Today, I took a slow wander through the beautiful Allen Banks and Staward Gorge, and it gifted me one of those rare, golden moments that feel like they arrive exactly when you need them. The very last of the autumn colours were glowing whenever the sun peeked through — brief flashes of gold against the soft, cooling air. The river was high from all the recent rain, full of its own energy and movement.
As I walked, I noticed something quite magical. To my right, I could hear the rapids rushing in the distance. To my left, the same — a steady roar of water tumbling over rocks. But right in front of me? Stillness. A calm stretch of river, completely unbothered by the noise on either side. Somehow, that moment wrapped me in a feeling of peace, even though the landscape around me was alive with movement and sound.
It reminded me so much of this time of year. Darker mornings, darker evenings, that instinct we all have to stay productive even when our energy is changing with the season. It can feel chaotic, overwhelming, or like everything around us is rushing on whether we’re ready or not. But just like that quiet patch of water, we always have a place to return to — our breath.
Noticing the world bustling around us while choosing to settle into our own calm is a practice in itself. A gentle one. A compassionate one. A reminder that peace doesn’t always mean silence — sometimes it simply means tuning in to that steady place within, even for a moment.
So this week, if life feels busy or heavy or fast, take a small pause. Breathe in. Breathe out. Let your breath be the calm river in the middle of the noise. Those little moments truly matter.
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