My girlfriend and I had a chance to hike a nice 4 mile trail on Wednesday morning. It was a crisp morning with 40 degree weather. It was so nice to be able to walk, listen to nature, see nature and enjoy the time together.

Iargo Springs provides a spectacular panoramic view of the AuSable River. The site includes includes large natural springs and is on the banks of the AuSable River. Two of the springs have dams. There is varied flora that includes riparian wildflowers and old growth hardwood.

Here are some of our pictures.

A view from the bottom of the springs

Again, a view from the bottom of the springs

Me and Kate

A view from the hike

~Voltaire

Aubrey Nicole does an amasing job for Intent Blog explaining why yoga and meditation are profound introductions to mindfulness.

My path to awakening began in 2005, when during a time of major transition and deep personal sadness, my mother suggested I might find relief with yoga. She put me in touch with her friend, Grace, a yoga instructor at a fitness center in Indianapolis where I wound up taking my first yoga class. Five years later, on an afternoon lunch break, a co-worker introduced me to meditation for the first time. Yoga and meditation would continue to flow in and out of my life like waves in the ocean. I would dabble here and there and then get distracted and return to the way things had always been. These practices were nothing more than nice things to do sometimes if I was in the mood, but I didn’t feel connected to them in any meaningful way. They were more like novelties.

I’m sure a lot of us have shared a lot of the same emotions and feelings when being introduced to our breath.

Click to read more on yoga. 

Amsterdam is widely considered to be one of the very best cities for cyclists in the world. That didn’t happen by accident, and seeing images from a few decades ago when the city was choked with cars really brings the point home. The locals took some very specific steps to get to where they are today, something that many other cities around the world could learn from.

Bicycle Anecdotes from Amsterdam from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Via Treehugger and Street Films

~Lawrence Durrell