Hiking In The Woods Taught Me To Surrender

"It takes wisdom and strength to surrender to our own helplessness and to accept that we, just like every other human being, have limitations. The gifts of surrender are numerous. We discover humility, gratitude, and a deepening understanding of the human experience that enables us to be that much more compassionate and surrendered in the world." ~ Madisyn Taylor

Are you reflecting on your year? 2018 is winding down, I hope you are taking time to pause and cherish the beauty of the life lessons this spin around the sun has provided.

This photo depicts the essence of me this past year.

I chose to lovingly take back my power and remove all interference.

A lot of inner work, inner healing and integration of myself occurred.
This is me no longer carrying the armor of strength.

This is me, content, nourished, not forcing myself to be anything other than what I am. Aligned.

I processed a lot of grief this year, grief was not something I really knew how to deal with so I always just buried it, stuffed it down deep.

It always felt too heavy to deal with. But instead of letting it go, I carried it. For far too long.

I didn’t even know I was doing it. Until I cracked wide open this year.
The grief came pouring out and released like a dam had burst.

And after, I felt so much lighter, so much freer in my body, so peaceful, so zen.

This is ZEN Lydia.

And what processing all my grief has showed and taught me is that I have  opened up to love in a whole new way.

Seeing my grief, feeling my grief and letting it go has opened up my heart for more love. It’s opened my eyes to see others in a whole new way.

All those heavy feelings we carry, all the pain, the loss, the hurt, hold us back in more ways than we can possibly imagine.

So this is a message to let it go!

This is surrender.



I stopped my life-long struggle to strive to be what I thought I needed to be so I’d be accepted by the world. So I could achieve the standard of success as defined by society.

I realized I spent a lot of my life wanting other's approval of me and what I was doing. When that hit me, I mean truly hit me - it floored me. I realized it was like I had been on a vicious hamster wheel my whole damn life, that I could easily get off ANYTIME.

I decided to step more fully out of that wheel, than I ever have in my life. I think I got off and on it many times over the years. This year, it was like I saw it in a whole new way (more to come on that topic).

I quit trying. And just started BEING. I gave up the act. The hustle. The need for approval.

I immersed myself in the woods this year, deeply, incessantly, relentlessly. The woods: wherein wisdom resides.

Many times while in the woods I just observed, listened, breathed in the freshness, the sweetness of the earth. I watched the wildlife of which the variety is incredible. I learned from the patterns of the animals I came across. They taught me things I can't yet put words to.

I observed from nature that all is accomplished that needs to be without any sense of striving. It just is.

It’s also beautiful in it’s messiness. I walked through a lot of mud this year due to incessant rain. I observed the creek as it flooded numerous times. I watched as it’s path shifted a bit. It course corrected on it’s own after getting blocked up many times. The path widened and narrowed in many places. More trees fell than ever before since I’ve lived here and walked this trail. But they became path markers. Piles of branches collected in many places creating new homes for animals.

Trees fell across the length of the creek creating daring crossing bridges to climb and further explore. I learned to enjoy the moving meditation. I learned that moving my body, embracing the changing seasons and all that brought, helped me embody my own inner stillness.

I learned that the more time I spent in the woods -the more open I became. The more content I became. The more love I felt.

I enjoyed the quiet, the peace, even the darkness now as the trees have released their leaves and all is gray and brown and asleep.The best memories of my childhood come from me being the woods, or in nature. Just exploring. Wandering. No agenda. No need to be anything other than just free and myself.

I view nature as a cornerstone of my fulfillment as I write these words recapping my year, reflecting on it’s lessons. I have the utmost respect and reverence for the ebb and flow of the seasons. I am grateful for my creek trail.

All it’s many lessons are more than I can even contain or write. I believe my time in the woods has taught me more about life, helped me to BE PRESENT which in turn has helped me to be more aware.

I took my hands off the wheel this year. Every time I tried to grab back on in fear, it backfired. So I learned to let go. Let go of trying to hold on so tightly to that which wasn’t truly serving me.

That my friends feels scary, and looks messy at first, but I can’t tell you how many people have told me that they see the shift in me. I didn’t even care if anyone did but it sure is validation that the inner work has been even more worth it. If my journey can help others in anyway, that my friends is a powerful thing.

When your inner zen is observable to others, pay attention, this is when trust occurs. I feel a deep sense of responsibility for those I lead; myself first, my children and those I serve (such as my clients and students). And I see it inspiring others to do the same for themselves.

The truth is, we all need each other. Not in a codependent way, but an interdependent way. One in which we learn, grow, expand, become truer more open versions of ourselves. To fall in love with ourselves and who we are becoming without such a fight, with more ease and flow.

And now my mission, friends, is to share this with you in case you too need to 'let go' more in 2019. Let go to receive more than you can by holding on so tight.

The inner nourishment from your meditation practice will give you a deeper sense of inner security and joy. I know it has for me.

So, here's to more joy, more peace, more fullness, more love in 2019.
More of the true YOU can come out and just BE when you learn to process your emotions more fully through surrender.

Now, I'd love to hear from you. What did you learn this past year, in 2018? How has a practice of  surrender, meditation or nature therapy caused you to experience more inner stillness and joy? Let me know in the comments.