To Be Moved By Stillness

By Suzanne H., Kayak Adventures Logistics Coordinator

The warmth of the sun fell while the alpen glow shone purple amongst the snow covered Chugach Range. Sitting on the shore of Resurrection Bay watching the sky, feeling the ocean’s mist and it’s winds, listening to sharp sounds of the thriving ecosystems around me. In these moments, I was reminded about how connected we are to the world outside. These moments of stillness and presence ignite curiosity and wonder for the wilderness that surrounds us.

To be taken away from the regimen of everyday life, to explore and make an effort to forget about emails, pings, and messages in order to listen to stories bigger than ourselves. The stories that explain how the mountains above us were made, how much we can learn from the species swimming alongside us, or all those who swam before us. Kayaking amongst these natural wonders and preserving the serenity of being present can create such special moments in time.

The sounds of a glacier calving or an orca releasing a breath, can bring silence to a group like I had never seen before. I found myself mesmerizing over the sheer scale of the Alaskan wilderness while large and mighty but delicate and quiet at the same time. While we live in a world of constant stimuli on our high attention, I find it is with moments of stillness that allows us to understand our past, our present, and to imagine our futures.

Listening to the cycles of nature can create a space to relax, to look outward, to experience life in real time. The sound of the rain falling on the ocean, the feel of sand in between your toes, or the way the sun warms your cheeks after a long winter. Nature serves as a constant reminder that wherever we are in the world, whatever is going on, there is life; there is movement around us.

I take these moments with me, as stillness has moved me, shaped my perspective, and always reminded me that we are a part of the wild that surrounds us.

Feel connected to your world.
Walk barefoot.
Visit Alaska.
Get a pair of binoculars.
Get out of your comfort zone.
Tuck your phone away.
Just be.