Nature, Unfiltered: The Doe’s Gentleness

Mule Deer — Topanga Canyon, 2025
(Photographed near the yoga room, early morning)

📸 Encounter Story

Look what I saw coming out of the yoga room this morning, fresh from my daily practice. A doe. I had been sprinting toward the composting potty, as a little of the basti was still urging a quick release, when I accidentally startled her and her fawn.

But instead of fleeing into the canyon, they stayed. The mother watched me calmly from a short distance, ears alert, body relaxed, her fawn just behind her in the tall grass. For nearly ten minutes they remained nearby, observing me with a soft, steady curiosity, as if the disruption had already been forgiven.

A quiet, unexpected communion — made no less sacred by the human reality that preceded it.

🔎 About the Animal

The Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is one of the most familiar large mammals in the Santa Monica Mountains. Recognizable by their large, expressive ears and gentle demeanor, these deer move through the canyons in small family groups, browsing on shrubs, grasses, and native plants.

Does are remarkably attentive mothers. Their fawns often remain hidden in the brush while the mother scouts for safety. A doe lingering at close range is a sign of calm confidence and trust that the space is safe.

Encounters like this reveal how intertwined human and wild lives are in places like Topanga.

Meditation Meaning

The doe teaches soft vigilance — the art of being fully aware without tightening, bracing, or contracting. Her presence is a reminder that alertness can coexist with gentleness, and that sensitivity does not equal fragility.

She embodies a quiet knowing: moving slowly, sensing deeply, choosing calm even when startled.

Reflection

In our own lives, we often respond to surprise with tension or urgency. The doe offers another way. Even when the unexpected happens (or when we’re running to the composting potty), we can return to presence quickly. We can choose not to armor ourselves.

Her stillness invites us to meet each moment not with reactivity but with spaciousness. To look out at the world with soft eyes, even when our day begins with abruptness.

Gentleness is a form of strength.

Oracle Message

“Stay open, even when startled.”