Susan Meyer
This reflective collection weaves together nature-based mindfulness teachings in the form of stories, poems, and images drawn from nearly two decades of living beside and paddling on the Upper Hudson River. Through quiet encounters with water lilies, wildlife, sunrise skies, ice formations, changing seasons, a Superfund dredging project, and more, Susan Meyer explores the practice of presence and the wisdom offered by the natural world.This black-and-white edition offers the same reflective stories as the color version (979-8-9989420-0-6) and a fraction of the photographs (21 as opposed to 72) in monochrome form. The images have been adjusted for grayscale printing, resulting in a minimalist visual component. It’s a more affordable companion to the full-color edition, designed for readers who prefer to focus on the text as a meditative read, without the full effect of the pictures that go along with the stories.Each piece in this collection invites the reader to slow down, open the senses, and connect more deeply-with nature, with the present moment, and with their own inner life. Whether recounting a dawn photography ritual, an evolving relationship with fast boats, or a missed shot that became a lesson in impermanence, these stories speak to the healing and grounding power of mindful awareness in nature.Steeped in both personal experience and universal insight, this book offers an intimate view of river life as a teacher of interconnection, equanimity, and awe. It’s an invitation to return again and again to what is always available: breath, sensory impression, beauty, and the ever-changing water flowing just outside the door.
