Do you marvel at nature?
I do, especially at old trees. The ones in my two stories below have been around long before me, and probably long before these trails.
If they could talk, I wonder what stories they would tell. These are things that I ponder when I’m out on a trail run.
As I admire nature, I pay attention to the details and take a mindful approach.
I practice viewing them in the moment, I am curious, and feel awestruck.
The anatomy of the tree, photosynthesis, how it changes from season to season, and life cycle are all things that can make me feel in awe.
Awestruck
If you are interested in understanding the feeling of being in awe of something and want to use it to boost happiness, check out Jonah Paquette, PsyD research.
I own two of his books, Awestruck and The Happiness Toolkit. For continuing education, I took his course on Awestruck. It was pretty cool.
Here’s what the book Awestruck is about:
“How the moments that make us go “Wow!” can make lasting and positive improvements to our health, relationships, and everyday lives.
What do you feel when you gaze up at the Milky Way, see a beautiful rainbow, or stand before a mountain that seems impossibly high?
Often it’s a profound sense of awe, the overwhelming feeling we experience when we encounter something vast that transcends our understanding.
Awe-inspiring moments are all around us, ranging from the grand to the commonplace, and can hold a key to a happy, meaningful, and healthy life.
Awestruck serves as a guide to help you tap into the powerful, life-changing benefits of awe.
Beginning with a comprehensive explanation of the emotion, Jonah Paquette introduces us to the power of awe and how it can help alleviate struggles in our modern life, including stress, social isolation, and time pressure.
Continuing with over 60 practices, this book provides an accessible and tangible path to bring more wonder into your everyday life.
Awestruck shows us how to reclaim space for moments of reverence and ultimately find more joy and fulfillment in our lives.”
You can buy it here if you are interested.
I also recommend finding a podcast or YouTube video, like the one below, of him sharing his knowledge.
I love passing this kind of stuff on to my clients.
Pausing to admire the gnarly details of older trees
As I was running up a hill on the Harmony Trail, the trees that line the trail caught my eye.
With no leaves, you can see all of the characteristics of the trees. The textured bark, the twisted branches, the shadows created from the sun shining through them. They have a story.
I sort of grew up seeing these trees – once the township put a trail in. I was probably a young teenager. The trail goes past Grace Church cemetery. The area is historical.
Definitely cool and worth stopping to admire.
An old, majestic tree fell
I was disappointed to see that one of my favorite trees fell on a trail behind Zelienople Public Park. It’s a majestic, old tree. It was dead and weathered down for years, it still stood.
The tree is blocking the trail now, but it appears that people have been hiking around it. I hope that it’s left there and not sawed up.
It’s still majestic in my eyes and I’m glad that I have pictures to remember it from when it stood.
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Yes! I love trees looking at them while running trails and I also get sad when they fall. Great photos . I love the sound of falling leaves . I have similar videos . 😊
Ah, awesome!! It’s hard to not take pictures and videos. 😁 Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed my article.