My dog and I often walk on the sand dunes. There is nothing there but space.

The walk starts as we go by a wooden walkway bridge through the island’s tropical forest. The bridge is over a wetland where the lush vegetation is high above the horizon. I can hear a mixture of birds chirping and insects buzzing away as the sun rises. At this stage of the walk, you can only see green and the light blue sky. The atmosphere feels refreshing and liberating.

At the end of the bridge, the tropical forest still grows wild in the sand. There are fern branches, palm trees and bushes of all kinds, in a humid and hot ecosystem. We are the first ones to walk in this morning. Last night’s rain left marks in the sand, and no other footprints have removed them. My dog sniffs everything as if for the first time. Going forward and then backwards quickly, as if he missed to sniff something important.

As we go up and down the sand dunes, vegetation is still dense, until a clearance suddenly opens. The tropical forest has now been replaced just by the sand dunes. Stand still, infinite silence takes over. Open space and a clear blue sky are seen in a magical display. The Atlantic Ocean appears as a thin blue line in the horizon. Little dog runs wild now, enjoying his freedom.

As I keep on walking, I slowly release what comes into my mind, the disappointments, the sorrows, the grief, the fatigue, and I breathe. Letting all go into the vast space that surrounds me. As I let go, I feel lighter. Spaciousness takes over the narrow mind which is imprisoned by craving and fixation. A mind like space.

As I walk, I breathe, I release, and I heal. I allow things to be just the way they are. Spaciousness becomes a synonym for a clear mind, that is untouched by what rises in it.

Whenever life gets tough, I know where to go. I recognise and experience the healing power of nature. As I write these words my heart is filled with gratitude, as I learn to internalize the energy of the space element.

May there be more moments of mildness and a completely open mind.