,

Yellow,

Purple,

And blue.

Some so miniature that one might miss them entirely if not mindful of the purpose of our walk today.

Walking silently and unplugged from human sounds and music giving our full attention to the audio and visual of the marsh instead.

These beautiful wildflowers whose scientific genus I do not know are scattered throughout the marsh.

The timing of their appearance throughout the spring,

Summer,

And autumn months known only to their particular species and all happening without the aid of human hand here.

No cultivating,

No weeding to be done.

Just timely exposing themselves as the beautiful miracles of nature that they are for us to enjoy any day and especially today.

Soon the tall grass falls off on our right side giving way to a small stream that is flowing towards the river.

The scene before us now is one of shallow water with small visible rocks and true marshland plants surrounding it and in it.

Occasionally I have witnessed a great blue heron here for in its shallowness it promises to be a dependably easy food source.

Not today though.

As we continue along to join up with another pathway to our right and leads us closer to the river.

This path is graveled and surrounds another section of the stream that flows in the shape of an oxbow.

The land is higher here falling down towards the river which we can clearly see beneath us now as we make our way along this graveled path.

Let's stop again to cast our eyes out over this vista for there is usually something to observe.

So let's just be quiet for a moment and wait to see if anything will present itself today.

Just continuing to consciously breathe the fresh moist air of morning on your own.

The beauty that you're breathing in as well.

Healing peace of the marsh.

Let yourself be aware of all of these things as you consciously breathe more slowly in and out.

As we watch and look out into the distance above us now and listen.

It's a flock of Canada geese flying towards us.

At least 30 geese perhaps more.

They looked like little black dots initially.

They just keep getting bigger and bigger and their sounds are getting louder and louder as well.

Can you hear them?

As they approach us it looks as though they're going to land in the river beneath us and we have a ringside view to watch them now as they carefully come in for their landing.

Much like the landing of an airplane.

Leaving a trail of water splashing behind them as they settle onto the surface of the water.

Can you see this happening in your mind?

And once landed the honking stops abruptly except for the occasional sound that comes from one or two of the flock possibly wanting to be closer to its partner or parent.

Looking left then and ahead is the oxbow I mentioned which often has wildlife in it also.

And today there are two ducks asleep on the low warm grass by the edge of the water just beneath us as we quietly continue along the gravel path so as not to disturb them.

Just taking your time to continue to walk along this pathway that is a little bit elevated and allows you to see along the marsh still maybe seeing some of those geese on the river that we're leaving behind.

And the path eventually leads us back to the main paved pathway again which will return us to a lower level of ground.

And in this area the path is not bordered with tall grass but with a continuous line of Queen Anne's lace.

A wildflower that has a large face anywhere from one inch across to three or four inches sometimes with hundreds of miniature petals all forming a beautiful circle and standing about knee height.

And they will be leading us to a footbridge that's just around the corner that we can't see yet.

A footbridge that will be crossing over a narrow portion of the river.

So I'm going to go ahead on but I want you to take your time just to enjoy this part of the pathway before you join me shortly.

And as you arrive at the bridge as well we're going to stop here and have a look down into the water.

Today on the right side of the bridge there are hundreds of floating heart plants.

These are small heart-shaped green leaves measuring about one inch in diameter and floating on the surface.

Their roots obviously nestled in the soft mud below.

And as we look more closely we see their tiny white five-petaled blossoms here and there amongst the picturesque leaves adding a new form of beauty in the otherwise very still water while hugging the shoreline of the river as it curves here and then disappears beneath the footbridge to reappear again on the opposite side where no more flowers or heart-shaped leaves lie on the surface.

Instead a solitary loon is vigorously rising up out of the water to shake water out of its feathers.

Its vigorous movements creating a series of water rings slowly moving out from its body and filling the small space surrounding it as it relaxes again into its position there.

Its partner probably still beneath the surface further on.

From here the pathway becomes more of a trail,

A walking trail no longer paved and it follows the contour of the river which at this point is rather narrow as it leads us towards its source about two kilometers ahead.

We won't be going that far,

Rather a second footbridge sees us easily across the river up ahead.

But we're going to take our time just to walk along here and just be observant of sounds and sights and sensing,

Remembering the fragrance of the after rain,

That sense watching the path as you take your steps,

Make sure that there's nothing you shouldn't be stepping on.

Just enjoying the feeling of freedom of being in the marshland,

Its openness here.

Breathing in the grasses and the beauty of this rather wild space that we're in at the moment.

Just breathing it in easily.

And we come to the second footbridge then and cross over to the other side of the marsh.

Meeting a paved pathway again which is elevated in this location almost as high as the roadway above.

And this elevation allows us to have a much broader view of the marsh.

And the first thing we notice is that there are two or three ponds beneath us and in one of the ponds in particular which is getting our attention,

There are three great white egrets slowly stalking it.

And we're going to stop and watch as they stealthily move to snatch their catch.

Their great long legs almost coming out of the water as they take each step.

Their prey seemingly unaware of what is to follow.

And just as fascinating to watch is one of these magnificent birds taking off into the air,

Leaving the others behind.

Perhaps he or she has found enough to satisfy her or him or perhaps they are signifying it's time to find another place to fish.

For now a second enormous bird takes flight as we watch them from our own perch above on the pathway.

The slow movement of their takeoff and the graceful outstretch of their wings moving up and down so smoothly and effortlessly.

No wind to face,

Just a beautiful fair weather day as they soar upwards now leaving our area completely.

Possibly to land west of here along a further shallow stretch of river.

And now the third great white egret takes flight from this pond that follows the others with the same graceful movements raising her easily into the air.

As we stand by quietly watching this marvelous sight,

Feeling privileged to have arrived at this time to see it all happening,

And together taking a deep breath of gratitude in being a part of all of this.

And then continuing along the path and we hear now and see both red-winged blackbirds calling out to one another.

Their empty nesting areas along the pathway no longer in use as their next generation join in the hunt for their next meal in this food-rich marshland environment filled with seeds and berries and snails and worms.

And because this elevated pathway is closer to the road and traffic sounds,

It's beginning to feel that we are brought full circle from an awesome experience of sharing the marsh this day with its actual inhabitants.

And possibly healed of some stress and anxiety we may have brought in with us.

Now released into the expansive openness of this marshland space.

Taking home instead an appreciation for wildlife in all its forms and a commitment to spend more time in nature and to receive her healing benefits on a regular basis.

Whether it's marshland,

Forest,

Open fields in the country,

Shorelines of oceans,

Rivers,

Streams,

Or sitting under a tree.

All of these opportunities are very healthy for our wellness in general,

Our health and well-being.

We acknowledge all of this within us as we follow the path to a different traffic light to cross and return home again.

Leaving this rich experience of color and sounds and sights all sewn together in the sensation of peace and calm for us to feast upon in our quiet thoughts.

Thank you for walking with me today.

You're most welcome to return anytime and I'll be here waiting for you.

Reminding you to be kind and gentle with yourself today and always.

Namaste.

Reviews

Thank you for the virtual walk today, Judith. As I have an inflamed tendon in my foot, and seeing my Podiatrist who has me in a air walking boot for the next 2 weeks, I won't be enjoying my morning walks till I'm done with it! I felt like I was right there, walking with you!
Hugz ❤️

I have been with you on the Mid-Summer Walk in the Marsh. It was delightful! Thank you so much Judy. 🙏💖🕊🌻