nature reconnection

January 30, 2019

Winter Wonder Land

Alex Soto Travel, Uncategorized forest bathing, forest therapy, healing, mother earth, nature, nature reconnection, pacha mama, snow

When you think of snow, how do you feel? I think Snow is just magical! There is that surreal silence that comes with snow as it blankets the earth. Each walk is like a cold wet pillow that reveals the prints of our feet as we explore.

You see throughout the season we know that there are all types of animals exploring the woods. That is where the magic really happens, because you can actually now see tracks and see what story is being born. I just love to hike in the snow, the more the better. The picture you see was taken in the Catskills during a guided hike towards Plateau Mountain. There was about 2 feet of snow scattered throughout the mountain and more at the summit.

Throughout our climb up, I continued to share stories with clients of all the tracks we continued to see. There were all sorts of tracks, fox, rabbit, birds. You could see the direction they were traveling, at times you’ll lose track them it would a few feet you’ll pick it up again. I like to think that they also know how to cover there tracks to escape any predators.

I invite you to slow down and look around and see if you can spot some tracks. Take a moment and use your imagination, there is a story out there waiting to be told. I’ve see rabbit tracks with two large eagle wings at the sides, you know the story doesn’t end well for that cute rabbit. But that is the real magic as you try to read the land and what is trying to tell you. Each step you take and each moment you slow down and just read the land will give you great satisfaction. In fact, this is how our ancestors hunted by communing with the land and learning what it has to tell us. But during the winter months especially when it snowed, it made it easier to read the white canvas and the stories it was sharing.

Next time it snows, take a moment and go to the park or a simple hike and see what it’s telling you. You might be surprised what is on the other side of the track. 🙂

I ride Moto!

January 30, 2019

Nature Collage

Alex Soto Entertainement, Fun, Nature, Places, Travel Art, forest bathing, forest therapy, healing, mother earth, nature, nature art, nature collage, nature reconnection, pacha mama

So if you ever come out on one of my walks, you’ll probably do a nature collage. It’s our way of saying “Thank You, Mother Earth”. Reciprocity is important to the land and for our individual selves. So how do we do it?
It’s so easy and actually a lot of fun! How simple is it? Well, all you need to do is look in the ground and start gathering all the stuff that has fallen from the trees. We don’t take anything that is still rooted because that is causing harm to the environment. We simply just take a moment and scan the area and start picking. I like to carry a small back pack or even my hat and just go around a whatever calls me I pick it up. Once I feel good about all that I’ve gathered I find a nice spot close by where I can showcase my work.

Everything that I’ve chosen is normally random so I don’t have any idea of what I’m creating until I sit down and take what I have and create it. So the element of surprise is pretty cool when I show my master piece. I’ll always get people walking by asking me what I’m doing or just admire what I’m creating, ask them to join if that happens to you.

I find it very gratifying to offer this art piece to the more than human world. I take my time and at the end I’m always amazed at the outcome of what I create. I tend to have a few visitors also come to see what I’m doing, all are welcomed.

So next time your out in a park or out hiking, take a moment and show your appreciation by creating something beautiful using what’s fallen from nature itself.

It happens to the best of us. You sit down and plan your blogging schedule and just go blank. You think of what topics to write about and can’t think of anything for the life of you. Trust me, I know. I have my fair share of blank moments. After overloading on coffee, I begin to jot down ideas after ideas but always seem to get nowhere.