Susan Meyer
This reflective collection weaves together nature-based mindfulness teachings in the form of stories, poems, and full-color photographs 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, the author explores the practice of presence and the wisdom offered by the natural world.Each piece 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.This full-color photographic edition includes more than seventy original photographs printed in color on high-quality paper. A black-and-white edition, containing a limited selection of monochrome photographs, is also available (ISBN 979-8-9989420-2-0).
