This morning, I walked while chanting the Sri Lalita Sahasranama.  This is a sacred text that I ideally would be chanting daily.  As I walked, I was pulled by the desire to be focusing on the beauty around me rather than reciting the chant.  I have felt that pull many times before, but it was particularly strong today.

Then the question “Isn’t focusing on the beauty of Mother Nature a spiritual practice too?” came into my mind.  Of course it is; about that I had no doubt.  I realized what wanted to be doing was to immerse myself in nature, taking photographs to share on my blog and in the GreenFriends newsletter I organize monthly.

For the rest of my walk, I continued my chant, but if I felt called to stop and look at something and/or take a picture, I did.  Sometimes I felt literally “called” in that it seemed like a song bird or crow was calling out to me.

I felt “rewarded” for being flexible in my definition of spiritual practice by capturing several beautiful photographs.

I suspect that tomorrow morning I will be going on a nature walk!

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Written for Weekly Photo Challenge: Reward